OBJECTIVE
To establish safe work procedures for entering and working
in a confined space.
SCOPE
This procedure applies to entry and work in confined spaces within the manufacturing site.
RESPONSIBILITY
General
In view of the hazards associated with working in confined spaces, all personnel who work in or support confined space work shall demonstrate a responsible attitude at all times during the work and in particular, shall ensure that:
- Entry into a confined space is not permitted unless a Confined Space Entry Permit (CSEP) has been obtained (Appendix A – Confined Space Entry Permit).
- The precautions stated on the CSEP and associated certificates are understood and observed.
- The potential need for personal protective equipment whilst working in the confined space is understood and users are familiar in its use.
Personnel Entering Confined Spaces (Entrants):
- Know and understand the CSEP before starting work, and abide by its conditions.
- Stop work and exit the confined space immediately if conditions under which the permit was granted changes or if any danger is perceived. Report this to the confined space attendant and supervisor
Supervisor
(Requestor) of the person who is to enter or work in the confined space
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that:
- He /she applies for a CSEP for the person who is to enter or work in the confined space
- The
confined space is properly isolated before entry is permitted.
- The
atmosphere in the confined space has been fully tested for oxygen, toxic and
flammable materials by an authorized Confined Space
Assessor (CSA).
- All personnel working within their area of supervision are properly instructed in the requirements of confined space entry, and work to these requirements.
- That all
the work crew are familiar with emergency procedures relevant to the confined
space entry.
- No work is carried out or is in progress without the prior approval
of the authorised manager.
Confined Space
Attendants
- Attendants shall remain outside the confined space in order to:
- Monitor persons entering and working in the confined space;
- Maintain regular contact with the persons in the confined space and when necessary assist them to evacuate should the need arise; and
- Initiate
rescue as a member of confined space rescue team.
Confined Space
Safety Assessor (CSA)
CSA shall be responsible for ensuring that:
The equipment they use is:
- Suitable for the atmosphere to be tested.
- Properly calibrated and maintained.
Gas testing is
done according to CSEP requirements.
Authorised
Managers (Approvers)
An
appointed person overall in charge of work carried out in confined spaces on
site whose duties include issuing
and revoking entry permits, ensuring that confined spaces have been rendered as
far as practicable free of hazards for safe entry and work, and that measures
have been taken to eliminate or control the risk(s) identified in risk
assessment conducted. It is necessary for him to review and assess the need to
continue confined space work on a daily basis
Contractors /
Sub-contractors
They shall ensure that the workmen put on the Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) during work.
DEFINITION
Confined Space
Any chamber, tank, manhole, vat, silo, pit, pipe, flue or other enclosed space, in which:
- Dangerous gases, vapours, fumes are liable to be present to such an extent as to involve a risk of fire or explosion, or persons being overcome thereby;
- The supply of air is inadequate, or is likely to be reduced to be inadequate, for sustaining life; or
- There is a risk of engulfment
by material
Entrant
A person required to enter confined spaces to carry
out inspections or work.
Supervisor
The Supervisor of entrants who oversees entry and work in confined spaces.
Confined space
attendant
A person appointed to monitor entrants entering and
working in a confined space. He is also
trained in confined space rescue and is able to carry out non-entry rescue
should the need arise.
Rescue
Personnel
Persons who carry out rescue work in confined
spaces.
Confined space
safety assessor
A competent person appointed to test the atmosphere of
confined spaces before entry, and to conduct periodic testing
Authorised
Manager
A person who has overall control of all the work
carried out in a confined space at a workplace
PROCEDURE
Stage 1 Application by Supervisor
Before applying for a CSEP, the Supervisor shall make the following preparations:
A risk assessment shall be performed prior to any work occurring
in the confined space.
The following items will be evaluated for each confined space:
- Past, current, and future use of the space;
- Possible operations, work or activities in the confined space;
- Physical characteristics, configuration and location of the space;
- Any known hazards within or outside the space that could affect operations;
- Existing or potential atmospheric conditions within or impacting the space;
Emergency response procedures
Every confined space into which entry is required shall, be opened
up, thoroughly purged and cleansed (if necessary),freed of gas and
liquids and thoroughly ventilated.
NB: The purging agent must not be pure oxygen
or a gas mixture in a concentration of > 21% of oxygen by volume
Isolate all potentially hazardous services that are normally connected to the confined space to prevent
(i) the introduction of materials, contaminants, agents or conditions that may be harmful to a person occupying the space, or;
(ii) the
activation or energising in any way of equipment or services that may pose a risk
to the health or safety of a person inside the confined space.
Isolation can include:
- De-energization and lockout/tagout
- Blanking / Bleeding / isolation of pipes
- Removal of mechanical belt/linkages
Electrical, hydraulic or mechanical equipment are to be disconnected or made inoperative.
Make
arrangements for a confined space attendant (CSA) to be on standby outside the
confined space to monitor and maintain regular contact with the entrant and
effect non-entry rescue when required.
Appropriate PPE
for use in confined spaces are provided:
- Safety helmet;
- Safety shoes;
- Eye protection;
- Hand protection;
- Fall protection / lifelines;
- Respiratory protection;
- Protective and reflective clothing;
- Other personal equipment, such as:
- Pocket / personal gas detector
- torchlight
Ensure entrant has donned on his safety harness and connected to the TRIS manual retrieval system
Put up
barricades and signs where appropriate
Slippery
surfaces are wiped dry
There is no
excessive heat in the confined space
Sufficient and
suitable (explosion proof) lightning for entry and work in confined space is
provided
Portable
handheld lighting if used, shall not be less than 50 lux and not exceed AC 55
volts and DC 110 volts
Forced
ventilation in the form of blowers shall be used
All electrical
equipment shall be protected by ELCB
An appropriate
confined space rescue / retrieval system is set up to effect emergency rescue
when the need arises.
No person shall
be allowed to enter a confined space without a Confined Space Entry Permit.
All workers are
briefed of hazards and familiar with emergency procedures
NB: Supervisors should use Appendix C as a
checklist to consider actions required during the planning and preparation
stages before work in confined space commences.
Stage 2 Evaluation by of confined space safety assessor (CSA)
On receipt of application for a CSEP, the CSA shall use a suitable and properly calibrated instrument to test the atmosphere of the confined space prior to entry by any person in the confined space.
The test shall include the following:
- Oxygen content (19.5% to 23.5%)
- Oxygen Deficiency
Oxygen level LESS than 19.5 % by volume shall
be considered oxygen deficient. Personnel are not permitted to enter into or
remain in oxygen deficient atmospheres unless:
Positive pressure breathing apparatus is worn;
The cause of the oxygen deficiency is identified and
The CSEP specifically identify and permit entry to the oxygen deficient space.
Oxygen Enrichment
Atmospheres containing more than 23.5% of oxygen by volume shall be considered oxygen enriched. Entry into oxygen enriched atmospheres is prohibited at all times and under all circumstances.
Flammable
gas or vapor
Entry to a confined space is required without breathing apparatus, the maximum concentration of flammable gases must never exceed 1% LEL. Personnel are prohibited from entering or working in confined spaces without breathing apparatus where the concentration of flammable gases exceeds 1% LEL.
Where flammable vapours are present at concentrations greater than 1% LEL but less than 10% LEL, then entry is only permitted when breathing apparatus is worn, and the full rules for wearing of breathing apparatus within confined spaces are followed.
On no account should entry into a confined space be made, whether or not breathing apparatus is worn, where any flammable vapours present exceed 10% LEL.
Hot Work is not permitted where flammable vapours greater than 0% LEL are detectable anywhere inside the confined space.
Cold work, e.g. tank cleaning and inspection, is permitted up to a
maximum permitted level of 10% LEL under strictly controlled conditions which
must include the wearing of air supplied breathing apparatus. At this level of
flammability, however, other contaminants may be present and Gas Testers will
need to satisfy themselves that any relevant Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
is not exceeded.
Concentration
of Toxic gas / vapour where applicable
The levels of toxic substances of
the confined space shall not exceed the permissible exposure levels (PEL) as
specified in local regulations
Entry to spaces where the atmosphere contains contaminants above the PEL
is not permitted under normal working conditions, irrespective of the type of
respiratory protection used.
The CSA shall be responsible to
record the results of all CS atmosphere tests and keep them for a period of at
least 5 years
When the CSA is satisfied that
that entry into or work in the confined space can be carried out with due
regard to the safety and health of persons who enter or work in confined
spaces, he/she shall forward the permit to the Authorised Manager (AM) for
approval.
When there is more than one worker in the confined space, at least one person shall be equipped with a personal gas monitoring device in working condition.
NB: Limits for oxygen, flammable vapors and
toxic contaminants are shown in Appendix B.
NB: The CSA should use Appendix C as a
checklist to consider actions required during the planning and preparation
stages before work in confined space commences.
Stage 3 Approval by Authorised Manager (AM)
The Authorised Manager shall approve the confined space entry permit and forward it to the applicant if he /she is satisfied that:
The level of oxygen in the confined space is
within the range of 19.5% to 23.5% by volume;
The level of flammable vapors in the confined space is less than 10% of
its lower explosive limit;
The levels of toxic substances in the atmosphere of the
confined space do not exceed the permissible exposure levels as specified in
local regulations;
The confined space is adequately ventilated;
Effective steps have been taken to prevent any ingress of
dangerous gases or any other dangerous
substances into the confined space; and
All reasonably practicable measures have been taken to ensure
the safety and health of persons who
will be entering or working in the confined space
Before forwarding the approved confined space entry permit
(CSEP), it is the responsibility of the AM to make and retain a copy of the
CSEP.
Stage 4a Posting of Entry Permit
When the Supervisor (applicant) receives the approved CSEP from the AM, it shall be his / her duty to:
Post a copy of the permit at the entrance to the confined
space and ensure that the permit is not removed until the permit has expired or
revoked or the work is completed.
Ensure that identification tags or badges of all entrants are
displayed
Monitoring Confined Space Work
Any person who is aware of any work carried out in the
workplace which is incompatible with any work carried out in the confined space
have a duty to immediately report it to his Supervisor, the Workplace Safety
and Health Officer or the AM.
The Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that work
conditions remain safe at all times.
The Supervisor shall also ensure that a team trained in
confined space rescue operations is on-site as long as work in being carried
out in the confined space.
Workers shall observe the
following while carrying out work in the confined space:
Never smoke in confined space
Always maintain communication with attendant while working in a confined space
- Never use defective electrical connection / tools which may cause fire.
- Never enter into a confined space if there is inadequate lighting
- Ensure that lighting is adequate
- Take your food outside the confined space
- Never stay / rest in a confined space.
The atmosphere shall be tested by the CSA every 2 hrs if
gas continuous monitoring is not performed in the confined space.
If there are 2 or more persons in the confined space, at
least 1 person must have on a suitable gas detector that continuously monitors
the atmosphere.
If a hazardous atmosphere is detected by the gas detector,
the alarm will go off. All persons must
evacuate the confined space immediately.
No person shall re-enter the confined space until a new
confined space entry permit is issued by the AM for the confined space.
Stage 4b Notification of Completion / Termination of Work
The
Supervisor shall remove the permit based on the following conditions:
- Permit expired;
- Permit revoked;
- Work completed; or whichever is earliest
The Supervisor is responsible for
informing the AM immediately after the permit is removed.
Confined Space Rescue
Operations Plan (See Appendix E for detailed plan)
EHS shall maintain a written
confined space rescue operations plan that includes rescue equipment
- The Rescue Operation Plan shall include:
- Names of designated rescue personnel;
- Methods of rescue to retrieve persons inside a confined space;
- The type equipment necessary and available for rescue; and
- Means to summon designated rescue personnel
Emergencies
If a hazard arises within the confined space, personnel in the space shall immediately exit and contact his/her Supervisor and the EHS Officer. The Supervisor, with assistance from the EHS Officer, will re-evaluate the space to determine the appropriate course of action.
Personnel shall immediately leave the space when any of the gas monitor alarm(s) are activated.
If there is any non-movement of personnel in the confined space, the confined space attendant will make a verbal check. If there is no response, the attendant shall inform the Supervisor and EHS Officer via walkie talkie and initiate rescue in accordance to Appendix E – Confined Space Rescue Operations Plan.
Training
Management shall ensure that all personnel who are directly or indirectly involved in the confined space or work have been appropriately trained. These include:
- Confined space entrants;
- Attendants;
- Supervisors;
- Rescue personnel;
- Safety assessors and
- Authorised managers
All appointed rescue personnel shall have received adequate training
in rescue operation, including first aid and proper usage of PPE and rescue
equipment
Documentation and Record Keeping
EHS shall maintain a register of confined spaces for the company and evaluate all procedures of confined space work and entry at the manufacturing site.
All CSEP and gas test records shall be retained by the appropriate responsible parties (AM and CSA) for at least 5 years
All training records shall be retained by HR for at least 5 years
