Martin Øhre, Maritime Trainee at Skuld Club, touches upon the matter of enclosed space entry. Mr. Øhre notes that failure to comply with company procedures regarding entry into enclosed spaces can be fatal, while hazards such as oxygen depletion or carbon monoxide exposure are among the most common causes.
Enclosed space entry still leads to injuries and sometimes deaths, while it is defined by the following characteristics:
- Limited openings for entry and exit;
- Inadequate ventilation;
- Is not designed for continuous occupancy.
When conducting such an operation, the most frequent hazards can be the following:
- Oxygen depletion or enrichment;
- Carbon monoxide exposure;
- Hydrogen sulfide exposure;
- Toxic atmospheres;
- Flammable atmosphere.
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The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, addresses this issues, by saying that the shipping company must provide a Safety Management System (SMS) which considers the SOLAS requirements. It must also support the crew with instructions, procedures and checklists, in order to be aware of the risks regarding with such entries.
The SMS should be tailored to the respective vessel and be designed as an intuitive system supporting the crew to perform their onboard duties in a safe manner
Martin Øhre explained.
In addition, investigations indicate that many of the accidents are due to insufficient knowledge of the need to take the necessary precautions when entering enclosed spaces. Namely, the crew that carries out such an operation should be familiar with the company SMS.
In this aspect, Skuld highlights the importance for ship managers to be able to assess the crucial aspects of enclosed space entry operations, including:
- Risk assessment;
- Roles and responsibility;
- Communication;
- Ventilation;
- Testing of atmosphere;
- Authorisation for entry;
- Continuous testing.
Finally, according to IMO resolution A. 1050 (27) supplied from SOLAS, training must include the following as a minimum:
- Identification of the hazards likely to be faced during entry into enclosed spaces;
- Recognition of the signs of adverse health effects caused by exposure to hazards during entry;
- Knowledge of personal protective equipment and correct use.
To help prevent such accidents from happening in the future, Skuld recommends the SMS to be intuitive, short and on point. This will support the crew and will protect lives at sea.
