Personal Safety / Confined spaces

Gothenburg, 25th October 2012

Donald WERNER

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Overview of the presentation

1. Presentation of the Bureau Veritas Group

2. General precautions

3. Confined spaces

The Bureau Veritas Group

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Creation of Bureau Veritas

► 1828 : creation at Antwerp of the « Bureau de renseignements pour les assurances maritimes » by 3 marine insurers

► Aim : to keep underwriters informed of the premiums in use in various commercial centres and at the same time to provide« a detailed description of the good and bad qualities of vessels calling at the main ports of the Netherlands »

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Bureau Veritas at a Glance

Marine 12%

In-ServiceInspection

& Verification16%

Certification 11%

Industry23%

Government Services & International Trade 6%

Consumer Products14%

Construction18%

► A global leader in conformity assessment and certification services in the areas of quality, health and safety, environment and social responsibility (QHSE)

� 2011 revenue: €3.2bn

� More than 900 offices in 140 countries

► Over 50.000 skilled employees

► Seven global businesses providing a complete set of services

� Inspection, testing, audit, certification, risk management, outsourcing, consulting and training services

► Servicing 370,000 customers across a wide range of end markets

Broad Geographical PresenceRevenue breakdown

Seven Global BusinessesRevenue breakdown

Asia Pacific 25%

EMEA* 34%

France26%

The Americas15%

* EMEA includes:• Europe – excluding France• Middle-East• Africa

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Marine international network

20 local technical centres & plan approval offices

330 marine survey stations in more than 140 countries

3 Regional training Centres

1500 marine technical staff:

naval architects, marine engineers

and surveyors

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The BV fleet per ship type (gt)

Bulker 34,4%

Tanker 21,8%

Cargo 9,6%

Passenger 5,4%

Container 11,9%

Gas 8,4%

Other 8,5%

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Some ships within Bureau Veritas register

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1. Classification of ships : a private mission of providing a level of reference standard for ship quality

2. Certification of ships : a public mission on behalf of governments and marine authorities

3. Technical assistance & consulting

Role of a classification society

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Our Profession : QHSE Compliance

Reference Standard Action Deliverable

Assessment

Full Independencefrom any

Design / Manufacturing / Contracting / Insurance

General precautions

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General precautions

► Read carefully the personal safety instructions which are available in the work instructions and the Mini Survey Handbook.

► The surveyor must be suitably dressed for the space to be inspected

► This includes shoes, gloves & hard hat. The shoes should not give rise to a spark.

► The surveyor should carry a suitable torch, depending on the space to be inspected, an explosion-proof torch may be required

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General precautions

► Watch for :

� Deck openings open or unguarded

� Surveying below men working overhead or beneath loads being handled

� Surveys of tanks or compartments during ballasting or heavy lifting of cargoes

� Electric welding without proper eye protection

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General precautions

► Watch for :

� Badly fixed, unsteady or unguarded scaffolding

� Timber of scaffolding in poor condition or overhanging

� Wooden hatch covers badly secured or missing

� Ladder rungs missing or in poor condition

� Decks, platforms etc., slippery or icy.

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► Do not conduct surveys alone or when workers have d eparted

► Internal inspections, particular care when:

� Inadequate lighting

� Slippery surfaces

� Open manholes in stringer plates

� Corroded handrails & ladders

� Doubt about ventilation and atmosphere

General precautions

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General precautions

► Engulfment Hazards

� Loose, granular material stored in holds or tanks, such as grain, sand, coal, or similar material can engulf and suffocate a worker.

� The loose material can crust or bridge over and break under the weight of a worker

Confined spaces

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Confined spaces

►Definitions *)

Enclosed space means a space which has any of the following characteristics:

1. limited openings for entry and exit;

2. inadequate ventilation; and

3. is not designed for continuous worker occupancy

*) Reference: IMO MSC89/25 Appendix 23

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Confined spaces

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General precautions

► Spaces poor in oxygen include :

� Spaces that contain less than 20.8%

� Heavily corroded spaces : the corrosion process consumes O2

� Enclosed spaces partially filled with sea or fresh water experience a reduction in O2 & the possible generation of toxic gases.

� Void spaces, M/E crankcases, edible oil tanks, etc.

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Confined spaces

► Dangerous spaces

� Note - associated areas are considered as dangerous spaces

� Gas free certificate - safe for access

� Date / time of last verification - usually checked every 3 hours, assuming normal ventilation

� The certificate should be valid for the duration of the survey

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Confined spaces

► Toxic spaces

� Spaces designed to contain toxic material

� Loading areas also included as dangerous spaces

� The space must not be entered if breathing apparatus is required

� Special equipment for testing for toxic substances - Draeger tubes

� Testing for oxygen

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Confined spaces

► Boilers

� Enter when both manholes have been opened

� After ventilation & cooling

� If other boilers are in service check that boiler is properly isolated on steam, water and smoke sides

• At least two valves between the boiler under survey and the boiler under steam

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General precautions

► The surveyor must observe the safety requirements o f third parties (shipyard, terminal, owners, authority, etc .)

► Slightest dizziness or lack of balance is a warning & the surveyor should leave the compartment immediately

� Optimum oxygen level to be 20.8 to 21%

� Combustible gases less than 10% of the lower explosive limit.

� Toxins within acceptable limits

� Maximum hydrogen sulphide level 10ppm

� Maximum benzene level 10 ppm

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11

14

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19.5

20.8

22

0 5 10 15 20 25

Difficult breathing, death inminutes

Faulty Judgement, Rapid Fatigue

Impaired judgement & breathing

Oxygen Deficient Atmoshere

Normal

O2 Enriched

% OXYGEN

Confined spaces

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Confined spaces

► Flammable atmospheres

� Two things make an atmosphere flammable: the oxygen in the air and a flammable gas, vapor or dust in the proper mixture

� Different gases have different flammable ranges. If a source of ignition is introduced into a space containing a flammable atmosphere, an explosion will result

� An oxygen enriched atmosphere (above 22%) will cause flammable materials, such as clothing or hair, to burn violently when ignited.

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Confined spaces

► Over 50% of workers who die in confined spaces are attempting to rescue other workers

� Rescuers must be trained in and follow established emergency procedures and use appropriate equipment and techniques (lifelines, respiratory protection, standby persons, etc)

� Steps for safe rescue should be included in all confined space entry procedures.

� Unplanned rescue, such as when someone instinctively rushes in to help a downed co-worker, can easily result in a double fatality, or even multiple fatalities if there are more than one "rescuer"

•Remember, an unplanned rescue will probably be your last

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Confined spaces

► Prior to enter a confined space, check :

� When opened & how long ventilated

� Ventilation arrangements and means of verifying atmosphere during the survey

� Whether surrounding compartments are full &, if so, with what

� Nature of last cargo, if applicable

� Condition of the compartment (ballast tk. Rust)

•On average, there are 200 deaths per year in the Ma rine Industry as a result of confined space entries

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Never trust your senses to determine if the air in a confined space is safe !

You can not see or smell many toxic gases and vapours, nor can you determine the level of oxygen present.

Confined spaces

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Confined spaces

► Check the isolation of the compartment :

� IG lines blanked, valves closed & marked

� P/V lines blanked, valves closed & marked

� Cargo / ballast lines, at least 2 valves closed & marked

� Drainage / flushing of cargo pipe lines passing through the tank

� Adjacent compartments not filled with toxic material

� Heating coils shut off

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Confined spaces

► Ventilation arrangement

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Supporting documents:

► IMO - MSC89/25 Appendix 23

► IACS - Confined space safe practise

► ISGOTT 5th edition – Chapter 10 Enclosed space entry

Confined spaces

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Confined spaces

► Prior to enter a confined space, check :

� Safety & communication arrangements

• External to the compartment being surveyed

• Internal, during the survey

� Review the entry certificate / permit

• When was it issued and its validity (incl. times)

• By whom & when next verification will be made

� Tankers - ISGOTT regulations to be observed

• International safety guide for oil tankers & terminals

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Check-list for entering confined spaces

► A check-list is available in the surveyors work ins tructions. Do not enter a confined space until you have consid ered every item of the check-list, as well as any other item o f concern, and have determined the space to be safe.

► The check-list covers the following topics :� Confirmation that you will be accompanied during entry

� Verification of testing equipment and qualification of testers

� Testing of the atmosphere for oxygen level, toxic or flammable gases

� Continuous monitoring of the atmosphere during survey

� Ventilation of the confined space

� Isolation of the confined space

� Use of adequate clothing and safety equipment

� Standby and rescue procedures

� Entry permit

•Remember, the final decision is yours. If you are n ot confident that the space is safe for entry, do not enter it.

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Veristar Info

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