Confine space management. – Your safety is our priority

You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s the little things that count”. This is true when we talk about human relations, when we talk about expenses that pile up, or even when we talk about our safety in the workplace. Perhaps we should change that phrase to say, “Especially when it comes to safety, it’s the little things that count”. Of course, we want to be on the lookout for the big dangers that can seriously injure or even incapacitate us. We must also remember that small, mundane incidents can be quite brutal.

It’s not always easy to develop and practice safe habits around hazards that can lead to disastrous results. They are usually obvious and easily identifiable. Most of the time, it takes more effort than is necessary to keep all these problems under control.

But small hazards can also result in a disabling injury. They are the result of ordinary, not exceptional situations. The repetition of daily operations can easily distract us from paying attention to the little things that are also very important to our safety. Several reported cases of workers who have suffered minor incidents have sometimes even led to serious infections.

There are several generally accepted methods to prevent workplace accidents. The first is the elimination of hazards at the source. To limit this type of loss, procedures or other means are put in place to reduce these risks.

Hazards can also be eliminated by using appropriate personal protective equipment.

Because of our organization’s mission, we direct our products towards prevention, and towards personal protective equipment (PPE). Hazards have many origins: they are either related to the work itself or to the profile of the workers themselves. In a more complete way, here are a few reasons illustrating particularly some of the factors that can lead to regrettable accidents. Inappropriate height, weight, strength; allergies to certain substances; sensitivity to temperature or extreme sounds; visual or hearing defects; respiratory incapacity; exposure to health risks; lack of oxygen; inadequate initial training or inadequate updating of training; inadequate attempts to avoid certain work-related discomforts; inadequate maintenance of certain work equipment; inadequate assessment of needs and risks; lack of reinforcement with posters, colour coding and other visual aids. There are still a multitude of reasons that can be related to work-related factors.

In order to better control minor or major incidents, certain targets have caught our attention:

– the presence or absence of clear work procedures;

– the wearing of PPE;

– promotion encouraging presentation;

– employee training.

Sylprotec does not claim to have proposed all possible risks as being the responsibility of either employers or workers. Certainly not! However, we believe that we can represent an adequate response in order to significantly reduce accidents.

However, it is important to know that many work procedures involve the use of multiple PPE. We will focus in particular on some of them.

1. Confined space management;

2. Locking (padlocking);

3. Respiratory protection;

CONFINED SPACE MANAGEMENT.

This is one of the most demanding procedures for both workers and managers. At the outset, it is important to explain that if you enter spaces it is not for fun, but because you have to. Did you know that 60% of deaths occur when rescuing a victim? It is difficult to resist the desire to rescue a person.

What is an enclosed space? It is a totally or partially enclosed space, such as a tank, silo, vat, vault, pit, sewer. A pipe, chimney, cistern, etc., which has the following inherent characteristics:

1. It is not designed or intended to be occupied by persons, but occupied for maintenance or other purposes.

2. Who has restricted means of entry or exit and who restricts access to them

3. Who may pose a risk to the health, safety and physical integrity of any person entering the premises?

In Quebec, there are several legislations that everyone who wants to take on responsibilities must be familiar with, as best they can.

Several legal constraints impose obligations on everyone: The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), sections 49 and 51; the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST); the Safety Code for Construction Work (CSTC); and the Standards and other applicable references (CSA, NIOSH, OSHA). The latter regulation is particularly relevant to U.S. owned companies.

Certain articles are important in the R.S.S.T. We have grouped them according to the time of the work.

Before the work, articles 300, 301, 302 and 310;

During construction, Sections 306, 308, 309 and 312;

There are also the special conditions to be respected, articles 302, 45-47, 303, 304, 318, 338, 339, 320, 52-55.

In short, these regulations have a specific purpose:

To recognize confined spaces

Promote safe work methods

Establish roles and responsibilities

Determine training requirements

Preparing for emergencies

It is the employer’s responsibility to properly inventory its confined spaces and to have the risks assessed by a qualified person in order to establish work procedures that must be strictly followed. The employer must also ensure that workers have adequate knowledge, training or experience to perform safe work. He must also provide them with the appropriate work and protective equipment.

Workers must follow the work procedure and inform the employer of any change in the conditions in the confined space. They must also use the work and protective equipment made available to them by the employer.

Some examples of such equipment are:

Hazardous atmospheres.

Atmosphere that poses a threat to workers.

Proportion of oxygen less than 19.5% and more than 23%.

Concentration of gas, vapour mists of more than 10% of the lower flammable limit.

Concentration above the exposure limit value.

Contaminants of biological origin such as bacteria, moulds, viruses, etc.

These may be sewage, sludge or waste contained in enclosed spaces.

Examples: Manholes, sewers, sewage ponds, etc.

Detection of the atmosphere

Detection apparatus for spot or continuous sampling of one or more parameters such as % oxygen, lower explosive limit, H2S concentration, CO concentration and other contaminants according to the specifications of the apparatus. But especially depending on the atmospheres present.

The confined space management procedure can be carried out in this order:

1. Establish each confined space 2. assess the potential risks and hazards 3. Specify the measures to be followed 4. Specify the protective equipment 5. Propose measures in case of emergency 6. Follows up on procedures.

Is a confined space entry permit required?

A work permit is a written agreement in which the parties involved formulate a description of the work under specific conditions, for a given location, for an allotted period of time, agreeing to comply with all written conditions and requirements. Without a permit in place, how can an employer ensure that entry conditions are met?

A confined space entry permit may include this type of information:

– Date of issue

– Duration of the work

– Description of the specific location and the work to be done

– Preparations before entry

– Special instructions, such as: insulation, if applicable (inlet and outlet, piping, valves, locking, labelling, etc.).

– Signage at the entrance to reinforce the procedure such as: confined spaces no entry without a permit (EOD112).

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION:

Verification of protective equipment. Authorization of tools that will be allowed. Type of surveillance required. Emergency response measures and required approvals and signatures.

Key Risks

In order to be aware of the main risks you will encounter, here are some basic questions you should ask yourself: What is the work to be done? What are the risks and what can happen? How will the risks be managed? What does everyone involved need to know and check?

As you can see, risks of all kinds are at the centre of this procedure. Allow us to list the main possible risks:

1. Mechanical aggressors

2. Psychosocial abusers

3. Physical aggressors

4. Biological hazards

5. Electrical hazards

1. Mechanical aggressors

These assailants are mainly related to:

a) Mechanical equipment;

(b) Rotating or mobile equipment inside and outside the confined space;

(d) Size or shape of materials;

(e) Handling methods;

(f) Physical layout of the work area.

2. Psychosocial aggressors

These assailants are mainly related to:

a) High-risk area;

b) Working at heights, underwater or near water;

(d) Working long hours or working at night.

3. Physical aggressors

These assailants are mainly related to:

a) Noise;

b) Vibration;

c) Thermal stress;

(d) Cold;

e) Radiation;

(f) Insufficient lighting.

There are also all contaminants of biological origin, such as bacteria, moulds, viruses, vermin, etc.).

Of all these risks, there are also risks of an electrical nature. Some examples: Equipment and extension cords that are in good condition and approved; lighting that is waterproof and explosion-proof; all equipment that is grounded; depending on the electrical work, use gloves to reduce electrical shocks.

Are you aware of all the work you will be doing in your confined spaces? Are you going to do welding? Tank cleaning? What’s in those tanks? Manhole work? Etc.

There’s a lot of management elements that haven’t been demonstrated here. The goal here is mainly to demonstrate how precarious the situation of some workers can be at work.

It is easy to understand that this type of work calls for all your knowledge and all the tools available to perform this type of work. We invite you to consult our list of Personal Protective Equipment at the bottom of this article.

Small parenthesis on atmospheric problems

1) Oxygen content too low or too high. Oxygen normally accounts for 21% of air. When the proportion is less than 19.5% (lack of oxygen) and more than 23% (high oxygen content).

2) Presence of flammable or explosive substances.

Presence of toxic substances

Variables are, among other things, important.

Lower explosive limit, “Lie”;

Upper explosive limit, “Lse”;

Flash point.

There are several types of equipment you can use:

Pipette tubes:

You may already know the chemical aggressor in a confined space. In this case, it is not necessary or mandatory to use a multi-gas detector. It is possible that a hand-held detector or even a multi-gas detector that you have on hand may not be able to read this chemical aggressor.

There is an answer in such a situation. By using a calorimeter tube, you will be able to take instant readings. This is a point reading that you will take in a specific situation. This type of tube is engraved with a reading level appropriate for each gas you wish to read. Not unpleasantly, there are tubes for several hundred different gases. Depending on the gas to be read, the measurement time will vary according to the gas present. The reading you will get will be a point reading. For most of these tubes, you will need to keep them in a refrigerator. In this case, you will need to have a hand pump that will allow you to use this type of tube.

For example, if you suspect that a tube is losing its contents from a gas that has already been identified, this type of tool will allow you to take quick readings. It will be simple to use and, above all, much less expensive than all other reading equipment. Never forget that this equipment will give you spot readings.

Single gas detectors:

There is also the possibility of using a portable detector with a single gas reading. The detection of this single gas is therefore a response when the chemical aggressor is already well identified. If workers have to enter a restricted or enclosed area, this tool will allow them to have a permanent reading on the evolution of this gas in particular. Unlike tubes, there are not as many possibilities in the choice of gas readings that must be taken.

Multi-gas detectors:

This type of portable equipment also called multi gas detector are used to perform multiple detection of different gases or vapors. Even though this equipment can very often be worn on a belt. They are most often used to take a continuous reading, but outside of a specific area. Also, this type of tool can often be used to perform gas monitoring in a given area. In the presence of a confined space, a supervisor will be able to monitor the evolution of gases or vapours within the confined space for which he or she is responsible.

Usually this type of detector can contain up to 5 cells: it is common to find cells for reading and vapours whose property is to be flammable. The level of oxygen is almost always present. Finally, the presence of toxic, organic and other gases can be handled by this type of equipment. Again, even though the flammable gas cell can read a few hundred gases with this property. The cell that can read toxic or organic gases, cannot read the whole range of chemicals. Hence the need to sometimes use equipment that can read these other chemicals.

The ducking station:

Single gas and multi-gas detectors have certain advantages. They can be calibrated (calibration) from a calibration station. The advantage of such a tool is simple: the calibration of your equipment can be done quickly without unnecessary loss of calibration gases. Above all, it allows you to ensure that your detection equipment is properly calibrated. Moreover, everything will be well documented on a computer. It all depends on the type of docking station you use. This is not negligible. This way, your detection detectors will always be reliable.

3) Hazardous substances

Chemicals all have their own properties.

4) Hazards to physical safety

The explosion zone is a particularly dangerous element.

It is the zone of deflagration

Three essential elements fire conditions:

One fuel.

An oxidizer

A source of heat or sparks.

Several personal protective equipment (PPE) are required depending on the characterization of your confined spaces. Here is a short list of these products, which are available at Sylprotec. You can consult and purchase their products online or on site at their Montreal store.

Altair 4X multi gas detectors from Msa

Peakwork harness for descent and work in confined spaces.

Wrist tool attachment strap with carabiner.

Tool attachment strap for harness with carabiner.

Y-shaped lanyard for confined space work.

Type 1 and type 2 safety helmet.

Safety glasses (YA12E93101, Y12E93101DX, YASF601, YG454, YG3960C.

Visors for face protection (YPH8-P96, YPH24).

Respirators where there is no oxygen deficiency (R6800, R7502, RN7600).

Nitrile gloves (G5555PF, G5557PF, GL9315, GL37185).

General work gloves (G051144, GS13SXGPU).

Noise-cancelling shell or noise-cancelling earplug.