The hazards of confined spaces are not new yet every year fatalities and injuries occur among workers who, during the course of their jobs, are required to enter confined spaces. Entry into confined spaces may be for maintenance, repair or statutory inspections. Accidents occur because of the inherent hazards or the induced hazards of wrong decisions. Personnel may have been insufficiently trained or have had their awareness blunted by experience.

The course encompasses the hazards, the stringent precautions, and the safe systems of work necessary as well as their practical application. The final day is devoted in bringing together all this knowledge in a table top exercise.

This would include:

• The OSHA 1910.146 standard for permit required confined spaces
• The HSE Standard on confined space entry
• The inherent hazards of confined spaces
• Personnel training
• The required precautions necessary prior and during entry

• Become familiar with OSHA 1910.146 and Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 Approved Code of Practice, HSE
• Become familiar with the hazards of a confined space
• To take all the necessary precautions before entering
• Be able to maintain the confined space as a safe place to work
• Familiarise the delegates with different methods of cleaning and isolation

This would include:

• Safety Personnel
• Planning Engineers
• Entry Supervisors
• Authorised Entrants

The programme is presented with slides and interactive videos that all require active participation. Several case studies, with accompanying videos, are presented. On the last day of the seminar the delegates undertake a desktop exercise in planning an entry into a confined space.

The participants will attain an understanding of:

• The risks of confined spaces
• A safe system of work for confined spaces
• The health hazards involved
• Common confined spaces tasks and precautions
• The training necessary for all involved in confined space entry

The Participants will bring back into their company the capability of:

• Efficient planning for confined space entry
• Time optimisation in confined space entry work
• Confidence that the company is following best practices
• Confidence of personnel that all safety measures are being taken
• Elimination of accidents in confined spaces

• Understanding the regulations used by OSHA and the HSE
• Isolation procedure
• Gas Freeing
• Atmospheric Testing
• Emergency arrangements and assessing the risks
• The occupational health hazards of a confined space
• Permit to Work system

Day One

Introduction, Definitions & Risk Assessment

• Introduction
• Definitions - OSHA Terminology
• Risk Assessment
• Reading PIDs
• Work Permit Systems
• Contractors

Day Two

Occupational Health Hazards in Confined Spaces

• Occupational Health Hazards
  • Chemical substances Hazards
  • Physical Hazards
• H2S and Pyrophoric iron
• Washing and Changing Facilities
• Contaminated Areas and Control

Day Three

Atmospheric Testing, Cleaning and Emergency Arrangements

• Atmosphere Testing
• Cleaning of Confined spaces prior to entry
• Gas freeing of Tanks, Vessels - Use and hazards of Steam water inert gas and chemicals
• Isolation - Positive Isolation, Lockout / Tag Out, Maintaining Isolation
• Personnel Training and Duties
• Rescue Arrangements

Day Four

PPE, Common Tasks and Maintaining Safety

• PPE Requirements
• Entry with Breathing Apparatus / Entry without Breathing Apparatus
• Ventilation & Lighting
• Common Maintenance task and problems in confined spaces – Furnaces, Vessels, Tanks
• Check Lists
• Boxing Up, Hand Over and De-Isolation

Day Five

Table Top Exercise

A desktop syndicate exercise to plan an entry into a confined space. The syndicates will be given a PID and written details of the process. They will be required to programme the steps and precautions for entry and cleaning prior to maintenance, and the precautions for the maintenance tasks to be undertaken – de-pressure, initial isolation, gas freeing and precautions, final positive isolation and isolation positioning, cordoning off the area, PPE required etc.

• Presentation and discussion by the syndicate groups
• Course Evaluation
• Summary