EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS OF WORKERS ARE INJURED OR KILLED IN CONFINED SPACES. IGNORANCE OR OVERCONFIDENCE IS USUALLY THE CAUSE OF SUCH ACCIDENTS. WORKERS WHO DON’T KNOW OR UNDERESTIMATE THE DANGERS ARE AT RISK.

CONTENTS DEFINATION OF A CONFINED SPACE WHERE ARE CONFINED SPACES ON A DRILLING RIG WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS WHAT SAFETY PROCEDURES ARE THERE WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

WHAT IS A CONFINED SPACE? ANY AREA WHICH, BY THE NATURE OF ITS CONFIGURATION, LIMITS NATURAL VENTILATION TO THE EXTENT THAT ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION SHOULD BE USED TO ENSURE A HEALTHFUL ATMOSPHERE. ANOTHER DESCRIPTION IS ANY AREA WITH LIMITED ACCESS WHERE GASES, VAPOURS AND PHYSICAL HAZARDS CAN THREATEN SAFETY

WHERE ARE THE CONFINED SPACES ON A DRILLING RIG? MUD PITS CRANE PEDESTAL HULL VOID SPACES BULK STORAGE TANKS BALLAST TANKS DRILL WATER TANKS FUEL TANKS POTWATER TANKS CAN YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER EXAMPLES FOR YOUR RIG?

WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS? 1. OXYGEN DEFICIENCY THE LEVEL OF OXYGEN IS SO LOW THAT LIFE IS THREATENED. OXYGEN DEFICIENCY IS THE SINGLE GREATEST HAZARD ENCOUNTERED DURING CONFINED SPACE ENTRY. IT IS CAUSED WHEN THE OXYGEN IN AN ATMOSPHERE IS REPLACED OR USED UP CAUSES ARE –OXIDATION –RUSTING –FIRE –GROWTH OF BACTERIA –DISPLACEMENT BY ANOTHER GAS OXYGEN DEFICIENCY IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AS IT CAN CAUSE DROWSINESS OR EUPHORIA PREVENTING YOU FROM REALISING THE DANGER

WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS? 2. TOXIC GASES OR VAPOURS WHICH CAN POISON OR SUFFOCATE WORKERS TWO MAIN CAUSES –PREVIOUS OPERATIONS WHICH MAY HAVE PRODUCED TOXIC GASES OR VAPOURS WHICH STILL REMAIN –ON-GOING OPERATIONS INSIDE THE CONFINED SPACE WHICH CAN PRODUCE DANGEROUS FUMES i.e. CLEANING, WELDING, PAINTING ETC. SOME TOXIC GASES ARE VERY DANGEROUS AS THEY CAN,T BE DETECTED BY SIGHT OR SMELL

3. EXPLOSION OR FIRE FROM A BUILD UP OF FLAMMABLE GASES OR VAPOURS. CAUSED WHEN A SPARK OR OPEN FLAME IGNITES FLAMMABLE GASES OR VAPOURS INSIDE A CONFINED SPACE. OPERATIONS SUCH AS OXY-PROPANE CUTTING CAN CREATE AN EXCESS OF OXYGEN INCREASING THE DANGER OF SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS?

4. HEAT CAUSING HEAT EXHAUSTION, CRAMPS ETC 5. NOISE CAN BE INTENSIFIED INSIDE CONFINED SPACES AND INTERFERE WITH COMMUNICATION WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS?

6. HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES CONTACT WITH SUCH THINGS AS SOLVENTS, RESIDUE, SCALE ETC. 7. MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT CAN CAUSE PHYSICAL INJURY IF SWITCHED ON OR BE A SOURCE OF IGNITION THROUGH SPARKS 8. FALLING DOWN LADDERS DUE TO LIMITED ACCESS AND CONSTRICTION OF EASY MOVEMENT

SAFETY PROCEDURES PERMIT THE USE OF THE ENTRY PERMIT AS A CHECKLIST WILL HELP INSURE THAT SUFFICIENT PLANNING AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED.

SAFETY PROCEDURES GAS TESTING Check Atmosphere inside the confined space prior to entry TEST FOR EACH POTENTIAL HAZARD BY USING THE APPROPRIATE TESTING DEVICE WHO CAN DO GAS TESTING ON YOUR RIG?

ISOLATION ALL PIPES ENTERING CONFINED SPACES SHOULD BE BLINDED THIS WILL ENSURE THAT NOTHING CAN ENTER THE CONFINED SPACE WHILE WORK IS GOING ON MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS AGITATORS, MUST ALSO BE ISOLATED SO THEY CANNOT BE ACTIVATED WHILE WORK IS GOING ON INSIDE CONFINED SPACES ISOLATIONS WILL HAVE TO BE NOTED ON YOUR WORK PERMIT AND MAY EVEN REQUIRE A SEPERATE ISOLATION CERTIFICATE SAFETY PROCEDURES

VENTILATION A FORCED AIR SYSTEM CONTINUOUSLY PUMPING INTO THE VESSEL MUST BE USED IN CONFINED SPACES THAT CONTAIN OR THAT HAVE LAST CONTAINED GASES, LIGHT OILS, CORROSIVES OR POISONOUS SUBSTANCES VENTILATION SHOULD TAKE PLACE EVEN IF NO HAZARD WAS DETECTED ESPECIALLY WHEN USING SOLVENTS, COMBUSTIBLES OR OPEN FLAME WHERE AND WHEN WOULD THIS BE THE CASE ON YOUR RIG?

SAFETY PROCEDURES RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT WHEN CONDITIONS IN A CONFINED SPACE ARE SUCH AS TO REQUIRE A PERSON WITHIN THE SPACE TO WEAR RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT, THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST TWO MEN ON THE JOB EQUIPPED WITH APPROVED RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT AT LEAST ONE QUALIFIED PERSON SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE TO ADMINISTER ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION CHECK ALL EQUIPMENT IS IN SERVICABLE CONDITION PRIOR TO USING IT DO NOT USE RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO USE IT

SAFETY PROCEDURES SAFETY LINES AN APPROVED SAFETY BELT WITH A LIFELINE ATTACHED SHOULD BE USED BY ALL PERSONNEL ENTERING CONFINED SPACES THAT TEST GAS FREE, BUT ARE IN DANGER OF BECOMING GASSY. AT LEAST ONE PERSON SHOULD STANDBY ON THE OUTSIDE READY TO GIVE ASSISTANCE. THE OTHER END OF THE LINE SHOULD BE SECURED OUTSIDE THE ENTRY OPENING

SAFETY PROCEDURES PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OTHER P.P.E. MAY BE REQUIRED DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION –SAFETY HELMET - MUST BE WORN –GOGGLES/FACE SHEILD - FOR SPLASHES, DUST, FLYING PARTICLES –HEARING PROTECTION - AGAINST EXCESSIVE NOISE –GLOVES - SHARP EDGES - CHEMICALS –SLICKER SUIT/OILSKINS - CHEMICALS

IN AN EMERGENCY PERSON DISCOVERING SOMEONE INCAPACITATED WITHIN A CONFINED SPACE SHALL NOT ASSUME HE HAS FALLEN OR OTHERWISE BEEN HURT, BUT WILL CONCLUDE THE HAZARDS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WITHIN THE CONFINED SPACE TO BE THE CAUSE REMOVE THE VICTIM USING RESCUE EQUIPMENT i.e. SAFETY LINE RATHER THAN ENTERING THE AREA DO NOT ENTER THE AREA WITHOUT WEARING BREATHING APPARATUS

IN AN EMERGENCY DO NOT ENTER THE AREA UNTIL HELP HAS ARRIVED DO NOT LEAVE THE AREA UNLESS SOMEONE HAS BEEN POSTED AND INSTRUCTED NOT TO ENTER OR TO LET ANYONE ELSE ENTER ONCE RESCUED GIVE VICTIM ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION IF REQUIRED THEN SEEK PROPER MEDICAL ATTENTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ISOLATE THE AREA UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN IF REQUIRED

IN AN EMERGENCY DO NOT LEAVE AREA UN-ATTENDED GIVE ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ISOLATE AREA DO NOT RUSH IN

SUMMARY A CONFINED SPACE IS ANY AREA WHERE GASES, VAPOURS AND PHYSICAL HAZARDS CAN THREATEN SAFETY CONFINED SPACES ON DRILLING RIGS INCLUDE MUD PITS, VOID SPACES AND TANKS THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE OXYGEN DEFICIENCY, TOXIC GASES AND EXPLOSION/FIRE FOLLOW ALL SAFETY PROCEDURES FOR YOUR RIG THESE MAY INCLUDE –PERMITS –GAS TESTING –ISOLATION –VENTILATION –RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT

CONFINED SPACE CAN BE ANYWHERE ON A RIG INCLUDES MUD PITS VOIDS TANKS MAIN HAZARDS OXYGEN DEFICIENCY TOXIC GASES EXPLOSION/FIRE SAFETY PROCEDURES PERMITS GAS TESTING ISOLATION VENTILATION BREATHING APPARATUS SUMMARY

IN AN EMERGENCY DO NOT ASSUME VICTIM HAS FALLEN BUT HAS SUCCUMBED TO A HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE DO NOT ATTEMPT A RESCUE WITHOUT BREATHING APPARATUS DO NOT ENTER THE AREA UNTIL HELP HAS ARRIVED DO NOT LEAVE THE AREA UN-ATTENDED IF NEEDED GIVE ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION A.S.A.P. ISOLATE THE AREA UNTIL CAUSE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED