WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES
CONFINED SPACES KEY
ISSUES FOR THE WIND
INDUSTRY
The duties to manage confined space risks are set out in the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.
Fundamental is the assessment of risk. A confined space is defined as, “… any place … which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably foreseeable specified risk ….” It must have both of the following defining features…
1 It must be a space which is
substantially (though not always entirely) enclosed
2 One or more of the specified risks must be present or reasonably foreseeable
WIND SECTOR
Within the wind sector spaces that are substantially, although not always entirely, enclosed include…
• Hubs, nacelles, yaw decks, blades and tower sections
• Transition pieces, air-tight deck, foundations
• Switch gear, battery and transformer rooms
SPECIFIED RISKS ARE… • Serious injury due to fire or explosion, e.g. fires from hot work, gearbox failures, electrical faults; explosions from switchgear, transformers, batteries, stored flammable materials
• Loss of consciousness arising from increased body temperature, e.g. routine maintenance during extreme weather conditions; heat stress/strain due to excessive physical activity in an area of limited ventilation
76
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
• Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation arising from gas, fume, vapour, or lack of oxygen – fume and chemical exposure from welding and related hot work; chemical vapours from painting, blade repair; exposure to naturally occurring toxic gases in soils and bedrock; oxygen displacement in foundations; etc
OTHER SPECIFIED RISKS (UNLIKELY IN THE WIND INDUSTRY) INCLUDE… • Drowning from an increase in the level of a liquid
• Asphyxiation arising from a free-flowing solid or being unable to reach a respirable environment due to being trapped by such a free-flowing solid
WIND INDUSTRY GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE… • Onshore Wind Health & Safety Guidelines, RUK (2015: Issue 1; Section C.5)
• Offshore Wind and Marine Energy Health and Safety Guidelines, RUK (2014: Issue 2; Section C.4)
• Managing Confined Spaces: Overview of Principles and Practices, RUK, H&S Circular 01, 2015
PRINCIPAL DUTY
The principal duty, regulation 3 in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW), requires a duty holder to, “… identify the measures they need to take to manage risk by means of a suitable and sufficient assessment of all risks to workers and any others who may be affected by their work activities (insignificant risks can be ignored)…”
FACTORS TO BE ASSESSED INCLUDE… • General condition of the confined space, e.g. previous contents, residues, contamination, oxygen deficiency and oxygen enrichment, physical dimensions
• Hazards arising from the work, e.g. cleaning chemicals, sources of ignition, increasing temperature
• Hazards from outside the space, e.g. ingress of substances
• Emergency rescue
DESIGNING A SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK The key issues to consider when designing a ‘safe system of work’ (which may form the basis of a ‘permit-to-work’) include supervision and competence for confined spaces working. Workers must have adequate training and experience in the particular work involved.
Training standards must be appropriate to the task and to the individual’s roles and responsibilities, so that work can be carried out safely. Candidates should gain experience of narrow, constricted and dark environments (with unexpected blackout) and be able to rescue a colleague.
David Thomas The heightec Group Ltd
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92