EMERGENCY FIRE & SAFETY LTD

CONFINED SPACES EMERGENCIES

‘HEALTH & SAFETY EDUCATION IS WEALTH’

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Objectives

• Confined Space Fatalities

• Case Study (Exel clip )

• Confined Space Standards

• Confined Space Hazards and risks

• Emergency Procedures

• Risk Levels (Practical Demo)

• Saving Time, Money and Lives, setting up emergency plans

for Confined Spaces emergencies.

AimWE WILL BY DEMONSTRATION'S & PRESENTATIONS SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE

SAFE WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES IN RELATION TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESSIN ORDER TO SAVE, TIME, MONEY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY LIVES.

Confined Spaces Emergencies / Procedure's

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• What we have to remember about confined spaces is that most of the associated deaths and

injuries are down to some form of maintenance or difficult work, welding, cutting, relining, drilling,

measuring, rescue and many more.

• HUMAN BEHAVIOR also plays a big part in the failures and ATTEMPTED RESCUE BY

UNSKILLED RESCUERS.

• The theme of this conference is EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, so how well prepared are the

workers who enter confined spaces,.

• James Cullen said earlier today that it is not the crisis in itself that is important but

rather how the organisation responds during a crisis or Emergency.

• Statistics tell us we have less chance of surviving a confined space incident/ Emeregncy than

most other workplace accidents.

Working in Confined Spaces, kills workers every year in large numbers on a Global Scale

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• USA - During the 5-year period (2006-20011), there were a total of 481 fatalities.

• This averages to about 96.2 fatalities per year (or 1.85 fatalities per week).

Closer to home in the UK and Ireland• 125 people on average die in confined spaces every 5 years in the UK and

Ireland• 25 people every year, 2 per month…………….. So how can we improve those

odds.

Global Confined Space Statistics

XCEL ENERGY HYDROELECTRIC PLANT PENSTOCK FIRE

On October 2, 2007, a chemical fire inside a permit-required confined space at Xcel Energy‘s hydroelectric plant in a remote mountain location 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Denver, Colorado, Five Dead,Three Injured.

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SOME KEY ELEMENTS OF WHAT WENT WRONG AT XCEL!

Poor Planning ,Very Little Training, No Emergency Plan

• Contractor selection

• Remoteness of site, from Local Fire Brigade and Specialist Team,

• On the day of the incident, approximately 16 gallons (61 liters) of highly flammable methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) solvent stored in plastic buckets

• RPI monitored the atmosphere of the penstock, a permit-required confined space, for flammable atmospheres only at is entrance, 1,450 feet (442 meters) from the work activities, rather than where flammables were being used.

• A number of ignition sources present or created by the work activity were not eliminated or controlled.

• Effective controls were not evaluated or implemented during their pre-job safety planning, such as substituting MEK with a non-flammable solvent.

• No Emergency Planning

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The Confined Spaces Regulations (NI) 1999

A “Confined Space” has two defining features:

1.It may be substantially (but not always entirely enclosed).

2.There may be a foreseeable risk from a specified risk, either within the confined space or near-by.

Confined Space Legislation

‘The Confined Space Regulations (NI) 1999’ states;

If after carrying out an assessment of the work it identifies risks of serious injury from work in a confined space as described below, the following duties are required under the above legislation;

1. avoid entry to the confined space

Regulation 4.1 Preventing the need for entry.

‘A person….shall not enter a confined space to carry out work for any purpose

unless it is not reasonably practicable to achieve that purpose without such entry’.

2. if entry is unavoidable, follow a safe system of work

3. put in place adequate emergency arrangements BEFORE the work starts

Cocoa Bean Crusher

Sewer

Process Vessels

Cellar

Boiler

Storage Tanks

Inlet Chamber

CONFINED SPACE LEGISLATION

Definition of Confined SpacesA Confined Space is any place,

including any chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, sewer, flue, well or other similar

space which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably

foreseeable risk.

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Avoid entry to the confined space

Regulation 4.1 Preventing the need for entry.

‘A person….shall not enter a confined space to carry out work for any purpose unless it is not reasonably practicable to achieve that purpose

without such entry’. (examples of how that can be achieved)

If entry is unavoidable, follow a safe system of work and put in place adequate emergency arrangements BEFORE the work starts

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THE CONFINED SPACE RISKS INVOLVED• The purpose of the risk assessment is to identify the relevant

hazards and formulate a safe system of work.

• It will also determine the emergency arrangements, which must be in place prior to entry.

• falls from height,

• contact with moving parts of machinery,

• contact with live electrical equipment,

• cardiac arrest by natural causes etc.

Note: that the necessary protective measures and emergency arrangements must be appropriate both for the hazards of concern and any other hazards which might be present

Some of the Hazards and Risks of Confined Spaces

Access and Egress

Lack of oxygen

Increase in body temperature and rescue

Drowning and size of the space

Entrapment from free flowing solids

Poisonous gases, fumes, vapors'

Fire and Explosion

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CONFINED SPACE STANDARDS FOR TRAINING .All UK courses and Standards must comply with the Confined Space Regulations

(NI) 1999, UK 1997.

There is no defined level of training that suits all sectors.

City & Guilds Confined Spaces (Level 2,3,4,5)• These short course single unit qualifications have been developed from the national

occupational standards for confined. City & Guilds standard is supported by the Health and Safety Executive.

Water UK & EUSkills• Water UK and EUSkills together developed the Occasional Guidance Note (OGC) for Entry

Into Confined spaces. In the UK for confined space entries made by contractors to water companies identifies 4 entry categories designated (see later levels)

Also several other levels: • MOD - SAFE WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES MOD JSP 375 • CITB will fund courses and will have a list of organisations that can deliver them• FAS Ireland as Water UK standard,C1 Low, C2/3 Med, C4 High Risk (if you have similar it

will be suffice for most clients in the ROI)

Note: the Confined Spaces Regulations do not apply offshore but L101 is a source of good practice ‘Safe work in confined spaces. Confined Spaces Regulations 1997’

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The Risk Assessment Your risk assessment will determine what emergency arrangements are necessary.

• Your on site Confined Space audit and emergency rescue procedure's will determine what level of risk you are,

• NC1, NC2, NC3 and NC4. However, Water Companies may have their own classifications

• Low Risk NC1

• Low/Medium Risk NC2/3

• High Risk NC4

• The arrangements will depend on the nature of the confined space, the risks identified and the types of emergency situations which are foreseeable.

4. Control the Risks –Hierarchy of Control Measures

Eliminate - Avoid entry

Substitute - Man for Machine

Isolate - turn off machinery

Reduce -Gas Test

S.S.O.W -Describe how job should be carried out safely

Good Housekeeping

I.I.T.S

PPE

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4. Control Measures

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Identify Confined Spaces

Carry out Risk Assessment

AVOID

ENTRY

Maintenance carried out from

outside the Confined Space.

Continually review and revise Risk

Assessment Change in workforce, methods, equipment, hazards,

activities.

Entry NOT required to carry out

maintenance

Safe Atmosphere NOT achieved

Prepare for Entry Topman/Doorman in Place

Workforce signed onto Permit Toolbox Talks / PPE

Supervision

Rescue Team on Stand By Communication

Pre-Planning Contractor Vetting

Risk Assessments from all parties Training

Adequate resources (equipment) Rescue Procedures

Responsibilities defined

Safe Atmosphere achieved

Entry required in order to carry out

maintenance

Reconsider entry

If entry essential Full

Breathing Apparatus will be

required.

Permit to Work

Plant Isolation Natural ventilation/purging/cooling

Atmospheric Testing

Ventilation

and Purging

CONFINED SPACE FLOW-CHART

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• HSE NI Investigation

• Prosecutions

• Large fines - force company out of business

• Damaged reputation

• Negative impact on shareholders

• Increase insurance premiums

• New Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 –

management can be held accountable.

The impact of a Confined Space Incident

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Emergency Arrangement's Whenever work in a confined space is carried out,

• Arrangements that are suitable and sufficient for the rescue of persons in the event of an emergency therein must be in place.

• Where appropriate, the necessary equipment to enable rescue and resuscitation procedures to be carried out must be available.

• The arrangements must be in place before any person enters or commences work in that confined space.

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Possible confined space rescue strategies include the following:

• Self-rescue where the circumstances, the nature of the hazards and the control measures available allow.

• Rescue by trained team members using nonentry methods, if feasible.

• Rescue by trained team members using a safe entry technique.

• Rescue using a safe entry technique by the local public emergency services subject to adequate time being available (this depends on the nature of the hazards and the response time of the emergency services).

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Rescue Logistics

The risk assessment will determine what combination of confined space rescue strategies is appropriate for the particular situation.

To be suitable and sufficient the emergency arrangements should take account of:

• Training

• Rescue logistics

• Rescue equipment

• Resuscitation procedures and equipment

A typical gas alarm incident time line

•Gas detector alarms. 00.00

•Working party are alerted by the noise of the Gas detector or visually 10secs

•Dorman/top-man reacts to the alarm – sounds evacuation alarm – informs controls and rescue team 30secs

•At this point the team is evacuating 2-3mins

•Doorman/top/man stays in place until advised to standdown

•Rescue team arrive and assess the situation. Assembles rescue team, instructs team, rescue equipment set-up 3mins

•Rescue team enters to carry out rescue 3-5mins as they are familiar with the area

•Control room will notify emergency services if required 3-5

•Rescue completed all out safe 3-5

Total time 15 mins

No rescue team.

•Emergency services contacted 3mins

•ES arrive 15-45

•ES Dynamic assessment 5-10

•Equipment set-up 5-10 depending on location

•Team Brief – 3-5mins

•Team enters and carry's out rescue 10-20 mins

Total 40 mins - 1hr 10 mins

All out safe

•Confined space – NO ACCESS – permit cancelled. 3 hours

•Managers and Supervisors notified as above

•Area is re-assessed, gas detection , if safe permit re-issued. 1-2 hours

•Working party re-enters -30mins

Total 4hrs 34 mins The cost is substantial for all time lines

Rescue team in place

The Myths and Now the facts of

Prolonged Suspension in an Harness

By Kevin HowletteTrauma and Rescue Tech

MD Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd

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“Suspension Trauma” and its various names

The physical phenomenon known as "suspension trauma.“It also goes by several other names, such as,

Orthostatic intolerance

Harness-induced pathology,

Harness hang syndrome

Suspension syncope incident,

Prolonged motionless suspension syndrome

Simply post-fall faint.

There is no standard name.

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What is it?

A state of shock from blood accumulating in the legs from passive suspension.

Early Fainting with death

Late muscle damage

It is not

Death from sitting in a harness

Climbers can sit in harnesses for a very long time, days even.

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So what are all the changes about

Lets look at the history of harness testing and Trauma

In the late 1940s the RAF and NASA were using test pilots and marines to test parachutes.

1970 Climbers and Cavers in Europe who were generally Doctors tried to understand why people were dying on ropes after being rescued. Some were in harnesses for up to 4 hours

1960-70 we started industrial harness testing generally with a 100kg test dummy at 4mts, even today this is the main test weight:

So what is Suspension trauma its ‘a state of shock’ induced by passive hanging.

They are rare occurrences and are hard to study.

The key word in this presentation is ‘Passive’ NOT MOVING, in a harness

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So what have the HSE said?

The HSE has changed it thinking on suspension trauma and has published a statement

The HSE has radically said that “the suspended individual should be rescued and normal trauma management should start”.

The HSE then went on to say:

“The sometimes quoted suggestion of recovery in a semi-recumbent or sitting position, was considered to be without any sound evidence base and may prove dangerous through prolonging the lack of blood return to the brain.

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So what happens in a fall incident

ANATOMY OF FALL DYNAMICS

Most accidental falls create movement forces, that generates a 22.5knt(2.2 tons) mass after a 6-foot free-fall on the body

The body then come to a sudden stop .Secondary fall can happen.

The heavier the victim, of course, the greater the force of impact

The spinal orientation of the victim (relative to his lanyard vector, if he is wearing one) at the moment, that the terminal forces are applied will contribute significantly to the resulting trauma to the body.

See the whipping and secondary fall impact that can generate a further 15knt

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The slamming effect / Impact

“Slamming effect“ or Impact is at termination, delivered by the lanyard to the contact areas of the body, the nylon fibres begin to stretch around the upper legs, groin and buttocks.

The harness straps reach maximum elongation and then quickly begin to contract against the soft tissues.

Often, if the fall occurs in a vertical vector, the impact may thrust the gastrointestinal system violently up against the diaphragm,

Causing the victim to temporarily loose his breath, perhaps damaging the protective pleural membrane around the heart and lungs . Its the same impact you have in a car crash.

Your organs are thrust up into your upper chest, You cant breath, your disorientated, you have major trauma to the body,

Now we start to faint or have multiple episodes if we are not rescued Quickly

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Faint Syndrome

We have all seen the effects of stressed Solders at Buckingham palace by military personnel

In simple terms the victim's blood pools in his lower extremities by the force of gravity and, without muscular contractions, eventually this reduces the blood volume to the heart and downstream organs.

The heart wants volume and does not care if it is toxic

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Heart and Renal Failures

Without volume the heart will start to shrink, due to the lack of volume of blood it has to pump.

Now renal failure will start to be an issue as the kidneys cant clean the volume in the legs and toxic acid starts to build up.

Potassium starts to be released by dead cells from the muscle tissue and travel to the heart and will slowly kill the victim

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The faint, solder syndrome

So, stand still and we faint, keep standing still and we go in and out of faints and they become serious

If the brain is not getting the blood it likes and the glucose and if we are not perfusing (Supply an organ, tissue, or body) with a fluid, by circulating it through blood vessels.. we get what’s called a vasovagal response

Fainting (syncope) is caused by a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain.

Signs and symptoms

Among people with vasovagal episodes, the episodes are typically recurrent, usually happening when the person is exposed to a specific trigger, falling in this case.

Prior to losing consciousness, the individual frequently experiences symptoms such as

light-headedness,

nausea, the feeling of being extremely hot (accompanied by sweating),

ringing in the ears (tinnitus),

uncomfortable feeling in the heart,

fuzzy thoughts,

a slight inability to speak/form words

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Being Passive, what is it?

Death is not caused from siting in a harness, as many people think, as many disciplines sit in harnesses for many hours a day, its their job.

Being passive in a harness is what causes the problems or falling and unable to move, in and upright position.

Those who survive passive suspension are at risk for rhabdomyolysis. Muscle destruction. What we call late muscle damage will release myoglobin it leaks out and is toxic in the form of Potassium and Acid

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Passively hanging

In a rope access or climbing setting, you can see this in cases of persons suspended on rope by their harness as muscles start to swell inside the bone structure of the legs

The venous is the blood returning to the heart, the pump cant return blood to the heart as all the values are open pointing downwards.

In a conscious person, leg movements work the venous pump to return blood to the central circulation area the heart.

In the person passively hanging, blood pools in the legs leading to hypoperfusion of vital organs.

Cerebral hypoperfusion is a medical condition wherein the brain experiences a decrease of blood supply.

It is often associated with cerebral hypoxia, in which the brain receives an insufficient supply of oxygen carried by the blood.

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A huge amount of blood needs to be pumped around the legs 4lts out of the 7 lts in our body

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Do understand what your wearing?

My concern is lack of knowledge of, even the most experienced working at height technician has.

The 6kN maximum arrest force and the speed we fall at 9.8mts/ps for a human subject on a free fall of up to 4m can be devastating to the wearer.

So, what type of harness do I need?

Length of lanyard?

Can I be rescued or even reached by the rescue team?

Deterioration of the spine starts around 40 for men and women, falling in a harness acierates this .

External lacerations received by contact could also contribute significantly to blood volume loss.

Once the fall victim has come to rest and survived the initial effects of his fall, his troubles have just begun

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Get them down

If victims are hanging they will start to have retinal failure

We simply

1. lay them down and gravity will do the rest,

2. no sitting half up,

3. no taking time to drain blood back to the heart

Lets not be confused as, Vascular surgeons clamp the biggest artery when operating for up to 2 hours and the patient is lying down when the blood starts to flow again, it does not kill them?

Start the chain of survival, CPR, AED, SPLINTS ect.

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Conclusion

Its clear, that the longer fall victim is in a passive state the more damage is occurring, we want to restore blood flow ASAP

Its now clear that the harness, is not causing the damage when we are passive, it’s the lack off movement that killing them

Trauma straps allow leg movement and any type of leg loops, it allows pushing and working the muscles, the Latchways system your about to see, allows for quick decent and very little passive syndrome

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Concussions

Suspension trauma is death by fainting and being passive

Potassium levels can be to high, so we treat with bicarbonate

We hang and we will have renal failure, get them down, lie them down, don’t worry about the harness

Above all training is vital to the wearer.

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Ouch

START THE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL

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• HSE NI Investigation

• Prosecutions

• Large fines - force company out of business

• Damaged reputation

• Negative impact on shareholders

• Increase insurance premiums

• New Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 –

management can be held accountable.

The impact of a Confined Space Incident

EMERGENCY FIRE & SAFETY LTD

CONFINED SPACES EMERGENCIES / PROCEDURE'S

‘HEALTH & SAFETY EDUCATION IS WEALTH’