Working in confined spaces; a BAE perspective of the joint

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Working in confined spaces; a BAE perspective of the joint HSE LOPP initiative


Introduction

• Simon Willis - Snr SHE Advisor• 6 years in SHE Department• 24 years in BAE Systems Submarines• Involved in Confined Space LOPP Audits at Govan,

Woodford and Portsmouth


Background to LOPP

• 2004 – Proposed removal of the BAE Systems on Fire Service

• Confined Space rescue arrangements

• Formulation of LOPP ?


– To evaluate the arrangements in place at the Barrow site with reference to the key performance indicators for the six LOPP subject areas.

• Confined Spaces• HAVS• Work at Height• Slips and Trips• Manual Handling• Control of Contractors• Maintenance – added at a later date

– Audits measured against subject KPI’s (agreed between BAE Systems and HSE) adopted across BAE Systems to set a company standard and expectancy

– Trade Union Safety Representative involvement

One company - one standard

LOPP – Large Organisation Partnership Pilot


– LOPP is about a focused and coordinated approach to effective partnership working with the aim of improving health and safety.

– The people best placed to make workplaces safer from harm are the staff and managers who work in them.



– LOPP has three main objectives:

• Managing a consistent and coordinated approach to inspection of multi- site organisations;

• To secure improvements in health and safety and influence others, as exemplars of good practice; and

• At a later stage, to begin preliminary discussions exploring whether the organisations are interested in some kind of formal recognition of good health and safety performance and, if so, how this might be achieved.



Key Performance Indicators

– Confined Spaces KPI's\Confined_Spaces_KPI_V1.doc

1. Policy and Awareness

2. Training / Competence

3. Auditing & Inspection

4. Avoidance of Entry

5. Risk Assessment

6. Safe Systems of Work

7. Communications

8. Monitor and Supervision

9. Rescue Arrangements


Site visits and Audits

• Find out what is really happening• Interviewing employees• Review


Astute facts

• Displacement – 7800 tonnes submerged (equivalent to 65 Blue Whales or nearly 1000 London buses.

• Length – 97 m (322 ft).

• Complement – 98 officers and men normally, capacity of 109.

• Armament – Six 21 inch (533mm) torpedo tubes, 38 Spearfish torpedoes, UGM-84 Harpoon and Tomahawk Block III missiles and naval mines – capable of pin point strikes 2,000km from the coast.

• Once deployed doesn’t require refuelling for full service life (25 years) and can patrol for 90 days.

• A nuclear submarine is typically three times more densely packed with machinery and equipment than a surface ship, so spatial constraints of the Astute class are enormous.

• Design and construction of the Astute class is arguably the most challenging engineering project in the UK and has been described as “more complex than the space shuttle”.

• Astute can manufacture its own oxygen from sea water and purify the onboard atmosphere even underwater.


• 60+ confined spaces on Astute (Tanks, Wells, Spaces, Lockers etc)

• During build other areas may have controls required but not be classified eg. Void Spaces, Containment areas.

• Confined spaces created at early stage of build through fabrication process.

• Ambush (Commissioning phase) Artful, Audacious and now Anson in various build stages


Learning from experience:

• Worker asphyxiated by chemical fumes whilst working in a tank in SMITE (Barrow 1982)

• 8 workers killed and 2 Firemen hospitalised due to an oxygenleak (Swan Hunter 1982)

• 3 Contractors overcome while emptying tanks (Kendal 2004)

• Build up of Propane in unidentified confined space causing severe burns when ignited (Barrow 2008)

• 2 men died during a failed rescue attempt (Scotland 2009)

Confined spaces


Confined Spaces

What is a Confined space?

It can be any space of an enclosed nature where there is a risk of death or serious injury from hazardous substances or dangerous conditions (e.g. lack of oxygen or flammable atmosphere).

Some confined spaces are fairly easy to identify, e.g. enclosures with limitedopenings:

Compartments storage tanks Vessels Open-topped chambers Ductwork


Daily processes undertaken

• Cleaning• Shot blasting• Painting and Paint Spraying• Welding• Grinding• Burning• Gouging• Tiling


Winch Space


Fabrication stage of build


Cofferdam fitted for Aft Free Flood Tank access


External containment area for repair work


Access control


Port and Stbd tanks


Confined Space control measures

Confined SpacesPI SHE 026 – Entry into and working in confined spacesPI SHE 026/02 – Confined space rescueUG SHE 011 – Confined space responsibilityIGAST HS&E 002 – Confined spacesIGAST HS&E 010 – Argon purging


Confined Space control measures


Access controls - Entry Certificates:

Confined Space Certificates

HOT WORK CLEAN & PAINT COLD WORK


• Air checks every 14 hours by

Confined Space Testers.

Confined Space Monitoring


Confined Spaces

Safe Air Monitor (SAM)



Personal Air Monitor PAM:

• All Personnel MUST have a PAM with them.

• 19.3 – 23% Oxygen content settings

• Upon activation:95 Db audible alarm, Red flashing light, Vibrates

Confined spaces


Confined spaces

Emergency lighting

• Provides light for up to 1 Hour in

the event of a power failure


No entry:

• No extraction or ventilation

• No atmosphere testing

• No emergency lighting

• No detection equipment

• Gross misconduct

Confined spaces


Things don’t always go to plan

• Duplicated certificate requests• Lighting cut down and moved for process• Vent without grillage• SAM moved to install equipment• Not checking the Continuation Cert• Incompatible processes• Only nipped in for a minute !


Things don’t always go to plan


Moving forward


Traffic lights


Types of ventilation on site

Black – 5” Hotwork process extraction

Orange and black – 5” Dedicated tank extraction

Blue and black – 5” Spray painting extraction


Protected SAM


Improved lightweight lights


First of class Astute during sea trials


ANY QUESTIONS?

Documents

Working in confined spaces; a BAE perspective of the joint