2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Background to LOPP

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

• Confined Space rescue arrangements

• Formulation of LOPP ?

2011/ Confined spaces 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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

– 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 – Large Organisation Partnership Pilot

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

– 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.

LOPP – Large Organisation Partnership Pilot

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Site visits and Audits

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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.

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

• 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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Daily processes undertaken

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Winch Space

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Fabrication stage of build

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Cofferdam fitted for Aft Free Flood Tank access

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

External containment area for repair work

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Access control

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Port and Stbd tanks

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Confined Space control measures

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Access controls - Entry Certificates:

Confined Space Certificates

HOT WORK CLEAN & PAINT COLD WORK

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

• Air checks every 14 hours by

Confined Space Testers.

Confined Space Monitoring

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Confined Spaces

Safe Air Monitor (SAM)

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Confined spaces

Emergency lighting

• Provides light for up to 1 Hour in

the event of a power failure

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

No entry:

• No extraction or ventilation

• No atmosphere testing

• No emergency lighting

• No detection equipment

• Gross misconduct

Confined spaces

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

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 !

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Things don’t always go to plan

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Moving forward

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Traffic lights

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Types of ventilation on site

Black – 5” Hotwork process extraction

Orange and black – 5” Dedicated tank extraction

Blue and black – 5” Spray painting extraction

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Protected SAM

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

Improved lightweight lights

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

First of class Astute during sea trials

2011/ Confined spaces LOPP

ANY QUESTIONS?