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?
LOPP Large Organisation Partnership Pilot 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 Large Organisation Partnership Pilot LOPP has three main objectives: Managing a consistent and coordinated approach to inspection of multisite 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
Confined spaces 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 oxygen leak (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 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 limited openings: 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 Spaces PI SHE 026 Entry into and working in confined spaces PI SHE 026/02 Confined space rescue UG SHE 011 Confined space responsibility IGAST HS&E 002 Confined spaces IGAST HS&E 010 Argon purging
Confined Space control measures
Confined Space Certificates Access controls - Entry Certificates: HOT WORK CLEAN & PAINT COLD WORK
Confined Space Monitoring Air checks every 14 hours by Confined Space Testers.
Confined Spaces Safe Air Monitor (SAM)
Confined spaces 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 Emergency lighting Provides light for up to 1 Hour in the event of a power failure
Confined spaces No entry: No extraction or ventilation No atmosphere testing No emergency lighting No detection equipment Gross misconduct
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?