ENCLOSED SPACE ENTRY

What is the first step in any potentially hazardous work task on board:
Risk assessment.

What is the principal hazard associated with entry into an enclosed or confined space?
The potentially hazardous atmosphere inside.

Which of the following is an acceptable definition of a dangerous enclosed or confined space”?

One where the atmosphere contains, or may contain toxic or flammable gases or vapours, or other hazardous
substances, or be deficient in oxygen, to the extent that it may endanger the life or health of any person entering that
space.

Which of the following is the definition of a gas free compartment?

One that is in a suitable and safe condition, such that sufficient fresh air has been introduced into it to lower the level of
any flammable, toxic or inert gas to that required for a specified purpose.

Which of the following describes the “Responsible Officer”?

A person appointed by the employer or to whom the Master of the ship has delegated responsibility, empowered to
take charge of a specific task.

In relation to entry into an enclosed or confined space, what is “approved equipment”?

Equipment of a design tested and approved by an appropriate authority for use in a specified hazardous environment.

A forecastle store containing paint and chemicals is normally continuously ventilated but the area has suffered
an electrical failure and the ventilation fan has been stopped overnight. How would you now consider that
storeroom?
As dangerous. It must be treated as an enclosed space for the purpose of entry procedures.

You are engaged in cleaning out an oil sludge storage tank that has been previously tested and approved for
unprotected entry and for which a valid enclosed space entry permit exists. While you are working, you begin
to smell cargo vapours. Which of the procedures listed below should be followed? (Select all applicable
answers).
Immediately exit the tank.
The appropriate tag should be placed on the access prohibiting further entry.
The Responsible Officer should be notified.
The enclosed space entry permit should be cancelled.
Further tests should be made.

What is the normal oxygen content in fresh air?

20.9%

Which of the following are standard procedures to observe prior to entry into a dangerous enclosed or
confined space? (Select all applicable answers)
A Competent Person makes an assessment of the space.
A Responsible Officer is appointed to take charge.
The potential hazards are identified.
The space is secured for entry.
The atmosphere is tested.
An entry permit is issued.
Appropriate safety and operational procedures are put in place.

You are in charge of a team that must enter a dangerous confined space to rescue a man who has collapsed
inside. What is your main priority?
To ensure that adequate precautions have been taken to protect the rescue team, thereby preventing additional
casualties.

In the context of this training module, a “Responsible Officer” is…?

… a person appointed by the Master, or by the company, to take charge of an operation, such as entry into an
enclosed or confined space.

Some cargoes are “carcinogenic”. What does this mean?

They can generate cancer.
A tank that contained a cargo of vegetable oil has been rough-washed with salt water. It has then been allowed
to lie untouched for two days. Which of the following toxic substances is likely to have been released into the
atmosphere within the tank over this period?
Hydrogen sulphide.

If a small crack on a bracket in the middle of a bulkhead between two tanks is to be welded, what atmosphere
tests should be performed prior to commencement of the work? (Select all applicable answers)
The atmosphere in the tank to be entered should be tested for flammability and oxygen content.
The atmospheres in the adjacent spaces should be tested for flammability and oxygen content.

A crew-member is to be sent into an enclosed space to remove remaining sludge deposits from between the
frames and fumes are known to be present. Which of the following would be considered a safe procedure for
him to follow? (Select all applicable answers)
Using a self-contained breathing apparatus.
Using an externally-generated air supply.

When is an enclosed or confined space considered safe and fit for unprotected entry?
Only when it has been tested and certified as “gas free” by a competent person and approved for entry.

In safety terms, why might you suspend cargo operations that involve spaces adjacent to a tank intended for
entry? (Select all applicable answers)
Because a valve on common piping might be opened in error, flooding the entered compartment.
Because poisonous fumes expelled from those spaces might be drawn in by mechanical ventilators on the entered
space.

The term “lock out and tag out” is applied to which of the following:
The securing and labelling of equipment against inadvertent use.

Drag and drop the measured item onto the appropriate meter.
O2>Oxygen analyser
LFL>Combustible gas detector
Traces of toxic gas>Gas detection tubes with pump

What is the minimum steady reading that must be obtained on an oxygen analyser before unprotected entry
into an enclosed space is permitted? (As per general industry standards)
21%

Can an explosimeter detect the presence of a flammable vapour in a space filled with inert gas? (Select the
most correct answer)
Many models cannot do so, but some do have an additional fitting which allows it to be used under such conditions.

Can a combustible gas detector be used to detect a gas other than the standard gas on which it is calibrated?
(Select the most correct answer)
Yes, but only for a limited range of similar gases and reference must be made to the calibration curves supplied with
the meter.

Which of the following is a correct statement?

Personal monitors only provide a warning against oxygen deficiency and hydrocarbon concentrations when there is a
change in conditions in the immediate vicinity of the wearer.

Who is permitted to test the atmosphere in an enclosed or confined space for the purposes of authorising
entry?
Only a person trained in the use of the equipment and listed as an Approved Operator.

Cargo tank 3 centre has been cleaned and is scheduled for inspection and mopping. You are the Responsible
Officer. When will you test the atmosphere in the tank? (Select all applicable answers)
Before anyone enters the space.
At regular and frequent intervals whilst entry continues.

You are to test the atmosphere in a tank prior to entry. If at all, how will you adjust the ventilation?
I will stop it about 10 minutes before testing and not re-start it until testing is complete.

You are to test the atmosphere in a tank prior to entry for cleaning and maintenance purposes. Where will you
take the readings?
At multiple levels and in different sections of the space, through the various lids and vents, to increase the possibility of
detecting pockets of gas that might remain in less well ventilated areas.
Whose overall duty is it, to ensure that the plan for entry into an enclosed or confined space is followed?
The Responsible Officer.

A small cleaning and repair job is to be done in the after peak tank. The tank is heavily framed, of an awkward
shape, with several distinct sections and built over and around a number of other storage tanks. Access lids
and ventilation pipes are all at the forward end of the tank. You have been appointed to make the risk
assessment and be responsible for the subsequent entry and repair. How will you ensure the conditions in the
area of the repair are fully checked?
I would assess and plan for an initial entry, carry out further assessment within the space and then plan the entry for
the repair on the basis of the additional information obtained.

You are the Responsible Officer for a maintenance inspection in a ship’s side ballast tank. The after access
manhole has been removed but the compartment is still very dark. How might you safely improve the
situation? (Select all applicable answers)
Remove additional manhole covers and lids.
Install temporary lighting.
Issue flashlights.

You are assigned as the watchman at the entrance to 3 starboard double bottom ballast tank, inside which the
Chief Officer and Cadet are carrying out an inspection. What do you understand you are permitted to do?
I cannot be assigned to other duties while I am watchman and must remain at the entrance to the space while it is
occupied.

You are to be part of a two-man team to enter an enclosed lower deck in the forecastle head. You are to wear
self-contained breathing apparatus and the Responsible officer has decided that a lifeline is to be used. What
must you ensure you can do with that lifeline?
That I can easily detach it, if it becomes tangled on the steps or other fittings in the forecastle.

You are to enter an enclosed space as part of a small team to undertake some cleaning. How will you ensure
that the operation continues in a safe manner?
All of us entering the space, as well as the watchman at the entrance, must remain alert and watch for any changes in
circumstances that may render the space unsafe.

A crew member doing some cleaning in the bottom a cargo tank reports smelling fumes. What should now
happen? (Select all applicable answers)
The work should be stopped and everyone should leave the space immediately.
The safety of the situation should be re-assessed.
Permits should be withdrawn and only re-issued with any appropriate revisions.
Any additional controls deemed necessary by the Responsible Officer should be put in place before work resumes.

You are the designated watchman at the top of a tank. Three crew members are inside overhauling a faulty
pump. You see one man collapse and hear the other two shouting. What are you going to do?
I will sound the alarm immediately, report the situation to the Responsible Officer and assist the rescue team once they
have arrived.

You are the watchman at the entrance to an enclosed cargo hold. Why must you “tally”, or check the crew off
as they exit the space after finishing their work inside?
To see if anyone is missing and therefore still inside the space.

You are the Responsible Officer for a cleaning job in a cargo tank. Why must you check around inside the
space once cleaning is completed?
To check that no rags, flashlights, lines, clothing or other equipment has been left inside, where it could later be drawn
into a pump or valve and damage or block it with serious consequences.

Place the following steps in the correct sequence, to indicate how a risk assessment is carried out. Drag and
drop the steps onto the numbers:
1 – Identify the hazards
2 – Assess the risks
3 – Apply controls
4 – Document the findings
5 – Monitor and adjust
You are to assist in “securing” a cargo tank after a cleaning squad have been inside. All personnel and small
gear are accounted for and the space is not to be re-entered. Another crew member is returning the safety and
working equipment to storage and the Responsible Officer is taking care of notifications, documentation and
the removal of isolation-tags and notices in the control room. What should you do at or near the tank itself?
(Select all applicable answers)
Remove green “safe to enter” tag
Stop the ventilation fan
Withdraw lines and hoses, etc
Close the lids

If the atmosphere in a compartment is considered to be suspect or unsafe, then it should only be entered for
which of the following purposes? (Select all applicable answers)
If it is essential for testing purposes, that being not possible from a remote location.
For the safety of life, or of the ship.
For the work of the ship under controlled conditions.

You are assisting outside an enclosed space. A maintenance crew are inside and are using air-line breathing
apparatus, supplied from a compressor located on deck close to the manhole cover access. The compressor
has an emergency supply in a cylinder connected via a manifold. The compressor suddenly stops. You switch
over to the emergency supply straight away, but what should the team inside the space do?
They should immediately stop work and exit the space.

You are the watchman at the entrance hatch to a tank where three men, wearing self-contained breathing
apparatus, are working inside. You hear the low level audible alarm whistle from one of the sets. What are you
going to do?
Look for the user moving immediately towards the exit and assist him once he emerges.

What are the employer’s legal obligations in respect of the provision of training on entry into dangerous
enclosed or confined spaces?
He must provide the necessary training, instruction and information to employees, in order to ensure that the
regulations pertaining to entry into dangerous enclosed and confined spaces are complied with.

Drag and drop the phrases below, re-arranging them to complete safety training bullet points used in lessons
relating to enclosed space entry.
If in doubt stay out!
The greatest risk inside the space is from its atmosphere.
Look after the equipment; you never know when you will need it.
Poor planning leads to poor performance.
Don’t take short-cuts. Check and check again.

You are the Responsible Officer for a tank entry operation, where the seamen working inside are being
supplied with air from a compressor in the machinery space. Who will you advise of this arrangement and
why?
The Engineer on Watch.
So that those in charge of the equipment understand its current purpose and do not shut the compressor down until the
work is completed.

Breathing apparatus should be inspected and tested periodically, as per the company maintenance schedule.
When else should it be tested for correct operation?
Before and after use.

You are the Master of a vessel which normally has a minimum safe complement of four personal oxygen
monitors. Two are to be sent ashore for service in the next port but there is a programme of ballast tank
inspections scheduled in that port. What could you do to ensure that the ship’s personnel continue to be work
under safe conditions? (Select all applicable answers)
I could arrange temporary replacements until the ship’s monitors are returned.
I understand that inspection of the ship is paramount and will issue instructions that the remaining meters should be
continually transferred between tanks to enable at least some checking of the atmospheres where personnel are
working inside the enclosed spaces.