Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces

1 Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces Our vision: Healthy safe and productive lives. 1. 3 Elements of Safe System of Work .. 14 Introductory Notes .. 3 Training, Supervision and Suitability .. 14 Background .. 3 Permit-to-Work Procedure .. 15 Status and Scope of Code ofPractice .. 4 Gas purging and Ventilation .. 15 4 Dangerous Residues .. 16 Key Characteristics .. 4 Testing and Monitoring of the Atmosphere .. 16 Types of Injury .. 4 Mechanical, Electrical and Process Isolation .. 17 Identification of Confined Spaces .. 5 Respiratory Protective Equipment .. 18 Other Personal Protective Equipment .. 18 2. THE HAZARDS OF Confined Spaces .. 6 Safe Use of Work Equipment.

2 19 Other Hazards .. 6 Communications .. 19 Relevant Hazards .. 6 Access and Egress .. 20 Toxic Atmosphere .. 6 Flammable or Explosive Atmospheres .. 20 Oxygen Deficiency .. 6 Combustible Materials .. 21 Oxygen Enrichment .. 6 Flammable or Explosive Atmospheres .. 7 7. EMERGENCY AND RESCUE PROCEDURES .. 22 Flowing Liquid or Free Flowing Solids .. 7 Rescue Arrangements .. 22 Excessive Heat .. 7 Training .. 22 Rescue Logistics .. 23 3. RESPONSIBILITIES .. 8 Rescue Equipment .. 24 Employers and the Self-Employed .. 8 Resuscitation Procedures and Equipment .. 25 Employees .. 8 Contents FOREWORD .. 2 6. A SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK .. 14 A Safe Way of Working .. 14 4. PREVENTION OF THE NEED FOR ENTRY .. 9 Choice of Work Method.

3 9 Provision of Safe Plant and Equipment .. 9 Prevention of Unauthorised Entry .. 9 5. THE RISK ASSESSMENT .. 10 Key Elements of Risk Assessment and Control .. 10 Generic Risk Assessment .. 10 Identify the 11 What s Inside .. 11 What s Created .. 12 What s Outside .. 12 Appendix 1 Logic Flowsheet for Work in Confined Spaces .. 26 Appendix 2 Example of Permit-to-work Form for Work in Confined Spaces .. 27 Appendix 3 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ( Confined Spaces ) Regulations 2001 .. 30 Foreword Page 2 | Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces The Health and Safety Authority, with the consent of Mr Pat Breen TD, Minister of Employment and Small Business at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, publishes this amended Code of Practice entit led Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces , in accor dance with section 60 of the Safety, Health and Welfa re at Work Act 2005 (No.)

4 10 of 2005). The Code of Practice provides practical guidance as to the observ ance of the provisions of the Safety, Health and Welfa re at Work ( Confined Spaces ) Regulations 2001 ( No. 218 of 2001). This Code of Practice comes into operation on Monday May 1st 2017. It amends the Code of Practic e entitled Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces issued by the Authority in 2010 in accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. Notice of the issue of this Code of Practic e was published in the Iris Oifigi il om Tuesday April 11th 2017. As regards the use of Codes of Practic e in criminal proceedings, section 61 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 provides as follows- 61. (1) Where in proceedings for an offence under this Act relating to an alleged contravention of any requirement or prohibition imposed by or under a relevant statutory provision being a provisio n for which a code of Practice had been published or approved by the Authori ty under sectio n 60 at the time of the alleged contrav ention, subsection (2) shall have effect with respect to that c ode of Practice in relation to those proceedings.

5 (2)(a) Where a code of Practice referred toin subsection (1) appears to t he court to give practical guidance as to the obse rvance of the requirement or prohibition alleged to have been contrav ened, the code of Practice shall be admi ssible in evidence. (b)Where it is proved that any act oromission of the defendant allegedto c onstitu te the contrav ention (i)is a failure to observe a code ofpractice referred to in subsection(1), or(ii)is a compliance with t hat c odeof practic e,then such failure or compliance is admissible in evidence. (3)A document bearing the seal of theAuthori ty and purporting to be acode of Practice or part of a code ofpractice published or approved of bythe Authority under this section shallbe admi ssible as evidence in anyproceedings under this Marie Dalton Secretary to the Board Health and Safety AuthorityIntroduction Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces | Page 3 Introductory Notes Note 1: References to other Enactments This Code of Practice should be read in conjunction with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ( Confined Spaces ) Regulations 2001 ( No.)

6 218 of 2001). Regulation 3(1) of those Regulations, relating to the application of the Regulations, provides as follows 3. (1) The provisions of Regulations 2, 4 and Part II of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 1993 ( No. 44 of 1993) shall apply in full to the application of the provisions of these Regulations. However, since the revocation of Regulations 2, 4 and Part II of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 1993 by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application)(Amendment)(Revocation) Regulations 2005 ( No. 392 of 2005) and by Regulation 3(1)(o) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 ( No. 299 of 2007), the relevant references above should be read as references to the following corresponding replacement provisions of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No.

7 10 of 2005) Section 2(1) Interpretation - definitions of fixed term employee , temporary Note 2: Confined space Work in the Construction Sector Notwithstanding the provisions of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ( Confined Spaces ) Regulations 2001 ( No. 218 of 2001) and Regulation 79 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 ( No. 291 of 2013), relating to health hazards, attention is drawn to the provisions of Points and of Annex IV, Minimum Safety and Health Requirements for Construction Sites, of Council Directive 92/57/EEC of 24 June 1992 on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites, which provide as follows - If workers have to enter an area where the atmosphere is liable to contain a toxic or harmful substance or to have an insufficient oxygen level or to be inflammable, the Confined atmosphere must be monitored and appropriate steps taken to prevent any hazards.

8 A worker may not in any circumstances be exposed to a high-risk Confined atmosphere. He must at least be watched at all times from outside and all appropriate precautions must be taken to ensure that he can be assisted effectively and immediately . Background employee and temporary employment business , Section 8 General Duties of Employer, Section 9 Information for employees, Section 10 Instruction, training and supervision of employees, Section 11 Emergencies and serious and imminent dangers, Section 13 Duties of Employee, Section 18 Protective and Preventive Measures, Section 19 Hazard identification and risk assessment, Section 20 Safety Statement, Section 21 Duty of employers to co-operate, Section 22 Health Surveillance, Section 25 Safety Representatives, Section 26 Consultation and participation of employees, safety committees and Schedule 3 - General principles of Prevention.

9 Confined Spaces are significantly more hazardous than normal workplaces. The hazards involved may not be unique to Confined Spaces , but are always exacerbated by the enclosed nature of the Confined space . The resulting injuries are potentially fatal. A seemingly insignificant error or oversight while Working in a Confined space can result in a tragic accident. Furthermore there is a propensity for multiple casualties due to the insidious nature of the hazards. Page 4 | Code of Practice for Working in Confined Spaces Introduction Status and Scope of Code of Practice This code of Practice is published by the Health and Safety Authority under Section 60 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and with the consent of the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

10 The code is intended to provide practical guidance on safe work in Confined Spaces in accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ( Confined Spaces ) Regulations 2001. The text of the Regulations is reproduced at Appendix 3. A failure to observe any part of this code will not of itself render a person liable to civil or criminal proceedings. Where the code of Practice gives practical guidance on the observance of any of the relevant statutory provisions then compliance or non-compliance with those provisions of the code may be admissible in evidence in any criminal proceedings. You may use alternative methods to those set out in the code in order to comply with the law. However, the special legal status accorded to the code means that if you are prosecuted for breach of health and safety law, and it is proved that you did not follow the relevant provisions of the code, you will need to show that you have complied with the law in some other way or a court will find you at fault.