M2:

HAZARDS IN
CONFINED SPACE
CONFINED SPACE
SAFETY PROGRAM
 LEARNING OUTCOME
Upon completion of this chapter, participants will be
able to:

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 WHAT IS HAZARD?
A source, situation or act, with a
potential for harm, in terms of:

injury or ill- damage to a

damage to
health to environment, combination
property
people or of these

Source: MS1722:2011 Occupational Safety and Health Management System

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 HAZARD CATAGORIES

Chemical

Environment Physical

HAZARD

Psychosocial Biological

Ergonomics

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 HAZARDS IN THE CONFINED SPACE
Oxygen deficiency
Toxic gases
Flammable gases
Excavation collapse
Drowning in fluids, solids
Slip and trip
Noise, electricity, radiation, etc.
Injury from use of tools and equipment
Direct contact with chemicals
Biological hazards

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CHEMICAL HAZARD
CONFINED SPACE
SAFETY PROGRAM
 CHEMICAL – MODES OF ENTRY

Inhalation
- Intake through the respiration system

Ingestion
- Intake through the mouth

Absorption
- Introduced through eyes and skin

Injection
- Introduction into the body by syringe or sharp object

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 WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW

SDS – Safety Data Sheet

✓ Hazard rating
✓ PEL, MEL (exposure)
✓ LEL, UEL
✓ Fire fighting measures
✓ Emergency
✓ PPE
✓ Etc..

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 WHAT IS HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE?
Source : Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working In Confined Space 2010

Oxygen content is below 19.5%

• a person can be asphyxiated @ choked to death

Oxygen level above 23.5%

• fires will burn ferociously

Accumulation of flammable or explosive gas greater than 10% of its LEL

• introduction of a spark can lead to fire or explosion

Accumulation of toxic gases equal to or exceeding its permissible exposure

limit (PEL)

• people can be poisoned

Any other atmospheric condition that is immediately dangerous to life or

health (IDLH);

• e.g. presence of any toxic, corrosive, or asphyxiation substance

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 HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE
What gases will
be present?

How can I work Where do they

safely? come from?

What do I
NEED TO
KNOW?
Where will they Is the risk
go? acceptable?

How can I
remove the
gases?

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 CONFINED SPACE ACCIDENT

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 OXYGEN LIMITS

AIDS EXPLOSION.
> 23.5 % VOL.
DO NOT ENTER!

NORMAL CONCENTRATION
20.8 % VOL. IN AIR.
SAFE TO ENTER

DANGER OF ASPHYXIATION.
< 19.5 % VOL.
DO NOT ENTER!

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 WHEN IS O2 DEFICIENT?
After purging with gas (N2, Ar, CO2)

Rusting in progress

Contaminated soil – Biologically Organic

Decay (BOD)

Decay of organic matters

Combustion

Can lead to:

▪ Asphyxiation
▪ Death

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 EFFECTS OF O2 DEFICIENCY
% Volume Effects
19.5 Minimum permissible level
15 – 19 Decreased ability to work strenuously

12 – 14 Pulse up, impaired co-ordination and

perception

10 – 11 Respiration increases, poor judgment,

lips blue

8 – 10 Mental failure, fainting, ashen face

6–8 Exposed for 8 minutes: 100% fatal

4–6 Coma in 40 seconds, convulsions,
death

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 WHEN IS O2 ENRICHED?
Leak in O2 hose from cylinders

Leak in O2 piping

Oxidizing agents
Can lead to:
▪ spontaneous combustion
▪ self ignition
▪ explosion

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 TOXIC GASES AND VAPOURS
Gases and vapours which can cause:
• irritation of skin, eyes, nose and throat
• injury or fatality

Some toxic gases are odourless

Source of contaminants:
• The space itself
• Earlier process
• Previous contents
• Adjoining plant or environment
Example:
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Ammonia (NH3), Chlorine (Cl2), Carbon
Monoxide (CO) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

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 IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT TOXIC
GASES AND VAPOURS

Unit of measurement:
• ppm – parts per million
• %volume – % of gas in air
• 1% volume = 10 000 ppm

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)

• TWA8 – Time weighted average 8 hours period

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 POINTS TO PONDER

Some gases
are inert –
Some gases Some gases Some gases they are not
are just toxic are just are both toxic or
but not flammable flammable flammable
flammable but not toxic and toxic but they can
be
asphyxiate

CH4 is not toxic,

Argon,
Chlorine but it is also CO, NH3, H2S
Nitrogen
asphyxiate

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 HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S)

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 SYMPTOMS OF H2S EXPOSURE
Limit (ppm) Effects
4.6 Moderate odour
10 Eye irritation
27 Strong , very unpleasant odour, but not
intolerable
100 Coughing, loss of sense of smell

200 – 300 Conjunctivitis & respiratory tract

500 – 700 Loss of consciousness, breathing stops,
death
700 – 1000 Immediate unconsciousness, breathing
stops, death

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 CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a common industrial
hazardous gas from:

• all internal combustion engines including diesel,

gasoline, and kerosene
• burning coal, wood, paper or plastics product,
and welding process

CO is a by-product resulting from incomplete

combustion of fuels

Combustion appliances that have not been

properly installed and maintained or that are
poorly ventilated pose higher CO risk

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 CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)

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 SYMPTOMS OF CO EXPOSURE
Limit (ppm) Effects
25 Discomfort
200 Slight headache, serious discomfort
400 Severe headache
1000 Confusion, nausea
2000 Tendency to stagger
2500 Unconsciousness
4000 Fatal

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 SYMPTOMS OF CO2 EXPOSURE
Limit (%vol.) Effects
2–3 Shortness of breath, deep breath

5 Breathing becomes heavy, sweating, pulse

quickens
7.5 Headache, dizziness, restlessness,
breathlessness, increased heart rate and blood
pressure, visual distortion
10 Impaired hearing, nausea, vomiting, loss of
consciousness
30 Coma, convulsions, death

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 FLAMMABLE ATMOSPHERE

Elements of fire
• Oxygen
• Fuel
• Ignition of source

Fuels, solvents, hydrocarbons, if ignited, can

cause fires and explosion

Physical-chemical properties:
• explode
• catch fire
• oxidize

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 FLAMMABLE ATMOSPHERE
• the minimum concentration of
Lower Explosive flammable gas or vapor in air that is
capable of being ignited.
Limit
• If the flammable gas concentration
LEL is below its LEL, ignition cannot occur
because the gas-air mixture is too
“lean” to burn.

• the maximum concentration of a

Upper Explosive flammable gas or vapor in air that
can be present for an explosion to
Limit occur
UEL • Ignition will not occur if the gas-air
mixture is above the UEL because
the mixture is then too “rich” to burn.

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 NEED TO KNOW
(Flammable Gases)

100% LEL

10% LEL

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 EXAMPLE OF CASE

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 EXPLOSION PROOF MARKINGS
MARKING TYPE OF PROTECTION

Ex d Flameproof

Ex e Increased safety

Ex p Purged / pressurised

Ex o Oil filled

Ex q Sand/powder filled
'Epsilon-x' logo for
explosion proof
Ex m Encapsulated equipment

Ex n Non-incendive

Ex [ia] or [ib] Intrinsically safe

Ex s Special protection

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 CHEMICAL – HEALTH HAZARDS
Toxicity

Skin irritation

Eye damage

Corrosion

Sensitization

Carcinogen

Mutagen

Aspiration hazard

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 CHEMICAL – HEALTH EFFECTS
1. Acute or
chronic effects
✓ Skin problems
(dermatitis),
✓ Eye, nose and
throat irritation
2. Systemic
poisoning

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 PHYSICAL
HAZARD
CONFINED SPACE
SAFETY PROGRAM
 PHYSICAL HAZARDS
HAZARDS EFFECT(S) REMARKS

Heat Heat-induced Accelerated by poor ventilation

disorders – heat and/ or unsuitable protective
stroke, heat cramps clothing

Noise Hearing loss Depending on the intensity and

duration of exposure

Mechanical Sparks or physical Need for Lock out/ Tag out

injuries procedure ( LOTO )

Ionizing Cancer risk Vessels holding condensate from

Radiation offshore may contain Naturally
Occurring Radioactive Material
(NORM )

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BIOLOGICAL
HAZARD
CONFINED SPACE
SAFETY PROGRAM
 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

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 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

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 OTHER HAZARDS

PSYCHOSOCIAL

• Example: claustrophobia, stress, sexual harassment,

overtime, others.

ERGONOMIC HAZARD

• Structure/ awkward posture

• Example: repetitive work, awkward posture, carrying
excessive load

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD

• Example: extreme weather, earthquake and others

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 ANY QUESTIONS?

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 THANK YOU
CONFINED SPACE SAFETY PROGRAM