Professional Documents
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This document is classified as Restricted. Circulation is restricted to San Miguel Aerocity Inc.
(SMAI) and its designated associates, contractors and consultants. Neither the whole nor
any part of this document may be disclosed to any third party without the prior written
consent of SMAI.
DOCUMENT HISTORY
Revision Reason Date Description/Changes Status Prepared By Signature
No. For Issue
00 24/11/2023 Initial Document Rodrigo Cohitmingao
Document Authorisation
This document is authorised for issue.
Name: Name:
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Signature Signature
Date: Date:
Name: Name:
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Date: Date:
Doc No.: _____________________ Revision: 00 Classification: R
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. PURPOSE..................................................................................................................................................1
1.2. SCOPE......................................................................................................................................................1
1.3. APPLICABILITY............................................................................................................................................1
1.4. REVIEW AND IMPROVEMENT........................................................................................................................1
2. DEFINITION AND ABBREVIATION........................................................................................................... 1
2.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS.................................................................................................................................1
2.2. ABBREVIATION...........................................................................................................................................2
3. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS....................................................................................................................... 3
4. RESPONSIBILITIES.................................................................................................................................. 3
5. PROCEDURE:......................................................................................................................................... 3
6. TRAINING:........................................................................................................................................... 13
7. REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................ 13
Doc No.: ____________________ Revision: 00 Classification: R
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Purpose
This procedure defines minimum Health and Safety requirements for working in
confined spaces at any project sites, commissioning and facilities that could be
hazardous to personnel, environment or assets due to specific conditions within that
confined space.
1.2. Scope
This procedure applies to all employees, contractors, vendors, and visitors at the
SMAI project site who perform or are involved with confined space entry. Each
contractor shall ensure that its employees follow this procedure, as a minimum.
1.3. Applicability
This procedure shall be applicable and adhered to at all SMAI Project sites.
1.4. Review and Improvement
This procedure shall be updated once a year. The H&S Head or designated person
shall also monitor this procedure and update to comply with DOLE OSH and other
applicable international and local standards.
Confined Space Confined Spaces are identified as any area with a limited
means of access/egress and subject to oxygen deficiency,
accumulation of flammable vapors, or any airborne contaminant
that exceeds established Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL).
Identification of Confined Spaces shall be determined by the
Contractor whereby signs have been posted to alert employees
of areas that have been classified as Confined Spaces. All
Confined Spaces will be treated as “Permit-Required Confined
Spaces” and therefore Confined Spaces where atmospheric
evaluation is recommended. The contractor shall accept the
responsibility to evaluate all potentially hazardous areas and
initiate the terms of this procedure.
Safe Systems of All the safety precautions (as defined and analyzed by a Risk
Work Assessment) that must be used to carry out a specified task
safely.
Escape Breathing Breathing apparatus designed to be donned by personnel in any
Apparatus emergency and used whilst they make their way to a safe
location. They provide protection for a limited time only.
As Low As Reasonably This means to reduce risk to a level which is as low as
Practicable reasonably practicable and involves balancing reduction in risk
against the time, trouble, difficulty, and cost of achieving it. This
level represents the point, objectively assessed, at which the
2.2. Abbreviation
Abbreviation Definition
3. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
AP00-IPT-HS-M01-0002 - Construction Safety Manual (Section 11; Confine Space)
4. RESPONSIBILITIES
i. Project Manager
Is responsible for the strict compliance of the members of his / her unit to this
procedure.
ii. Health and Safety Department
The H&S Department is responsible for Oversee and manage the
implementation of this procedure. Shall be responsible for review and update
of this procedure for any changes in OSH legislation relating to Machinery
and Equipment Inspection Plan and Procedure.
iii. Contractor Project / Site Manager
The Contractor Project / Site Manager or most Senior On-site Representative
is accountable for the organization under his charge for its adherence of this
procedure.
The Contractor Project / Site Manager shall verify the compliance with this
procedure and its effectiveness.
The Contractor Project / Site Manager or most Senior On-site Representative
shall provide the personnel, facilities, and other resources necessary to
effectively implement and enforce this procedure.
iv. Contractor Health and Safety Manager
Contractor H&S Manager shall be responsible for the continuous, measurable
monitoring of the implementation of this procedure.
v. Contractor Supervisors
Contractor Supervisors shall be competently trained, and be thoroughly
familiar with this procedure and with their individual responsibilities regarding
its implementation and enforcement.
5. PROCEDURE:
5.1. Confined Spaces
Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and
perform assigned work;
Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels,
silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited
means of entry.
Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
Confined space activities require specific attention to ensure that all necessary H&S
precautions are implemented because:
Personnel may be relatively unfamiliar with the activities and the associated
hazards, compared with activities carried out routinely.
Certain activities have intrinsic hazards that require risk reduction measures,
to a defined minimum level.
The hazards that arise from work in confined spaces are due to a combination of the
confined nature of the place of work and the presence of substances or conditions,
combination of which can possess a serious threat to the exposed worker. The most
likely hazards to be encountered in confined spaces are:
All information regarding the confined space should be available and considered
during the Risk Assessment at the planning stage of the job, such as engineering
drawings, working plans, and data on relevant soil or geological conditions. Consider
what might be present or not present that could affect work in the confined space
such as:
Previous contents;
Residues;
Contamination;
Oxygen deficiency;
Oxygen enrichment;
Physical dimensions.
The confined space shall be isolated (as per PTW procedure) to prevent dangers
arising from elsewhere especially the ingress of substances. Emergency rescue
arrangements shall be done for foreseeable incidents. Possible emergencies must be
anticipated.
Before initiating confined space entry, it is essential that adequate time is provided
for the planning of such operations and the preparation of a Safe System of Work,
including permit to work, procedures for conducting the job and procedures that are
to be applied in case of emergencies.
A Confined Space Entry Certificate along with a work permit (Cold, and hot)
shall be required for the protection of personnel entering vessels, tanks,
furnaces, sewers, and pits over 1.5 meters deep. For further details refer to
the procedure of Permit-To-Work procedure.
5.5.2. Supervision
5.5.2.1. Supervisor
The attendant (SBM) must be dedicated to the above duties and must
not act as a supervisor.
5.5.3. Competence
The competent person carrying out the Risk Assessment will need to consider
the suitability of individuals given the work to be done. Where the Risk
Assessment highlights exceptional constraints from the physical layout, the
competent person may need to check that individuals are of a suitable build.
During the selection of Workers for working in confined space entry following
factors shall be considered such as may also need to consider other factors
concerning the individuals such as:
Susceptibility to claustrophobia.
Fitness to wear breathing apparatus.
Medical history.
Medical advice on an individual's suitability may also be needed.
5.5.5. Communications
The atmosphere within a confined space shall be tested for hazardous gas,
fume or vapor, and to check the oxygen content before entry and during the
job as per the details given in the PTW procedure. Testing will be needed
where knowledge of the confined space (e.g. from information regarding its
previous contents or chemicals used in a previous activity) indicates that the
atmosphere might be contaminated, or to any extent unsafe to breathe.
Testing shall also be done where any doubt exists as to the condition of the
atmosphere, or following ventilation/exchange of a previous atmosphere that
was known to be contaminated.
been effective and that it is safe to breathe, before allowing people to enter. In
circumstances where the safest method of removing a flammable or explosive
hazard is by purging with inert gas, then a PTW & attached Risk Assessment
must identify the standard of protection of all exposed persons. This shall
include the use of full breathing apparatus (e.g. use of air manifold or SCBAs).
Good ventilation and a supply of breathable air shall be mandatory for working
in a confined space.
5.5.8. Ventilation
Some confined spaces are enclosed to the extent that they require
mechanical ventilation to provide sufficient fresh air, both to replace the
oxygen that is used by people working in the space and to remove or dilute
fumes or vapor produced by the work. Fresh air should be drawn from a point
where it is not contaminated either by used air or by other pollutants. Never
introduce additional oxygen into a confined space as this can lead to oxygen
enrichment, rendering certain substances, such as grease, liable to
spontaneous combustion. It will also greatly increase the combustibility of
other materials. Oxygen above normal air concentrations may also have a
toxic effect if inhaled.
When considering the ventilation method, account must be taken of the layout
of the space, the position of the openings and the properties of the pollutants,
especially their density, so that ventilation air circulates throughout the space.
Natural ventilation may suffice where there are sufficient top and bottom
openings, but forced ventilation is normally preferable. It is essential to ensure
that extract ventilation is routed away from all possible sources of reentry.
confined space. Using spectacle type, blinds will assist in the verification that
the connection is isolated. If other isolation methods are used, then these
must provide the same isolation integrity as blanks or blinds. Every time the
spectacle blinds are rotated, new gaskets have to be used.
A formal written scheme of isolation must be prepared and the isolating and
de-isolating must be carried out in compliance with the requirements stated in
the Permit-to-Work. Whatever means of isolation is used, its integrity must be
checked by regular testing (when using blanks/blinds), or inspection (when
using physical disconnections).
A check must be made to ensure that there is no stored energy of any kind
left in the system.
Any equipment provided for use in a confined space must be suitable for the
purpose. All equipment must be carefully selected bearing in mind the
conditions and risks where it will be used. If there is a risk of flammable gas in
the confined space, then any electrical equipment brought into the space must
be specially protected to prevent ignition of the gas.
The wearing of PPE and/or RPE and breathing apparatus can contribute to
heat stress. Cooling air may be required for protective suits. Where relevant,
the effect of elevated temperature on the PPE/RPE and breathing apparatus
performance must be considered, particularly the risk of distortion of
components such as visors, air-hoses and crimped connections.
Portable gas cylinders must never be introduced into confined spaces unless
there is no practicable alternative. In such cases, special precautions must be
taken to deal with the potential hazards, including gas leakage. A good level
of ventilation must be provided within the confined space and all equipment
must be checked for leaks.
At the end of every work period, gas cylinders must be removed, including
those from welding sets, to eliminate the risk of a small leak contaminating the
confined space atmosphere.
The use of pipes and hoses for conveying oxygen or flammable gases into
confined spaces must be controlled to minimize risks. At the end of every
work period, the supply valves for pipes and hoses must be securely closed
before the pipes and hoses are withdrawn to a well-ventilated location.
Where pipes and hoses cannot be removed, they must be disconnected from
the gas supply at a point outside the confined space and their residual
contents safely vented.
Provision must be made for quick, unobstructed and ready access and exit
to/from the confined space. The means of escape must be such the individual
inside the confined space can escape quickly in an emergency. All entry into
and exit from the confined space must be controlled by the Permit to Work.
A clear and conspicuous safety sign in appropriate language(s) prohibiting
entry (e.g. ‘NO ENTRY’) to unauthorized persons must be placed alongside
openings and/or points of entry.
5.5.18. Lighting
items, such as steel trunking and airlines must be bonded and effectively
earthed.
If cleaning operations are to be carried out, the risks posed by the use or
presence of high-resistivity materials, such as synthetic plastics, must be
assessed. There is a risk of electrostatic discharge from some equipment
used for steam or water jetting. Static discharges can also arise from clothing
containing cotton or wool. Consider the need for safer alternative equipment
and anti-static footwear and clothing.
There may be a need to limit the time period that individuals are allowed to
work in a confined space. This may be appropriate where:
A Confined Space Entry Certificate along with work permit (Cold, & Hot) is
required for the protection of personnel entering vessels, tanks, furnaces,
sewers, pits over one meter deep. Protection is required against hazards such
as flammable vapors, oxygen deficiency, toxic atmospheres, excessive
temperatures, power driven equipment, etc.
In planning for emergencies, one must consider those that may result directly
from the confined space entry operations, but also those that may occur in
other parts of the plant/facility and have an impact on the on-going confined
space entry operations.
No person must enter or carry out work in a confined space unless specific
arrangements have been made for their rescue and these arrangements are
in place.
Those responsible for organizing and supervising confined space work must
develop rescue arrangements, taking into account the nature of the confined
space, the identified hazards and the likely nature of an emergency where
rescue is required. Rescue may not only be required for an incident specific to
the confined space, but also as a result of more general types of incidents,
such as incapacitation after a trip, or a medical emergency.
Where there is a risk of fire, appropriate fire extinguishers must be kept at the
entry point to the confined space. In some cases, a sprinkler system may also
be appropriate.
Care should be taken when deciding whether or not the ventilation system
should be switched off in case of fire. Leaving the ventilation on means that
people are continually supplied with fresh breathing air and that contaminants
are swept out of the space. However, fresh air also fans the flames and
makes the fire grow.
Any decision to switch off a ventilation system in the event of a fire must only
be taken by a suitably experienced and competent person, taking into account
all material considerations.
Appropriate first aid equipment must be provided and ready for use. Sufficient
personnel trained in first aid must be readily available until professional
medical help arrives.
Those likely to be involved in any emergency rescue must be trained for that
purpose. The training needs for each individual will vary according to their
designated role. It is important that refresher training is organized and
available regularly.
6. TRAINING:
Training shall be provided for entry, work and rescue from confined spaces for those
personnel who will be carrying out these functions. Specific training requirements will
depend on each individual's previous experience and the type of work that they will be
doing. Training must cover:
Training shall ensure the practical use of safety features and equipment, the
identification of defects and, where appropriate, demonstrations and practical exercises.
It is essential that trainees are familiar with both equipment and procedures before
engaging in a confined space entry in any capacity.
7. REFERENCES
The OSHA confined-space standard, 29 CFR 1910.146
Phil, OSH Standard, 1121: Underground Tank and Similar Confined Space Work