STANDARD SAFETY and Consulting Services (1978) Ltd.

Phone (780) 463-9077 (24 hour) - Fax (780) 450-3790

Confined Space Hazards

and the Alberta Regulations
In the working class taverns of Paris two and three hundred years ago you could often spot a table full of men that all had red eyes. If you were to ask about it, you would be told that they were workers from the sewers. The condition was described as "sewer eye". In the 1930's around Alberta's Turner Valley oilfields there were again workers with red eyes but now it was known as "gas eye" because it was known to be caused by hydrogen sulphide gas. Coal miners in the days before battery powered lamps used an acetylene flame burning in a reflector on their helmets and supplied with gas produced from water steadily dripping into calcium carbide in a container on their belts. They also carried another flame that had nothing to do with seeing where they were working. They would adjust this lamp flame to a mark on a ruler in the lamp and check its height occasionally while they worked. If the air was getting bad the flame would be under the mark. If the flame would suddenly go out they had hit a pocket of coal damp (carbon dioxide). If the flame got larger they were in some fire damp (methane). They didn't need the lamp to detect stink damp (hydrogen sulphide) because they could smell it if they hit a pocket (or watch the canary fall off his perch). Watching the lamp flame saved a lot of miners from fires and asphyxiation and it was even better when the Davie's Safety Lamp was invented. This had a fine copper mesh screen around the lamp to cool a flame and keep it from propagating beyond the mesh if the lamp was placed in an atmosphere where the flammable gas was above the lower explosive limit. Many well diggers in early times had a strange ritual. They would start work in the morning by lowering the bucket into the well, cranking it back up and dumping the apparently empty bucket. They would do this twenty or thirty times causing bystanders to question their sanity because there was nothing in the well. The digger hadn't hit the water yet. It was not a ritual to magically draw the water to their well. It was actually to bail out the stale air and replace it with good air for the days work. They had

found by bitter experience that empty buckets are easier to pull up than unconscious well diggers. Since we went into the first cave we have been learning to identify the hazards of confined spaces. The hazards we face now may not be as dramatic as a sabre toothed tiger but they can be as deadly. Any time we plan to enter into an area where there is poor natural ventilation we have to assess the hazards. The following things must be considered when planning to enter a confined space, and the necessary procedures implemented before workers enter the space. What contaminants could be present? What is the nature of the contaminants (acute poison, chronic poison, asphyxiant, explosive)? What is the concentration or potential concentration of any airborne contaminant? Has the confined space been isolated to prevent harmful substances from entering? Has the space been ventilated sufficiently to: a) maintain an adequate oxygen content and b) to prevent the accumulation of harmful substances? Are there physical or mechanical hazards? What Contaminants Could Be Present? This first step is crucial. We can't possibly sample with every one of the more than 200 gas detector tubes that are available. We need to examine the history of the confined space we are investigating. What has it been used for? The normal product or substance that belongs in the space is the first chemical to put on our list. A diesel fuel tank often has diesel fuel in it (grin). What has been done to it since it was last used? Has the space been steamed, rinsed, purged, inerted or washed with a solvent. Add any purging or cleaning chemicals to the list and note any change in temperatures.

Are there other chemicals nearby that may have entered the space? Examine the area. Look for vents, spills, and operations somewhere upwind or up slope from the confined space. Excavations can be contaminated by hydrocarbon seepage in the soil. Vapours that are heavier than air can flow into pits, cellars, buried tanks and sumps. Are there any reactions that could have formed new chemicals? Fluid with hydrogen sulphide in it (sour fluid) can cause iron sulphide scale in uncoated steel tanks. Iron sulphide is pyrophoric which means it can ignite spontaneously in air. Rinsing with acid can remove iron sulphide scale but H2S will be released to the atmosphere. Some catalysts give off fumes when dried or heated. This investigation should give a list of chemicals that might concern us. The next step is to gather information on those chemicals. In most workplaces this has already been done and you can find the Material Safety Data Sheets that are made available under WHMIS regulations. What Is The Nature Of The Contaminants? Toxic Chemicals In evaluating the toxic hazard it is important to know how a toxic material gets into the body. It can enter the body by: inhalation ingestion skin absorption. An MSDS will give this information if you read it carefully. Hazardous ingredients are listed in section 2 and any that are poisonous have an LD50 or an LC50 listed. LC stands for lethal concentration of the chemical in air. LD stands for lethal dose, the amount that was taken in by the test animals. A "skin" notation is given if that was the route of entry tested otherwise it may say "oral" or it can be assumed the chemical was ingested (eaten). The type of animal used in the test is also given. The 50 means that at that dose or concentration 50% of the test animals died. Further information can be found in the MSDS section on Health Hazard Information. In confined space work by far the most important factor in toxicity is inhalation of the contaminant. This is closely followed by skin absorption.

The effects of exposure may be acute or chronic. Acute Poison Acute toxicity is the immediate effect of the contaminant on the system. Hydrogen sulphide is an example of a poison with a very high acute toxicity but a very low chronic toxicity. If you take in a certain amount it will kill you. If you take less than that amount, even quite often, there are few serious effects. It is sometimes compared to standing in a pool of water. You can stand for a very long time in water up to the neck and suffer not much more than wrinkling of the skin but if you try to stand in water over your head, death will result in a short time. Chronic Poison Chronic toxicity is the effect that appears in the body long after being exposed to the contaminant or symptoms or disease of long duration or frequent recurrence. Chronic effects often develop slowly. The term chronic relates to continued exposure to substances presumably throughout a working lifetime. It is impossible to make the workplace absolutely free of toxic substances, and in recognition of that fact, standards-making organizations try to establish limits that will control chronic exposures. It is bad enough to be sick of working - we sure don't want to be sick from working. Even though the consequences of acute poisoning demand every precaution it is no less important to take the same precautions when dealing with chronic poisons. Occupational Exposure Limits Although contaminants in the air may be toxic, they can be considered safe if they stay below certain levels of concentration known as Occupational Exposure Limits (O.E.L.) in Alberta, Permissible Concentrations in B.C. and Workplace Contamination Limits in Saskatchewan. All jurisdictions use numbers that are nearly the same and are often based on TLV's or Threshold Limit Values from the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (A.C.G.I.H.). Steps must be taken to ensure that workers are not exposed to more than the limit. The limits for the chemical exposures are expressed in "parts per million" (PPM) or milligrams per cubic metre of air (mg/m3). This is a

measurement of airborne concentration of a chemical in a known volume of air. Examples are: Hydrogen Sulphide 10 ppm (8 hours) t.w.a. and 15 ppm (15 minutes) s.t.e.l. Carbon Monoxide 25 ppm (8 hours) t.w.a. and 200 ppm (15 minutes) s.t.e.l. Pentane 600 ppm Hexane 500 ppm Heptane 400 Octane 300 Nonane 200 Asphyxiant Simple asphyxiants are physiologically inert gases that dilute or displace atmospheric oxygen below that required to maintain blood levels sufficient for normal tissue respiration. Common examples are carbon dioxide, ethane, helium, hydrogen, methane and nitrogen. Narcotics and Anaesthetics Narcotics and anaesthetics can produce unconsciousness and many of the same symptoms that asphyxiants cause. In the oil industry we must be aware that hydrocarbons are anaesthetics. Working with condensate or in gasoline or diesel fumes is more than just annoying. They can effect our alertness and decision making abilities, even in relatively small amounts not detectable with an explosimeter. Large amounts can lead to unconsciousness or even death. Flammable Chemicals or Explosive Atmosphere Most people have heard of the fire triangle. A fire requires three things (often shown as the sides of a triangle) before it can occur; fuel, heat, oxygen. If you remove any of these a fire can't happen. You can't have a triangle with only two sides. There is also what is called the explosive quadrangle. Before a fire can be an explosion there is one more requirement and that is a confined space. Gunpowder just produces a flash of fast fire when you pour it on the ground and light it. You have to wrap it up in paper to make a firecracker. We talk about explosive atmospheres when we are dealing with confined spaces but out in the open we talk about flammable atmospheres. They are the same thing. The flammability of a substance depends on its flash point and explosive limits. Liquids ignite when they give off enough vapour to form an ignitable

mixture, which only happens above a certain temperature, known as the flash point of the liquid. Explosive limits are the concentrations through which mixtures of the flammable gas in air will burn. There is a lower explosive limit (L.E.L.) and an upper explosive limit (U.E.L.) Gasoline, for example, has limits of 1.5% through 7%, methane has limits of 5 to 15%, H2S is 4.3 to 46% and acetylene is 2.5 to 81%. Outside these limits the mixture of the gas and air is either too lean or too rich to ignite. Workers should never enter a confined space that has a flammable atmosphere, even with breathing apparatus on. Industry practice is to withdraw personnel at a 20% LEL reading and some companies say 10%. No hotwork should be done unless the reading is zero (allowing for the accuracy range of the instrument). What Is The Concentration Of Any Airborne Contaminant? In Alberta it is permissible to use mechanical ventilation on a confined space and then enter without testing. In most other jurisdictions, including British Columbia, tests are required before each entry. This is also the rule in Alberta if there is no mechanical ventilation. Before entry is made into a confined space, a competent person, trained on the use of testing equipment, must check the atmosphere to determine the presence of harmful substances or oxygen deficiencies. The readings should be recorded. Further tests should be made periodically while workers are in the space to ensure that a contaminant has not re-entered the space while work is in progress. Has The Confined Space Been Isolated? Isolating a vessel that must be entered requires work on all lines leading to or from the confined space. There have been many "near miss" incidents because of the one vent line that was forgotten, especially on vessels that were purged. Often all of the production lines were properly isolated but the vent was left to bleed of the nitrogen. During work this vent can let nitrogen flow back into the space. Isolation can be obtained by: Blanking or blinding at the flange closest to the vessel with clear marking to show that a blank or blind has been installed. The gasket should be on the pressure side and the blank must be rated for that type of service (not plywood).

 Double block and bleed system that provides a primary blocking seal and a second redundant seal with an adequate, operable bleed off between them. If this procedure is used, the bleed-off valve must be locked in the open position and the valves in the flow lines locked in the closed position. If hazardous vapours could come from the bleed-off valve, they should be vented to a safe distance. Disconnecting the line. A disconnected line should be drained and vented, capped or plugged to prevent vapours escaping into the confined space. Workers should be protected from hazards while disconnecting lines. Consider using drip pans, fire resistant clothing, breathing apparatus, fire extinguishers and non sparking tools. Energy isolation. If the confined space contains moving parts (paddles, drives, etc.), main switches supplying power to this equipment should be locked out and tagged or otherwise rendered inoperative to prevent accidental reactivation before any entry is made. Any stored energy (hydraulic, electrical, gravitational) should be drained after the lock is installed and devices that can move in a dangerous manner should be fastened. Has The Confined Space Been Ventilated Sufficiently ? Ventilation removes contaminants and replaces oxygen. Special case. There are times where isolation is impossible. Confined spaces that may be contaminated from earth formations, seepage of gases, or sewer lines, require air to be blown through hoses to the furthest limits of the confined space. This method reduces the risk of a build-up of hazardous gas anywhere in the space, and results in the most effective air mixing. In other situations, exhaust ventilation can be used. The equipment must be explosion-proof if dealing with flammable contaminants. Where a contaminant is released as in cleaning or scaling, ventilation may prove insufficient. Respiratory protective equipment appropriate for the hazard must then be worn. Are There Physical Or Mechanical Hazards? The last hazards to look for are the hazards we look for when inspecting any workplace. Examples of some other hazards that have to be considered are:

PHYSICAL: Falling objects (including ice) Material hung up on the walls Deep loose material (engulfment) Cramped quarters Slippery surfaces Noise Temperature extremes Static electricity MECHANICAL Screw conveyors Agitators Impellers Summary Accident prevention requires us to do three things: recognize the hazard, understand the defense, and act in time. In order to recognize the hazards of a confined space we need to look at: contaminants, isolation, ventilation, and physical hazards. We ask the same questions our ancestors did when taking possession of a

new cave. Are there signs of anything already in it? Can anything else get in? Is there good air? Are there holes to fall in or sharp rocks? </UL This information appeared in the publication "OHS CANADA, Canada's Occupational Health & Safety Magazine" October/November 1997 under the title "Dangerous Places" by Dwayne Jenkins and Larry Christensen
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