We are pleased to provide members with the below guidance based on information in the ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals).
As chemical tanker crews, and especially parcel tanker crews, are inherently exposed to a very high frequency of enclosed space entries, the recently updated ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) paid particular attention to this issue.
Ships trading in any and all sectors can benefit from the information in the attached guidance.
The following guidance and advice relates to enclosed space entry and rescue on board ships, and includes background information on the hazards and potential atmospheres that might accumulate in such spaces. It contains specific advice on pre-entry procedures, entry into and work in enclosed spaces, and emergency rescue.
In addition to the particular risks associated with the atmosphere in an enclosed space, the same risks exist as in any working environment, including 'slips, trips and falls'. The characteristics of enclosed spaces however, make the preparation and planning of procedures to address such risks additionally difficult.
This guidance is based on the relevant section of the ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals), and may be found to be useful information for enclosed space entry on a variety of ship types. For operations particularly on chemical tankers the original text of the ICS Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) as well as ISGOTT, should be used, as this extract lacks some information including cross references to supporting information that is only available in the complete and unabridged publication(s).