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Posted By Adrian
Can anybody tell me when a confined space turns into a tunnel?
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Posted By Andrew M
When it has adequate space, ventilation, light and no on on coming trains?
Nearly friday!
Andrew
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Posted By Philip McAleenan
Adrian,
You have you question the wrong way around; reverse it to “when does a tunnel turn into a confined space?” and you have the relevant question.
A confined space is defined in the (UK and NI) regulations as a being any place, … in which, by virtue of its enclosed nature, there arises a reasonably foreseeable specified risk.
And specified risks are defined as –
(a) serious injury to any person at work arising from a fire or explosion;
(b) without prejudice to paragraph (a) -
(i) the loss of consciousness of any person at work arising from an increase in body temperature;
(ii) the loss of consciousness or asphyxiation of any person at work arising from gas, fume, vapour or the lack of oxygen;
(c) the drowning of any person at work arising from an increase in the level of a liquid; or
(d) the asphyxiation of any person at work arising from a free flowing solid or the inability to reach a respirable environment due to entrapment by a free flowing solid;
Therefore if any one or more of the above 5 conditions exist or has the potential to arise during an entry operation, then the tunnel must be classified as a confined space.
Regards, Philip
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Posted By MP
This may not be a direct answer, but to assist the process:
Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered "confined" because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. A confined space has limited or restricted means for entry or exit and it is normally not designed for continuous human occupancy.
Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines.
To differentiate between a confined space and a tunnel, consider the concept of a "permit required confined space." This describes a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognised safety or health hazard, such as unguarded rotating / moving machinery, exposed live wires, or thermal stress.
Generally, think of difficult access and egress, the hazards contained within and subsequent emergency rescue.
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Posted By Adrian
Thank you all for the response but just to prompt debate when you are sinking the shaft to the tunnel it would be a confined space life lines etc.
When you have reached the required depth and start the tunnel at what point do you move away from a confined space and move into the tunnel which could be miles long where life lines are not practical.
But a lot of the criteria for a confined space still exists.
Adrian
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Posted By MP
Sounds a bit like a coal mine (remember those?)
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Posted By Konstanty Budkiewicz
Adrian,
My Concise Oxford dictionary describes a tunnel as an underground passageway; especially for cars and trains.
From that, and the guidance provided by previous responses regarding confined spaces, in answer to your original query "when does a confined space turn into a tunnel" - may I suggest; that the transition takes place when the confined space (in this case the constructed tunnel and attendant spurs)has been released to service for use by the operational customer.
Kon CMIOSH
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Posted By Ron Hunter
MP beat me to it. Your tunnel sounds more like a mine. Tunnels have a horizontal(ish) opening to daylight?
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Posted By Dave Merchant
Adrian - I understand your question, and it's pretty much answered by your second post.
The tunnel would still be a 'confined space' if one or more of the prescribed list of hazards in the regs is present, but stops being a case where the 'usual' rescue systems such as a lifeline are used when it's impractical to use them. What then happens is equally simple - regs still apply, the RAs and permits and whatever continue as normal, but the SSOW is adapted, and workers would be expected to have 'extended' training (as in training for use in a space which is extensive). The rescue system usually then becomes a team of people who go in and get the casualty by hand, and who therefore may need working BA, rope access or whatever else to achieve that safely - it depends on the hazards and the shape of the tunnels.
There's no "measurement" in the regs when a space becomes extended as in a long, straight concrete pipe, a lifeline may work for 200 yards. In a twisty mine passage it may be useless after 200 inches.
As to the way the Confined Space regs and the Mines regs work together - that's a more complicated issue entirely. Many working mines have areas which would be 'prescribed' confined spaces, but the way MQA operates is different as of course there are practical problems with using standard industrial techniques. Mines are designed to be ASARP but there's a good reason we still have a full-time Mines Rescue service, and several hundred tonnes of gear for them to use.
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Posted By Adrian
Thanks all it's been a blast oh and by the way I am an ex mine worker.
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Posted By Colin Reeves
As a slight aside, I believe the Merchant Shipping legislation to be a more practical approach where the legislation covers a broader area than just "confined" using the expression "dangerous space" - defined as "any enclosed or confined space in which it is foreseeable that the atmosphere may at some stage contain toxic or flammable gases or vapours, or be deficient in oxygen, to the extent that it may endanger the life or health of any person entering that space;"
Colin
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Posted By Lloyd Cole
Hello all.
I read this as........if it is a confined space entry down a shaft to a tunnel, it has to remain a confined space as egress is from the same entry point. Sounds correct to me, and is definately what I would insist on, because all the procedures would have to remain in place.
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Posted By Adrian
Thanks Colin
I have never heard of the merchant shipping regs
Adrian
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Posted By Colin Reeves
Adrian
Can be quite amusing on courses - lecturer says H&SAW Act says ... nope not relevant to us. He says COSHH says .... nope not relevant to us etc.
Great fun!
Colin
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