Posted By Bill Dark Just risk assessing entry into relatively shallow manholes (6 inch surface and foul water inlet and outlets in the manhole), 2-3 meters deep to carry out basic maintenance. The query relates to the likelihood of a hazardous atmosphere from a possible spillage upline. Obviously you would check the atmosphere before entry,and the person would be in a harness already attached to a winch for recovery. But would it be necessary to carry an escape set as well? A spillage is possible, although unlikely and certainly not a regular occurrence in our knowledge, also the time it takes to get someone winched out the manhole would be roughly the same time as it takes to put the set on in a restricted space. Should we still insist they have one as we fundamentally cannot say for sure that this will never occur? Many thanks Bill

Posted By peter gotch Hi Bill, The authoratative guidance is at http://www.water.org.uk/...pdate-ed-2-1-oct2008.pdf For an NC2 (unless any local issues mean that it should be reclassified) it specifies escape breathing apparatus for depths exceeding 6m. For your purposes quicker to winch up than to don escape BA. Regards, Peter