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Cleaning liquid holding silos?
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dazbrit  
#1 Posted : 03 February 2010 16:25:26(UTC)
Rank: Guest
Guest
Hi i work for a large building material manufacturer( wall tile paste cements and such),
a production manager is wanting to clean the inside of 2 of our latex liquid holding silos.
Now to the job properly i would require a person to get inside the silo and scrape the walls.The Silos are enclosed with only 2 covering plates for access and these are located directly on top of and on the side of the silo(about 5 foot up the side), a person can just about fit through provided they are too filled out,

the manager seems to think that put someone in there with know prior assessments or precautions.
What sort issues should i be looking for and taking precautions to lower risk to employee(s) i.e risk assessments, permits to work emergancy procedures ???

Cheers
Darren
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leadbelly  
#2 Posted : 03 February 2010 16:54:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
leadbelly
Darren

There is some brief information here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg258.pdf but the ACoP for the Confined Spaces Regulations contains a lot more.

LB
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pete48  
#3 Posted : 03 February 2010 23:17:34(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
pete48
Darren,
And that ACOP can also be found as a free download on the HSE website at

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l101.htm

P
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dazbrit  
#4 Posted : 04 February 2010 11:14:41(UTC)
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ok thanks for the replies guys, although it seems that one of the company idiots has put his hand up and said he is going to do it.

This despite my reservations about the job and the process.
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!
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bob youel  
#5 Posted : 04 February 2010 15:39:47(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bob youel
I advise that you talk to your insurers and present their reply to the manager who wants the job done in the way noted and thereafter get in some competent help as it appears that a 'wing and a prayer' is being used to look at this work

Your local fire service will not be pleased if they have to rescue somebody as 'self rescue' is a big part of confined space work and you do not say that that area has been considered

best of luck
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Steve Sedgwick  
#6 Posted : 04 February 2010 18:41:13(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve Sedgwick
Proceed with caution.
The task describe is a confined space and there are substantial risks to anyone entering to scrape the residue.
The task needs to be planned and controlled with competent people; someone with the competence to identify the hazards and set up a system that controls the risks. From what I have read so far this competence is available and reading an acop will not close the gap

Steve
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Steve Sedgwick  
#7 Posted : 04 February 2010 19:00:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve Sedgwick
Correction to my last post ie NOT
From what I have read so far this competence is NOT available and reading an acop will not close the gap

NB Confined spaces are dangerous, within the UK on average 15 people are killed each each year
Steve
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