Hello,

What is your approach to correct identification of risks associated with confined space in encapsulated scaffold?

Should encapsulated scaffold be treated as confined space when grit blasting and spraying activities are to take place?

Any comments welcome

Regards

Lukasz

d) might apply should the blasting grit waste accumulate in large piles in which a person could become trapped especially where the building has cellar windows or delivery hatches below street level.

Lukasz

Yes is the answer...although the unit would be low risk initially, the difficult access/egree in an emergency and potential for asphixiation/ flammable atmosphere which are a couple of the specified risks means it would need managing as a confined space.  In my view it would still be low risk but permit required confined space.

Originally Posted by: stevedm

Yes is the answer...although the unit would be low risk initially, the difficult access/egree in an emergency and potential for asphixiation/ flammable atmosphere which are a couple of the specified risks means it would need managing as a confined space.  In my view it would still be low risk but permit required confined space.

I disagree with respect to grit balsting, though I acknowledge I have had the same disagreement with a client's H&S adviser who isnisted grit-blasters had to have confined space training and stopped the works when ours didn't.  We argued, but eventuially stopped work, then we got bollocked the next day by H&S adviser's boss for complying with his instructions. Ho hum.

Difficult access/egress is not one of the specified risks and is irrelevant to whether the confined space regulations requirements apply.  Access and egress is something that any work plan needs to consider, but it doesn't make it a confined space.

Gritblasting grit is not a fire or explosion risk (at least, none of teh ones I know of).  I've never come across the dust arising being cosnidered a dust explosion risk.  I don't believe the first specified risk applies, in almost all cases (possibly if you're blasting something peculiar - or if there is a flammable atmosphere present for some other reason (you're blasting inside a petrol storage tank, say), but in that case those hazards apply and the grit-blasting is not the deciding issue).

I've never seen a gas-tight sheeted scaffold.  The grit-blasters I've dealt with are also almost invariably in pressure-fed hoods / helmets for dust reasons.  They aren't at risk of  asphyxiation.

With respect to other suggestions, I've never seen spent grit piled so high on a scaffold that there's a risk of flowing and entrapment - I think the scaffold would be overloaded long before it gets to that level of grit. The blasters would also be working inefficiently if it gets to the level they can't move round, and they'll be wanting it cleared long before then.

The only case I can see grit-blasting on a sheeted scaffold getting close to the specified risks is if the atmosphere is hot for some other reason and they are at risk of  overheating.  I guess that might occur if it's something internal industrial.  My grit-blasting experience has all been bridge works - it gets pretty unpleasant in summer, and I recall cases of forcing blasters to take breaks more often than they wanted to ensure they got hydration into them, but even then we didn't class it as confined space.