Collaborative industry effort to tackle safety in enclosed spaces

The second joint industry workshop on Enclosed Space Entry took place in July at OCIMF’s offices in London.

While many governmental and intergovernmental bodies have issued new regulations and guidance in this area – including the IMO’s Guidelines on Entry to Enclosed Spaces and the update of the Code of Safe Working Practices in the UK – the industry has also come together to find ways of reducing incidents. Joining IMCA at the OCIMF arranged Workshop were 15 other maritime organisations and industry bodies.

The Working Group, which has already met twice, has outlined a road map of activity for the months’ ahead. Central to this is a greater understanding of the issue via data and statistics. The group is asking for information on accidents that have occurred in enclosed spaces to be shared anonymously.

Details can be sent to colleagues at InterManager along with the approximate date, the ship’s name, and a brief description of the accident. The name of the ship will not be disclosed publicly.

Commenting on the Workshop, Jim Cullen, Technical Director, IMCA said: “Seeing the industry come together to find practical solutions to the safety challenges we face is welcome. As we’ve identified in our own analysis of vessel safety through our eCMID scheme, enclosed and confined spaces which can become oxygen deficient remain a significant safety issue for the industry to address.”

“The broad coalition of maritime organisations bring a wealth of experiences and different perspectives that can help us to make progress on one of the more ‘stubborn’ safety issues for offshore vessels. Sharing information on incidents is one way IMCA Members can get involved in this vital and urgent cross-industry effort.”