Confined/Enclosed Space Hazards
The confined or enclosed spaces on barges may have an atmosphere that is unsafe, causing injury or death. The three main atmospheric hazards while working in a confined or enclosed barge space are:
- oxygen deficiency
- explosive or flammable atmospheres
- atmospheres containing toxic compounds
These hazards might be found in any watertight compartment or other area on a barge with little or no ventilation.
Oxygen-Deficient Atmospheres
The most hazardous confined or enclosed space conditions in barge operations occur while exposing workers to oxygen-deficient atmospheres and toxic atmospheres.
Worker Overcome by Carbon Monoxide Drowns
Toxic vapors may be produced by the previous cargo or cleaning agents and could present significant health hazards. When encountered in confined or enclosed spaces, these agents produce vapors that are often heavier than air. This can cause displacement of air, reducing oxygen levels, which may be fatal. An oxygen-deficient atmosphere inside a tank can be caused by many factors such as:
- Rusting that may occur in a steel tank where water or water vapor is present. If the tank is airtight, as they are designed to be, then the rusting process would remove oxygen from the tank atmosphere until there is not enough oxygen in the space to support human life.
- Displacement of oxygen by another gas or vapor, which may occur when a tank is sealed after it is freshly painted. The paint coating may not have time to cure, resulting in the paint vapor displacing oxygen.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-1. The most hazardous confined space conditions in barge operations occur while exposing workers to _____.
You forgot to answer the question!