The director discussed the risks associated with working in confined spaces and preventive measures

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Introduction: In light of the severe challenges faced in work safety during the fourth quarter, the Ministry of Emergency Management has attached great importance to this issue. Pei Wentian, Director of the Department for Basic Work Safety Management at the Ministry, gave an interview to the media, engaging in in-depth discussions with netizens on topics such as safe operations in confined spaces. Biography: Pei Wentian, Director of the Department for Basic Safety Management under the Ministry of Emergency Management. Interesting insights: Question: In recent years, there have been over 10 incidents each year in China in which improper rescue methods led to an increase in casualties as secondary accidents. Especially, work in confined spaces is closely related to ordinary people’s lives; how can we define what a “confined space” is? Answer: A confined space refers to a space that is enclosed or partially enclosed, isolated from the outside world, has narrow entrances and exits, does not allow workers to stay inside for long periods of time, has poor natural ventilation, and is prone to the accumulation of toxic, harmful, flammable, or explosive substances as well as insufficient oxygen levels. Put simply, any equipment, facility, or area with poor ventilation that can lead to the accumulation of toxic and harmful gases as well as oxygen deficiency is referred to as a confined space. Confined spaces are divided into 3 categories: The first category includes enclosed or semi-enclosed equipment such as ship cabins, storage tanks, vehicle-mounted tanks, reaction towers (vessels), refrigerated containers, pressure vessels, pipelines, flues, boilers, etc ； The second category consists of underground confined spaces: such as underground pipelines, basements, underground warehouses, underground structures, ditches, tunnels, culverts, pits, abandoned shafts, cellars, sewage tanks (wells), biogas digesters, septic tanks, and sewers ； The third category consists of above-ground confined spaces: such as storage rooms, distillers’ grains tanks, fermentation tanks, waste disposal sites, greenhouses, cold stores, grain silos, and material storage bins. Any work carried out in a confined space is referred to as confined space work. Question: Which industries and fields are involved in work in confined spaces? What are the security risks? Answer: Operations in confined spaces involve a wide range of industries, such as mining, chemicals, oil refining, metallurgy, construction, power generation, paper manufacturing, shipbuilding, building materials, food processing, catering, municipal engineering, urban gas supply, sewage treatment, and special equipment industries.   Working in confined spaces carries the risk of accidents such as poisoning, asphyxiation, explosions, fires, falls, drowning, collapses, electric shocks, mechanical injuries, and burns; among these, poisoning, asphyxiation, and explosions are relatively common.   Regarding poisoning. Confined spaces are prone to accumulating high concentrations of harmful substances such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. These harmful substances may be present in the confined space from the beginning, or they may accumulate over time as a result of activities carried out there. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, suffocating toxic gas with a rotten egg odor. It is a potent neurotoxin and has a significant irritating effect on mucous membranes. Acute poisoning can occur at certain concentrations, and “electric shock-like” death can happen at extremely high concentrations. At extremely high concentrations, hydrogen sulfide is odorless; it is denser than air and tends to settle at the bottom of pits, pools, and wells. Workers who are involved in tasks such as clearing swamps, ditches, wells, sewers, and tunnels, as well as removing garbage, waste, feces, organic materials, and other such substances, are highly likely to be exposed to hydrogen sulfide. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and non-irritating gas that is explosive; it is the most common harmful gas. Industries exposed to carbon monoxide include metallurgical steelmaking, ironmaking, coking, forging, and casting; in the chemical industry, it is used in the production of ammonia, formaldehyde, methanol, propylene, and oxalic acid. If accidents occur due to violations of operating procedures in these positions, or if there is gas leakage from the pipelines, workers can suffer from acute poisoning as a result of high levels of carbon monoxide. Acute carbon monoxide poisoning is mainly characterized by symptoms resulting from acute cerebral hypoxia, with a few patients developing delayed neuropsychiatric symptoms. Mild poisoning generally causes severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, general weakness, and fatigue; severe carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to mild, moderate, or deep coma, and in extreme cases it can be fatal.   Regarding suffocation. It is a well-known fact that too low an oxygen concentration in the air can cause asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. Common ones include oxygen deficiency caused by carbon dioxide and inert gases. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, and in various places with poor ventilation over time, such as mines, cellars, ship cabins, and cold storage facilities, it can take up space and lead to low oxygen concentrations, resulting in oxygen deficiency. Additionally, inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and water vapor can also cause oxygen deficiency. In industry, inert gases are commonly used to flush containers such as reaction vessels, storage tanks, and cylinders. If there is an excessive amount of inert gas remaining in the container, simple hypoxia or asphyxiation can occur when workers enter. Methane and propane can also cause hypoxia or asphyxiation. Regarding the explosion. Flammable and explosive gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen that accumulate in confined spaces can cause fires and explosions once their concentration reaches the explosive limit when exposed to a fire source. Question: What are the hazardous characteristics of working in confined spaces? Answer: First, the working environment is complex. Confined spaces are small and have poor ventilation, which hinders gas dispersion; toxic and harmful gases tend to accumulate there ； Poor lighting and communication pose difficulties for normal operations and emergency rescue. Furthermore, the infiltration or sudden influx of undercurrents around some confined spaces, building collapses, or the flow of other fluid solids such as sediment, as well as electrical leaks from equipment used in the work and machinery employed in the operations, can all pose potential dangers to those working in confined spaces. Second, it is highly dangerous; accidents can often lead to serious consequences. Poisoning and asphyxiation of workers often occur in an instant; in some cases, death can result within minutes or even seconds after exposure to toxic gases. Third, it is easy for blind attempts at rescue to lead to an increase in casualties. According to statistics, in accidents that occur in confined spaces, 50% of the fatalities are rescuers, as improper rescue efforts lead to an escalation of casualties. Question: What problems were exposed by the several accidents we discussed earlier? Answer: By analyzing these accidents, we can at least identify several issues: First, some companies still do not have a clear understanding of the concept of confined spaces and hold incorrect views; they fail to carry out proper identification efforts within their own organizations regarding such spaces, which leads to uncontrolled risks associated with work in confined spaces. Second, some enterprises fail to include work in confined spaces under the approval process for hazardous operations; they either do not establish an approval system or fail to implement it. Additionally, they do not post safety warning signs at confined space work sites as required, thereby being unable to effectively prevent accidents in such environments. Third, some enterprise workers lack a strong sense of safety; they are not aware of the safety risks associated with their work and rely on luck. They continue to carry out illegal operations out of habit, which renders all safety measures for working in confined spaces ineffective. Fourth, the problem of reckless rescue efforts remains prominent. In 2017, all 13 major accidents involving confined spaces across the country were caused by attempts at rescue carried out blindly, resulting in 35 deaths due to such reckless rescue efforts. Question: What measures has the Ministry of Emergency Management taken in response to the frequent occurrence of accidents in confined space operations? Answer: First, establish regulations and standard guidelines for departments involved in work in confined spaces. First, the Interim Provisions on Safety Management and Supervision of Work in Confined Spaces in Industrial and Trade Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as the \"Interim Provisions\") were formulated. The Interim Provisions consist of 5 chapters and 30 articles, including General Provisions, Safety Measures for Work in Confined Spaces, Legal Responsibilities, and Supplementary Provisions. Second, a Reference Catalogue for Confined Spaces in Industrial and Trade Enterprises was established. To address the misconceptions among enterprises regarding the identification of confined spaces, we have compiled this catalog. It requires all industrial and trading enterprises nationwide to carefully and comprehensively identify the confined spaces within their premises by referring to this catalog, establish management records, and submit them to local work safety regulatory authorities. Third, work is underway on formulating and revising standards related to warning signs for work in confined spaces. Second, continue to carry out targeted rectification efforts for work in confined spaces. In response to the frequent occurrence of major accidents related to work in confined spaces at industrial and trading enterprises across the country in previous years, from mid-July to December 2012, a special campaign was carried out nationwide to address such issues. Since 2013, focusing on industries such as paper manufacturing, pickled vegetable production, and wastewater treatment systems used by industrial and trade enterprises, efforts have been made to urge these companies across the country to carry out assessments of the working conditions in confined spaces, requiring them to ensure proper safety management for operations in such spaces ； Individually verify each item at the confined space work site of our enterprise. During this period, special inter-provincial inspection campaigns were carried out; 32 provincial-level units inspected a total of 74 cities and 153 enterprises involved in confined space work, thereby achieving the goal of exchanging knowledge and promoting joint efforts ； The organization conducted both open and secret inspections of 30 enterprises in 6 provinces (municipalities, districts), and promptly reported the issues discovered to the respective regions, urging them to learn from these cases as a warning so that any potential hazards in one area could serve as a warning for the whole country. Third, increase public awareness campaigns on safe operations in confined spaces. Through rolling subtitles on CCTV News, **websites, newspapers, and the WeChat account “Workplace Safety”, information on safety practices for working in confined spaces and warnings about related accidents are disseminated, thereby continuously enhancing the safety awareness and skills of all employees. To date, the Gongmao Anquan WeChat official account has 80,921 followers, and it is used to publish information such as accident analyses and warnings, as well as explanations of safety regulations and standards, in a timely manner. Question: What aspects of work should be addressed in terms of safety management for operations in confined spaces within enterprises? Answer: First, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment to understand the full situation. All enterprises should identify the confined spaces within their premises, determine details such as the number and location of these spaces as well as the hazardous factors present, establish a management record for them, and update this record regularly. Second, it is necessary to strengthen the safety training for personnel working in confined spaces. Units that carry out work in confined spaces should make safe operations in such spaces an important part of the onboarding education and training for new employees. Regular safety training sessions held each year should also include content related to preventing accidents in confined space operations ； Before carrying out any work in a confined space, specialized training must be provided to the personnel involved, with particular emphasis on training temporary workers, migrant workers, and employees from outsourced companies. Third, it is necessary to formulate and strictly enforce sound safety management regulations for work in confined spaces. Units engaged in confined space operations must establish rules and regulations such as a safety responsibility system for confined space operations, an approval system, an on-site safety management system, a training and education system for personnel involved at the site, an emergency management system, and safe operating procedures. Fourth, it is necessary to be well prepared for emergencies. Based on the characteristics of the work, specific emergency response plans should be developed to clarify the methods for workers to escape, save themselves, and assist one another in emergency situations, and necessary emergency rescue equipment should be provided. It is necessary to strengthen plan drills; both on-site workers and managers must be familiar with the contents of the plans as well as the usage methods of rescue equipment. Question: What preparations should a company make before carrying out work in confined spaces? Answer: Before carrying out work in confined spaces, a company should first assess the working environment, analyze the existing hazardous factors, identify measures to eliminate or control these hazards, develop a plan for working in confined spaces as well as an emergency response plan, and submit them for approval by the company’s management. Secondly, in accordance with the requirements of the operation plan and emergency response plan, it is necessary to have in place all the necessary safety facilities such as ventilation, monitoring, protection, and lighting, as well as personal protective equipment that meets the specified standards. Third, in accordance with the operation plan, it is necessary to designate the person in charge at the operation site, supervisors, operators, emergency rescue personnel, and define their respective safety responsibilities. Fourth, special safety training should be provided to the on-site supervisors, guardians, workers, and emergency rescue personnel who carry out operations in confined spaces, so that they are familiar with the operation plan as well as the potential dangerous and harmful factors present at the work site and the corresponding preventive measures. Special records of this safety training must be kept, with the participants signing to confirm their attendance. Q: What control measures should enterprises take when performing work in confined spaces to prevent accidents? Answer: Generally speaking, when carrying out work in confined spaces, it is necessary to strictly follow the work plan. Special attention should be paid to the following points: First, reliable separation measures must be implemented to isolate facilities and equipment that could pose a threat to operational safety, as well as areas containing toxic or harmful substances, from the work area. Warning signs should be placed in prominent locations to alert people to the existing dangers, thereby preventing those who are unaware of these risks from entering freely. Secondly, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the principle of \"ventilate first, then test, and finally proceed with work.\" After implementing ventilation measures in the confined space, tests are conducted on parameters such as the oxygen concentration, the concentration of flammable and explosive substances (flammable gases, explosive dusts), and the concentration of toxic and harmful gases. No one shall enter a confined space for work without proper ventilation and satisfactory testing. The testing must not take place earlier than 30 minutes before the task starts. Third, during the operation process, ventilation measures should be taken to ensure air circulation, and the use of pure oxygen for ventilation is prohibited. At the same time, hazardous factors in the workplace should be regularly tested or continuously monitored. If the work is interrupted for more than 30 minutes, before the workers enter the confined space again to continue working, the area must be ventilated once more, and testing must show satisfactory results before entry is permitted. If it is detected that the ventilation equipment has stopped functioning, or that the oxygen concentration in the confined space is below the specified limits, or that the concentration of toxic and harmful gases is above the limits set by **standards or industry standards, work must be stopped immediately, all workers must be accounted for, and they must be evacuated from the site. Fourth, workers must properly wear and use personal protective equipment, and maintain reliable communication with the outside world ； Supervisors must not leave the work site and must maintain contact with the workers. Question: In the event of an accident during work in a confined space, how should the company respond? Answer: In the event of an accident during work in a confined space, the personnel on site should immediately report it to the company’s management. Blind attempts at rescue are prohibited to prevent the accident from worsening. Upon receiving a report of an accident, the relevant responsible personnel of the enterprise must immediately activate the emergency response plan and, in accordance with its response procedures, organize emergency rescue personnel to carry out rescue operations. When one’s own rescue techniques, equipment, and team are insufficient to carry out the rescue, it is necessary to contact professional rescue units such as fire and rescue services promptly to carry out the rescue, and to provide various data related to the confined space. When carrying out rescue operations, emergency responders must take proper protective measures and wear the necessary emergency rescue equipment. Reports must be submitted step by step in accordance with the accident reporting procedures, so that the work safety supervision and management departments can stay informed of the situation, analyze the causes of the accidents and draw lessons from them, guide the correction of issues, and effectively prevent similar accidents. ▌Source: Xinhua Net