The objective of these recommendations is to encourage the adoption of safety procedures and the development of sound practices aimed at preventing casualties to, and enhancing the safety of, personnel entering or working in enclosed spaces where there may be an oxygen-deficient, oxygen-enriched, flammable and/or toxic atmosphere. Additionally, in the event of an emergency within an enclosed space, these recommendations provide guidance for an appropriate, planned and considered response complying with ship-specific enclosed space rescue plans.
Investigations into the circumstances of enclosed space accidents have shown that a failure to systematically identify the hazards, assess the risks and implement an appropriate entry procedure remains a significant factor in many accidents. Likewise, the complex structure of some spaces on board ships creates problems with appropriate ventilation, illumination and movement within the space. Organizational leadership on ship and shore plays a crucial role in successful implementation of this guidance by empowering shipboard staff to make the right decisions.
These recommendations apply to all types of ships and provide guidance to ship operators, seafarers and shore personnel to work on board ships. It should be noted that on ships where entry into enclosed spaces may be infrequent, for example, on certain passenger ships or small general cargo ships, the dangers may be less apparent, and accordingly there may be a need for increased vigilance.
These recommendations are intended to complement national laws or regulations, accepted standards or particular procedures which may exist for specific trades, ships or types of shipping operations.
It may not be practicable to apply all of these recommendations to all situations; however, when applying these recommendations becomes impracticable, every endeavor should be made to observe the intent of the recommendations, and attention should be paid to the hazards that may be involved in the specific entry and mitigations required to reduce the risks to an acceptable level.