Health and Safety for Beginners Forums

Hi,

I found in UK HSE L101 “Safe work in confined spaces - Confined Space Regulations 1997”;
"Respirators should never be used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres". But then I find that respirators must be the last resource, only used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres and a couple of more exceptions.

So it can be used? No? Any idea?
Thank you.

Hey Esther, please give more details of where you got both pieces of information.

Hi,
I am checking all the legislation I can. If I find something I do not understand I just put here the name of the document where I found it and the sentence that I do not understand. I look for those sentences and I tell more about the text.
Thanks for the support.

Hi Ester

The answer is as follows:

"174 However, respirators may have a role if their limitations are taken into account and where the risk is of exposure to low concentrations of hazardous contaminants. These limitations include duration of use, in some cases only about 15 minutes, which should be considered to see whether it would be sufficient to allow escape. This should be checked against the equipment supplier’s information. You should also check that they are still within their useable shelf life".

From L101.

RPE comes in two forms, filters and breathing apparatus. In most cases BA is preferable, however in low risk situations like a flour mill, filtration, with a proper risk assessment, could suffice.

In an oxygen deficient confined space, filtration would be of little use. Again the key is to risk assess the situation, identify likely hazards and make sure you have the correct PPE.

Regards

QS

EstherFT wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:32 pm Hi,

I found in UK HSE L101 “Safe work in confined spaces - Confined Space Regulations 1997”;
"Respirators should never be used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres". But then I find that respirators must be the last resource, only used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres and a couple of more exceptions.

So it can be used? No? Any idea?
Thank you.

it depends what form of respirator they are referring too, in this case I think they mean a respirator used to clean the environmental contamination when working in a location. oxygen deficient = no oxygen to body = death

Hi,

Thank you all for the support. Really appreciated.

Esther.

Hi Ester

Just to add to the answer of QS above.

Remember that even with a SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), it can still be unsafe to enter a confine space. It all depends of the "toxic gas presence" inside the confine space and their respective STEL and TWA.

Our body also breath through our skin, so if the H2S, CO, etc. concentration is to high in the confine space, then entry with SCBA should also not be permitted.