Question 1

The bosun approaches you — the duty officer — and says he needs to "pop into the pump room for two minutes" to check the bilge level. The gas meter is on charge. No permit has been raised. He says he knows the space well and has done this dozens of times.

What is your response?

Accepted Answer

Stop him. No entry is permitted without a valid atmosphere test and an authorised Enclosed Space Entry permit, regardless of familiarity with the space or duration of entry Familiarity and brevity are the two most lethal attitudes in enclosed space entry. The pump room atmosphere can change in seconds from an undetected gas source. A permit and atmosphere test are mandatory before any entry — COSWP Ch.17 and SOLAS XI-1/7 make no exception for "quick checks". The majority of ESE fatalities involve spaces the victim entered regularly without incident.

Question 2

Pre-entry atmosphere test at the manhole opening of a cargo hold: O₂ 20.5%, LEL 0%, H₂S 0 ppm, CO 0 ppm. The bosun says "It's fine — readings are all in range, let's go in." The hold contained a grain cargo and has been empty for 18 days.

What additional step is essential before entry proceeds?

Accepted Answer

The atmosphere must also be tested at lower levels within the space — at working depth and at the bottom. A safe reading at the entry point does not guarantee safe conditions deeper in the hold Gases heavier than air (CO₂, H₂S) pool at the bottom of cargo holds. Grain cargo self-heats and consumes O₂ through biological activity — the dangerous zone may be the bottom metre of an apparently safe space. COSWP requires testing at multiple levels, especially in spaces with a known biological or chemical cargo history. Testing only at the hatch is a common precursor to fatalities.

Question 3

Pre-entry checks are complete. A competent AB enters the cargo hold and descends 3 metres. He calls up on the radio: "Feeling a bit light-headed but I'll push on — I think it's just the heat." The standby person looks to you for guidance.

What is the immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Order immediate evacuation. Dizziness during ESE is an emergency signal — it may indicate the atmosphere has changed or the test at depth was inadequate. The person must exit now under their own power while they still can Any symptom of dizziness, headache, or disorientation during ESE must be treated as an atmosphere emergency. Hypoxia and CO poisoning cause rapid incapacitation — a person who "feels a bit light-headed" may be seconds from collapse. The window to self-rescue is short. Sending the standby person in without BA is the single most common cause of ESE double fatalities. Evacuate immediately.