Do you know what an Enclosed Space Register should contain?

To prevent accidents during entry into enclosed spaces, the company, working together with the ship, should have a clear and effective safety strategy in place. A key part of this strategy is the Enclosed Space Register, which is prepared for each ship. The register identifies all enclosed spaces on board, outlines the hazards they may present, explains the risks under different conditions, and sets out the safety measures that must be taken before entry.

This should also include an assessment of how the atmosphere in these enclosed spaces may be impacted by the contents of the spaces themselves, such as in case a ship stores treated sewage or grey water temporarily in its ballast water tanks, or the contents of connected spaces or adjacent spaces, including cargo, fumigants, fuel oils, slops, oxygen-depleting conditions and the physical or structural arrangement of the space.

An Enclosed Space Register means a ship-specific register which lists all enclosed spaces on board the ship, along with their connected spaces and adjacent spaces, their hazards, associated risk mitigations if applicable, and how the atmosphere in these spaces may change depending upon the nature of cargo carried or the content of the space, and which forms a part of the safety management for enclosed spaces.

In particular, the Enclosed Space Register should contain:

1. physical layout of the space and access and egress points, including of connected spaces, if any;
2. physical hazards in the space, e.g., vertical ladders, unguarded openings, poor lighting, wet or slippery conditions, excessive heat;
3. connection to adjacent spaces;
4. specific hazards within the space, for example, the effect of ballast water treatment method on the atmosphere within ballast tanks;
5. if used, information related to additional technology, helping to determine enclosed space condition;
6. information related to fixed and portable ventilation systems including equipment and where the equipment is stored;
7. estimated time taken to achieve the air changes for safe entry, using forced or natural ventilation;
8. lighting and means for temporary lighting including intrinsically safe lighting where appropriate;
9. means for atmosphere testing;
10. any pertinent information that would assist the risk assessment process;
11. locking and “Safe to enter”/”Unsafe to enter” signage arrangements; and
12. the equipment necessary to facilitate emergency rescue from the space

The Enclosed Space Register and risk assessment should be kept up to date as appropriate to ensure its continued validity, particularly after loading and during the carriage of cargoes which may adversely affect the safety of the atmosphere within a space.

In order to ensure safety from the outset, entry and occupancy, a competent person should always make an assessment of any potential hazards in the space to be entered.

The assessment should consider current and previous cargo carried with Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and cargo information, safety restrictions related to treated ballast in the ballast water management plan, fumigation, inert gas, ventilation of the space, coating of the space and other relevant factors.

The competent person’s assessment should determine the potential for the presence of an oxygen-deficient, oxygen-enriched, flammable or toxic atmosphere, which includes carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as other toxic or asphyxiant gases.

Furthermore, the competent person should bear in mind that the ventilation procedures for an adjacent connected space may be different from the procedures for the ventilation of the enclosed space itself. The details of the assessment should be recorded in a standard format and maintained on board the vessel.

The company should ensure that rescue drills from enclosed space identified in their Enclosed Space Register are undertaken regularly as required by SOLAS regulation III/19.3.6 using the equipment provided to facilitate a rescue from an enclosed space.

Such drills should focus on different aspects of operations involving enclosed spaces. SOLAS regulation III/19.3.6 requires:

• checking and use of personal protective equipment required for entry;
• checking and use of communication equipment and procedures;
• checking and use of instruments for measuring the atmosphere in enclosed
  spaces;
• checking and use of rescue equipment and procedures; and
• instructions in first aid and resuscitation techniques

By January 2025, InterManager estimated that around 350 seafarers and shore workers had died in enclosed space incidents since 1996, with 70 fatalities recorded since 2022 alone. These accidents increasingly involved senior officers and shore personnel, prompting renewed calls for stronger training, procedures, and enforcement across the industry. Furthermore, according to a recent study by Vistrato, between 2000 and 2024, at least 1,010 ship and shore workers lost their lives in enclosed spaces aboard vessels covered by the SOLAS Convention.

source : safety4sea