Revolutionising confined space safety management: a case study
Elie Daher A C and Darrel Wade Dowd BA United Safety, 309, Block C, Office Park Building, Dubai Media City, UAE.
B Vallianz, 3A International Business Park 01-13 iCON@IBP, 609935 Singapore.
C Corresponding author. Email: dahere@unitedsafety.net
The APPEA Journal 60(1) 110-116 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ19152
Submitted: 17 December 2019 Accepted: 4 February 2020 Published: 15 May 2020
Abstract
Maintaining safety during confined space work is one of the most challenging aspects of a turnaround, shutdown or outage. To handle the safety risks associated with confined space entry, a safety attendant is normally assigned to the entry point of a confined space to maintain communication with workers inside. However, the duties of the attendant are restricted to the outside of the vessel. So how do we ensure that the workers continue to be safe when they are inside the confined space? Harnessing technological advancements, a solution was designed that combines gas detection, video surveillance, two-way communication, access control and a command centre to enhance safety while improving productivity and reducing costs. The solution combines real-time gas detection, cameras with day–night vision installed outside and inside vessels, video recording and two-way communication. It delivers and stores data useful in alerting workers of hazardous environments, providing video evidence of safe behaviour, enables operators to see work inside the vessels in real time, and stores video and overlaid gas data logs to protect against future liabilities. The innovation revolutionises the role of the safety watch by replacing multiple safety attendants with two highly qualified personnel who monitor all confined spaces from the command centre. The paper discusses examples and provides data on the potential savings resulting from the implementation of the technology. The present paper also discusses further enhancements, including body cameras, monitoring of employee wellbeing and facility access control. This is the path to the digital turnaround of the future.
Keywords: confined space challenges, confined space hazards, confined space monitoring, confined space risks, gas detection in confined spaces, safety watch, technology in confined space, two-way communication in confined spaces, visual monitoring in confined spaces, working in confined spaces.
Dr Elie Daher is an accomplished senior-level executive with over a 30-year track record of successful strategic and tactical leadership in both public and private organisations within the energy, education and IT industries. Throughout his executive career, Dr Daher has held various top executive and leadership positions such as CEO of a Joint Venture, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Global VP of Strategy and Marketing, Head of Consulting division, among other roles, while working across four continents with both medium-size and fortune 100 companies such as Schlumberger and United Safety. He has authored more than 20 papers on scientific, human resources and leadership-related subjects in the energy, technology and the education sectors. Dr Daher sits on various committees and advisory boards, such as SPE global HSE Advisory Board, IADC HSE Advisory Committee, the Chief Marketing Officer Council Advisory Board, The American University of Dubai Advisory member for both Engineering and Business Schools, and many others. Dr Daher Holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the ‘Ecole Superieure D’Ingenieurie De Beyrouth’, ESIB-Beirut, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctorate degree in Business Administration (DBA) from Southern Cross University, Australia. |
Darrell Dowd is the General Manager, Asia Pacific, and is based in Singapore. He comes with 30 years of experience in the oil and gas, and petrochemical industry, working in both owner/operator and contractor roles. Mr Dowd has previously held positions such as VP Industrial Services Eastern Hemisphere and VP Americas. He has been instrumental in developing the industrial business around the globe and was responsible for the start-up of the USA business unit. Mr Dowd’s expertise is major maintenance activities such as shutdowns, turnarounds and brown field expansion focusing on new technologies to improve safety, productivity and cost control. |
References
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