Page 37: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2023)

ENCLOSED SPACES "If you walk into a room of 100% nitrogen, you will most likely never notice the lack of oxygen before you die."

Sarah Watts

Chairwoman of the RINA

Safety Committee hip designs should be reviewed with never notice the lack of oxygen before the aim of reducing the number of en- you die.” closed spaces. Still, it’s easier said than The hazard that a small opening pos- done. The simplicity of the cargo tank es is usually obvious. Cargo holds with in a double hull tanker, for example, is large openings but atmosphere deplet- offset by the complexity of adjacent bal- ing properties from cargoes such as coal last tanks. are not so obvious. “It is possible that

Sarah Watts, Chairman of the RINA in these instances the size of the hatch

Safety Committee, points out that na- actually hides the problem.” And, she val architects are often criticized for says, the alternative to eliminating en- poor design, but it should be recog- closed spaces is to reduce the number nized that they have to work within of them which might then reduce the many constraints, including compli- training given, which would potentially ance with regulations and the speci? - exacerbate the problem. cation and wishes of shipowners and However, Watts recognizes that more shipyards. The ? t-out of ships may in- can be done on design, and along with volve contractors routing pipes and ca- HEIG, RINA is involved with the in- bles through the internal structure with dustry consortium Together in Safety, little consideration of how they restrict a non-regulatory industry consortium access inside the space. connecting the maritime sector with the

Watts points to the physiological risk common purpose of working together to that there is no bodily response to low improve safety. Naval architects need to oxygen, rather it is high CO2 concen- take account that the design allows for tration that causes the ‘out of breath’ safe operation, she says. “If the design sensation. “If you walk into a room of does not allow for safe operation; it is 100% nitrogen, you will most likely simply bad design.” www.marinelink.com 37

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