Ventilation of Confined Spaces

Confined Space Ventilation

Confined spaces are not normally designed
for convenient ventilation
Must take steps to:

ensure air is breathable before entering

confined space
maintain acceptable air quality in the confined
space during entry

Hotwork in Confined Spaces

Presents additional ventilation challenges
in confined spaces
Includes torch cutting, welding, brazing
and soldering, arch gouging

Hotwork in Confined Spaces

Remember confined spaces concentrate
hazards!
Hotwork can create atmospheric hazards in
confined spaces from fumes, gasses and
vapors
Effective ventilation sometimes may only be
accomplished by mechanical ventilation

Natural Ventilation in
Confined Spaces

Chimney Effect
convection process created by temperature
changes

Occurs by sunlight heating vessel walls

and air within
If there is an opening in bottom and top of
vessel, upward draft created

Natural Ventilation Problems

Confined spaces rarely experience uniform
thermal conditions
Various sources of heat in confined spaces

human bodies
lighting
hotwork processes

Natural Ventilation Problems

Factors such as sunlight, body heat,

lighting and hotwork are usually not
sufficient to move enough air to provide an
acceptable atmosphere

Overcoming Natural Ventilation

Problems

Must establish techniques and procedures

to provide adequate ventilation

It is easier to work with than against

natural convection.

Use of Mechanical Ventilation

Properly installed, can reduce or eliminate
respiratory protection requirements
Effective engineering controls usually less
dependent on worker attention than
respiratory protection

29 CFR 1910.134

When feasible, effective engineering

controls must be used rather than
respirators

When is ventilation necessary?

If atmosphere:

contains insufficient oxygen or is oxygen rich

contains flammable dusts or vapors
contains hazardous or toxic vapors, mists,
fumes, gases, or fibers

When is ventilation necessary?

If atmosphere:
is subject to activities that may generate
hazardous mists, vapors, fumes or gases, or
may create either an oxygen deficiency or
oxygen excess, and
increases heat stress on workers to
unacceptable levels

CAUTIONS
Many people resist wearing PPE, including
respiratory protection
Tangle of supplied air hoses in vessel with
many welders can present a hazard

Ventilation- 29 CFR 1910.252(c)

Spaces that require ventilation

work space less than 16 feet high

volume less than 10,000 cubic feet per welder
work areas with partitions, structural barriers,
or other barriers that significantly obstruct
airflow

Ventilation- 29 CFR 1910.252

Ventilation options:
provide at least 2000 cfm of airflow for each
active welder; or
provide each welder with a local exhaust
device
local exhaust devices must be capable of
maintaining a velocity of 100 fpm toward the air
intake

Ventilation Requirements

29 CFR 1910.252 and 29 CFR 1926.353

require use of local exhaust ventilation or
supplied air respiratory protection when
performing hotwork using certain
substances

Ventilation Requirements
Fluorine compounds
Zinc
Lead
Cadmium
Mercury
Beryllium (local exhaust and supplied air
respirators are required)

Ventilation Requirements

Construction :
chromium
stainless steels (if using MIG processes)

Air Moving Devices

Two types:
Fans
Venturi-type eductors

Can be air, steam or electrically driven

Eductors
Sometimes called air horns
Air powered and rely on venturi effects to
move air

Criteria for Rating Air Movers

Free Air Delivery
Effective Blower Capacity
Quantity of air and air pressure required
(air-driven devices)
Electrical power requirements (electrically
driven devices)

Factors Reducing Performance

Equipment components in confined space
Maintenance/construction materials
erected in space
Obstructions in make-up air manway
Insufficient number of make-up air
manways

Factors Reducing Performance

More restrictions to overcome = less air
moved
Air moving into space equals amount of air
leaving the space

Air Driven DevicesPoor Performance

Reduced pressure and volume to air driven
devices from multiple users
Excessively long air hoses

Increasing Performance
Supplemental air compressors dedicated
to air mover use (air driven devices)
Supplemental air compressors connected
directly to plant air system
Eliminate short-circuiting of airflow

Designing Ventilation Systems

Configuration, contents and tasks

determine type of ventilation
opening configuration
properties of expected atmospheric hazards
type of work being performed

Electrically Driven Centrifugal Fans

Designed to overcome higher static
pressures
Usually heavier than air-driven equipment
Can be used remotely to reduce noise
Due to power, can suck up debris

Local Exhaust
Single manway vessels
Interior obstructions that create dead
spots
Lack of feasible way to attach air-moving
device
Work with toxic metals

Local Exhaust
Effective only when it captures and
removes welding fumes and gasses at the
source as they are emitted
100 fpm capture velocity at the source of
fumes or gasses

Local Exhaust- Considerations

Long runs reduce airflow
Airflow loss minimized by use of smooth
ducting with large radius bends
Run flexible ducting as straight as possible
Consider using plenums for multiple
welders
Field test flow/personal air monitors

Make-up air quality

Mechanical ventilation uses surrounding
air
Make sure the make-up air is not a source
of airborne contaminants