Accidents in enclosed spaces onboard ships have long been a source of serious injuries and fatalities. Analyses of the accidents show that the underlying cause is often failure to follow established procedures – either due to insufficient knowledge of, or disregard for, the need to take safety precautions.

Let us therefore learn from Gard’s former surveyor Alf Martin Sandberg’s story told in the below video. He entered a void space onboard a barge, without checking the atmosphere inside the space first - a mistake that could easily have cost him his life. Alf Martin's story serves as a real-life reminder that any enclosed space is potentially life threatening, that every precaution should be taken both prior to entry and while inside an enclosed space - and that even trained professionals make mistakes.

Watch the 8-minute crew awareness video here.

As of 1 January 2015, it became mandatory for all crew members with enclosed space entry or rescue responsibilities to participate in regular drills. The problem with regulatory enforcement is, however, that good intentions often become paper-pushing exercises. To prevent death and injury it is important to ensure that those involved in the drill understand that the purpose of enclosed space entry procedures is to prevent accidents and not simply to satisfy the regulators.

Gard recommends that all seafarers are given proper on-board training to help them recognise, evaluate and control hazards associated with entry into enclosed spaces.

Use the links below to access more awareness material.