The Task

Gosport ferry Ltd required the provision of a Confined Space entry team, an authorised person to carry out permit control, a qualified gas tester to test the atmosphere within the pontoon chambers and confined space rescue team.

The task was to remove chamber lids while gas testing 14 ferry pontoon chambers, leave open and certified gas free for ten-year engineering survey. The chambers had not been completely opened in over 10 years and there is a high risk of a hazardous atmosphere within a confined space.

What We Did:

Marlin deployed a fully equipped confined space entry team, including a permit authoriser, gas tester, and rescue operatives. Pre-task planning was conducted on-site with the client. Continuous gas monitoring, fresh air breathing systems, and safety barriers were established. Gas testing was performed externally via telescopic probes before entry. All personnel were outfitted with certified PPE and monitoring systems.

The Outcome:

All 14 chambers were opened to allow venting. The initial gas testing found chambers containing high levels of carbon monoxide, as high as 275 PPM and also 19.80% oxygen (normal oxygen should be 20.8 – 20.9%). We recommended that ventilation and extraction should remain in place for 48 hours, with no entry allowed. We returned after the 48 hour ventilation and extraction period and retested all chambers with all readings at safe levels, we produced a gas test certificate and supplied gas testing tags to be displayed at each access point. All readings and reports were sent to Gosport ferry Ltd, who provided copies to the surveyors along with certification of training and testing. The survey was carried out without any issues.

For confined space solutions, contact our team at info@marlinsvs.co.uk or call the office on 01243 513657