NAUTILUS P01 NOVEMBER 2009.qxd - Nautilus International

November 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31
SAFETY AT SEA
Nautilus is working
to secure new
International Maritime
Organisation rules to
cut the appalling death
toll in ships’ enclosed
spaces — and a UK firm
is leading the way with
specialist training for
seafarers…
Training to ensure spaces
are not the final frontier
I
Confined space training continues to be a
critical safety issue — industry statistics
show that 15 people, on average, are killed
or seriously injured every year in the UK across
a wide range of confined space working environments,
varying from the operation of complex plants
through to accessing storage vessels.
These statistics are not just limited to those
trapped, but also to those that have tried to rescue
them.
One of the most advanced facilities to deliver UKaccredited
confined space training is VT Group’s (VT)
Confined Space Training Unit (CSTU) at HMS Excellent
in Portsmouth.
Opened late last year, its capability and flexibility
has already marked it out as an outstanding facility
by the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA),
Urban Search and Rescue teams (USAR) and the
regional Fire and Rescue Services.
In October this year, VT’s CSTU hosted the practical
exercises for the international Confined Space
Operations Conference, as part of a Specialist
Response Week. A new venture developed by Hampshire
Fire & Rescue Service in conjunction with the
Chief Fire Officers Association, it attracted national
and international fire service teams from as far away
as Estonia and the United States.
The conference identified different solutions and
equipment, as well as facilitating discussion of best
practice and training competencies with industry
experts, including Bob Daunton from the Health
& Safety Executive and Ged Richmond from the
National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT).
Delegates viewed demonstrations that included
winches and specialist breathing equipment, made
all the more interesting with the facility’s cleverly
designed maze of interconnected tunnels and
enclosed areas spread over three levels.
Currently VT’s facility is delivering City and
Guilds accredited courses to both civil and marine
work forces in confined space training — teaching
people to work safely in a variety of enclosed spaces
including plant rooms, drains and sewers, fuel tanks,
lift shafts, and ductwork.
Fire and rescue services are among the users of the VT
Group’s confined spaces training unit in Portsmouth
Navigating by torchlight, students transit
through the interconnected tunnels and enclosed
areas spread over three levels. A dim ray of red light
keeps the environment dark but provides sufficient
visibility to allow the skilled VT instructors to monitor
the students’ progress safely, and assist where
necessary. Plans are in progress to install infrared
cameras with the ability to play back events and assist
with delegate assessment, instruction and safety.
The facility can be adapted to suit the skills
required by different trainees with the option to add
smoke, noise, heat and rescue dummies to the training
scenario to make it more demanding.
Levels of difficulty can be adapted by blocking
entry routes and sounding gas detector alarms. This
flexibility has interested a number of organisations,
including USAR, on running specialist courses for
their people.
VT’s team believe they have got it right. Says Denis
Johnston, firefighting training business director:
‘We believe this sophisticated facility provides the
capability for a first-class training experience that
will help reduce risk and save lives. Certainly the
response we have received from the regional Fire
and Rescue Services and commercial customers has
been excellent. It is still early days for the courses we
deliver here but will be looking to further develop
them in line with future industry and Royal Navy
training needs.’
And so do their customers. Royal Fleet Auxiliary
chief officer Russ Farquar comments: ‘The feedback
from all courses delivered by VT to date, has had
nothing but praise for the course, both for the facility
and the quality of instruction. Their depth of knowledge
gained has increased and being trained with the
same equipment that is used onboard has further
enhanced the confidence of the delegates who will, at
times, be required to operate in this potentially high
risk environment.’
VT’s experience in confined space training and
working with the regional Fire and Rescue Services
isn’t limited to the new facility in Portsmouth. The
training management and running of the state-ofthe-art
confined space and firefighting facilities at
Severn Park and Cardiff Gate also form part of VT’s
capability. Both were built as PFI projects; Severn
Park between VT and Devon & Somerset, Avon and
Gloucestershire fire authorities, and Cardiff Gate —
a PFI project between VT, South Wales Fire & Rescue
Service and South Wales fire authority.
Severn Park and Cardiff Gate have been purpose
designed and built to fully meet the Fire and Rescue
based training requirements, including confined
space training, both for fire service personnel and
those from other organisations. These facilities
deliver around 20,000 days of training between
them.
VT also provides critical support services at London
Fire Brigade’s training centre in Southwark
— managing and maintaining the facility to enable
the fire service to deliver training to its people. This
facility has a basement capable of flooding and a sewage
complex.