Singapore legislation
Section 34
Section 34
Dangerous fumes and lack of oxygen
(1)
Subsections (2) to (8) shall have effect where work in any factory has to be done inside any chamber, tank, vat, pit, pipe, flue or confined space, in which —
dangerous fumes are liable to be present to such an extent as to involve risk of persons being overcome thereby; or
the supply of air is inadequate, or is likely to be reduced to be inadequate, for sustaining life.
(2)
The confined space shall, unless there is other adequate means of ingress, be provided with a manhole, which may be rectangular, oval or circular in shape, and shall be not less than 457 millimetres long and 406 millimetres wide or (if circular) not less than 457 millimetres in diameter, or in the case of tank wagons and other mobile plant, not less than 406 millimetres long and 355 millimetres wide or (if circular) not less than 406 millimetres in diameter.
(3)
Subject to subsection (4), no person shall enter or remain and no person shall require, instruct or direct any person to enter or remain in the confined space for any purpose unless the person entering or remaining in the confined space is wearing a suitable breathing apparatus and has been authorised to enter by a competent person, and, where practicable, he is wearing a belt with a rope securely attached and a person keeping watch outside and capable of pulling him out is holding the free end of the rope.
(4)
Where the confined space has been certified by a competent person as being, for a specified period, safe for entry without breathing apparatus and the period so specified has not expired, subsection (3) shall not apply, but no person shall enter or remain in the space unless he has been warned when that period will expire.
(5)
A confined space shall not be certified under subsection (4) unless —
effective steps have been taken to prevent any ingress of dangerous fumes;
any sludge or other deposit liable to give off dangerous fumes has been removed and the space contains no other material liable to give off dangerous fumes; and
the space has been adequately ventilated and tested for dangerous fumes and has a supply of air adequate to sustain life,but no account shall be taken for the purposes of paragraph (b) of any deposit or other material liable to give off dangerous fumes in insignificant quantities only.
(6)
A record shall be kept of every test made pursuant to subsection (5) and be kept available at all times for inspection.
(7)
There shall be provided and kept readily available a sufficient supply of suitable breathing apparatus, of belts and ropes, and of suitable reviving apparatus and oxygen, and the apparatus, belts and ropes shall be maintained and shall be thoroughly examined, at least once a month or at such other intervals as may be prescribed, by a competent person; and a report on every such examination, signed by the person making the examination and containing the prescribed particulars, shall be kept available for inspection.
(8)
A sufficient number of the persons employed shall be trained and practised in the use of the apparatus mentioned in subsection (7) and in a method of restoring respiration.
(9)
No person shall enter or remain in, and no person shall require, permit or direct any other person to enter or remain in, any confined space in which the proportion of oxygen in the air is liable to have been substantially reduced unless either —
he is wearing a suitable breathing apparatus; or
the space has been and remains adequately ventilated and a competent person has tested and certified it as containing an adequate supply of oxygen and safe for entry without breathing apparatus.