- The Fourth Enclosed Space Entry Workshop in March 2025 focused on reducing fatalities in enclosed space incidents.
- It highlighted the need for more attention on human factors, especially Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs).
- Despite efforts, fatalities from such incidents rose sharply in 2023.
The maritime industry has been grappling with fatal incidents related to enclosed space entries for many years. The fourth workshop brought together a cross-industry working group to review past incidents and identify persistent challenges. The group’s findings revealed that operational, commercial, technical, and training-related issues remain consistent contributing factors to enclosed space fatalities.
Previous workshop meetings reviewed incident reports to examine the vessel types, locations onboard where incidents occurred, and the ranks or roles of the victims. The working group agreed that new procedures were not necessary; instead, the focus should be on understanding human factors.
Key to Prevention
The working group’s analysis underscored that Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs)—conditions that make errors more likely—play a significant role in enclosed space accidents. Recognizing and addressing these factors could help reduce the number of fatalities.
While the working group does not advocate for new procedural changes, it emphasizes improving industry awareness of these human factors and sharing best practices across the sector.
Ongoing Industry Actions to Improve Safety
Several initiatives have been proposed to help mitigate risks and improve safety protocols for enclosed space entries:
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Standardized Enclosed Space Symbol: The group plans to develop and implement an ISO-recognized enclosed space symbol and will advocate for its adoption by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
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Human Factors Booklet: A booklet will be created to address the human factors contributing to enclosed space incidents and raise awareness of the dangers these spaces pose to maritime staff.
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Training Videos for Shore-side Personnel: Videos will be developed to educate shore-based personnel about the risks of applying unintended operational or commercial pressures on the ship’s crews, which could lead to unsafe practices.
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Training for Non-Mariner Shore-based Personnel: Videos will also target non-mariner shore-based personnel coming onboard ships, alerting them to the potential hazards of enclosed spaces.
Rising Fatalities and Statistics
Despite the availability of rules, regulations, and best practice guidelines to avoid fatalities from enclosed spaces, incidents continue to occur. The annual number of accidents has remained relatively steady since 1998, when InterManager started tracking them. In 2022 and 2023, 14 enclosed space incidents were reported each year.
However, a disturbing trend emerged in 2023, as the number of casualties nearly doubled, with 34 fatalities compared to 18 in 2022. This rise in casualties highlights the urgent need for the maritime industry to address these challenges and make progress in preventing further deaths.
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Source: The International Institute of Marine Surveying
