5 ways confined space monitoring technology reduces workforce risk and increases efficiency

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Shutdowns and maintenance turnarounds are routine occurrences for industrial plants, but the work can be dangerous, time-consuming, and costly. Compliance gaps and safety failures can lead to unplanned downtime and lost time injuries (LTIs), with safety and operations managers struggling to uncover what went wrong.

While hole watchers have traditionally been employed for safety monitoring, additional personnel add complexity, greater risk for human error and added costs, including wages and insurance premiums. Furthermore, at a time of staffing shortages, plants face the challenge of securing reliable individuals for the hole watch tasks who will stay through the duration of the project.

Remote confined space monitoring has emerged as an efficient, compliant, and cost-effective supplement to hole watch staffing. Leveraging this technology, plants have been able to drastically reduce hole watch headcount required during turnarounds while significantly increasing visibility and control through 24/7 video monitoring, alarms, and access control technologies. But misconceptions remain related to its capabilities and delivered value to plants and projects of all sizes and scopes.

This article highlights specific examples of plants that have deployed the Dräger X-Viz® Safety Monitoring System during large scale maintenance turnarounds and smaller critical path projects, and the value they derived from its use in terms of workforce risk reduction, productivity, visibility, and compliance reporting.

Noteworthy benefits of confined space monitoring technology

There is a common misconception that confined space monitoring is “hole watch automation.”  Another belief is that the technology is hard to set up and use. Then there are concerns about return on investment (ROI) for use of confined space monitoring during smaller plant maintenance projects. Here are five proven points for dispelling the myths.

1. Simplicity of set up and use

Draeger’s lightweight, wireless X-Viz® Safety Monitoring system was designed to be installed quickly with little use of additional equipment. Dräger cross-trains its crew so the experts that set up the system are the same individuals who are on-site to facilitate its use. If the plant’s safety and operations managers request a change to the configuration, perhaps adding or moving a camera or other component, that change can be made rapidly and proficiently. This can also create additional cost savings since equipment can be moved easily from one location to another, helping to minimize the quantity of equipment on rent.

2. Streamlined staffing

As the industry shifts to rely more on technology, the Dräger engineering team designed a solution to meet both OSHA and customer requirements. With 24/7 video monitoring, access controls and integrated alarms, a plant can significantly reduce the headcount required for hole watchers during a maintenance turnaround.

Furthermore, the extensive knowledge and expertise of the Dräger team that sets up and manages X-Viz® system deployment tops that of workers temporarily engaged to observe a confined space. Instead of having contractors circulating within restricted areas, a small team of Dräger specialists are positioned to help ensure the project runs smoothly on time and on budget.

3. Complete visibility

The idea of reduced headcount is often associated with reduced visibility, safety and onsite support when it comes to a plant turnaround project. But the opposite is true when hole watchers are replaced by the Dräger X-Viz® Safety Monitoring System.

Whereas the hole watch labor model is reliant on human resources to remain vigilant with monitoring and documentation, confined space monitoring with X-Viz® leverages advanced technology and cloud connectivity for automated coverage and continuous recording that can be managed with a smaller team.

Instead of a single individual with their eyes on a space, the plant’s safety team, industrial hygienists, turnaround managers and other critical stakeholders can log into the X-Viz® system anytime to access real-time information including visibility inside the hole – something not possible with traditional hole watch.

4. Controlled compliance

With this level of visibility, plant stakeholders can act with precision and speed to address any compliance lapses or safety incidents in alignment with OSHA standards and plant protocols.

For example, the safety team can help to ensure staff members are wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work being performed. The operators in the command center can leverage X-Viz® components to help ensure there is no humidity in the reactors that could cause oxidation.

If a safety incident occurs during the project, the plant’s team can leverage all the data captured by the X-Viz® system (e.g., badge in/out records, alarms, video, gas readings, temperature and humidity readings) to investigate the root cause and take steps to prevent it from happening again.

5. Data-driven productivity and planning

Plant stakeholders can use time on tools and other metrics to strategically plan future maintenance projects. Knowing the staffing levels and time required to perform specific tasks, they can more accurately estimate resources and budget for upcoming projects. 

Plant engineers can use the reports to keep critical path jobs well-staffed and running on time.

For example, a report might reveal welders only spent 40% of their shift inside the reactors, threatening the project’s anticipated completion time. With this data, they can adjust staffing levels to double the time in which the welders are inside the reactors performing the work to keep the project on track for timely completion.

Plant managers can also use Dräger reporting to address discrepancies between contracted time and actual time worked. Let’s say the plant contracted for 12 hours of labor but the Dräger report shows a worker badged in/out for only six hours. Managers have concrete data to demonstrate this discrepancy to the contractor.

2 projects that demonstrate value  

Plants of all sizes have deployed Dräger’s advanced technology for confined space monitoring in a broad range of maintenance turnarounds and critical path projects. The following are two examples from both ends of the size and scope spectrum.  

Chemical plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana

A large chemical plant in Plaquemine, La., was scheduled for mandatory maintenance where its EOA, PE, and PEG units would be shut down for routine inspections and repairs. During prior maintenance turnarounds, safety monitoring was performed by a large team of contracted “hole watchers,” which was inefficient, prone to human error, and costly in terms of labor.

The plant’s leadership wanted a technology-enabled approach that would help to streamline the process, reduce the risk of incidents and subsequent liability and most importantly, enhance safety for plant workers.

They selected Dräger as its safety partner in plant maintenance, engaging the company’s team of industry experts and X-Viz® complete safety monitoring system. The Dräger team configured and installed the X-Viz® system to perform 24/7 continuous video and gas monitoring of confined spaces, with multiple cameras placed at various angles for broad coverage of these areas.

Three Dräger safety expert equipment operators leveraged the X-Viz® system to facilitate 24/7 video coverage of 13 manholes in total, foot traffic areas and plant perimeters, and six manholes covered simultaneously with 12 cameras, gas detectors and bi-directional communication and badge-in/out process.

The result: The plant completed a safe, successful and streamlined 4-week plant maintenance turnaround with no fatal incidents or LTIs.

The Dräger team, equipped with the X-Viz® system, captured and reported nine near miss/at risk behaviors and 20+ unsafe conditions that had previously gone undetected, including incidents involving a contractor. They presented screen shots of the incidents to the management team, who in turn, showed this evidence to the contractor so they could resolve the issues and prevent them from happening again.

Global oil and gas provider

A global oil and gas provider faced the challenge of a catalyst change within one of its U.S. plants. Being a critical path job, the plant’s safety and operations managers wanted to perform the work as efficiently and safely as possible.

It was a relatively small job with six holes to be covered. If the plant opted to proceed with traditional hole watchers, that meant hiring 12-16 contracted workers to ensure coverage. Instead, the plant engaged with the Dräger team, which provided six highly qualified safety experts equipped with the X-Viz® system.

Because it was not possible to place cameras in the holes, the Dräger team, in partnership with the plant’s safety and operations managers, set up perimeter monitoring of the unit where the catalyst change took place. This unit was positioned between two other units, so they leveraged Dräger’s X-zone® 3D to establish a “monitoring wall” that spanned the three units. This included cameras to observe the work area and Dräger X-am 5000 series gas detection devices, both of which transmit data to the X-Viz® system via cloud connectivity.

Not only was the plant able to facilitate the catalyst change efficiently and safely, but they also received a wealth of digital data generated by Dräger’s technology to inform future projects. Like many plants, this oil and gas plant performs maintenance on each of its units (8 in total) every 18-24 months. Because they alternate between units, this means they perform maintenance on one unit each year.

As opposed to a hole watch manually recording who went in and out of a hole and when, Dräger’s technology captures this data in real-time for 100% accuracy in reporting. With data-driven metrics on the labor required for a maintenance project, the plant can make informed decisions when planning for and budgeting maintenance on subsequent units.

5 key questions to ask before selecting a safety monitoring provider

Use of confined space monitoring for industrial plant maintenance turnarounds is growing in adoption; therefore, more vendors are entering the space with systems and solutions. They vary widely in their capabilities, ease of use and ROI. Before you sign an agreement with a confined space monitoring solution provider, ask them these five questions to help safeguard the success of your maintenance project.

1. How long have you provided safety solutions for industrial plants?

Plant safety and operations managers must avoid risks, production disruptions, and OSHA penalties. Ensure your chosen provider has a reputable, long-standing, and proven track record in supporting safety and compliance for plants in your industry.

This includes a dedicated team of experts with knowledge of the plant maintenance process and technology required to perform it safely. They should possess expertise in industry regulations and guidelines and stay current on any changes that could affect your plant.

2. What are the scope and capabilities of your confined space monitoring solution?

Plant maintenance often involves high-risk work conducted in hazardous areas; therefore, plant safety and operations managers can’t leave anything to chance. Determine whether the solutions provider covers the complete continuum of safety with its system.

This includes real-time 24/7 video recording, gas detection instruments for the measurement of multiple gases simultaneously (e.g., LEL, VOC, O2, H2S, CO), humidity and temperature monitoring, two-way communication, visible and audible alarms, and access control technologies. All components should feature wireless connectivity with data transmitted to a central monitoring system for fast access and on-demand reporting.

3.  Do you develop and manufacture your own confined space monitoring components?

Some confined space monitoring vendors offer piecemeal solutions with components from different manufacturers, presenting challenges to set up and deployment. On the back end, generating meaningful data and reporting from these disparate components can be equally challenging because they often “don’t speak the same language,” necessitating messy and time-consuming manual data manipulation.

Choose a confined space monitoring solution provider that fully supports all components of its system, having a detailed understanding of their development, functionality and integration. A provider that developed and manufactured its end-to-end solution in-house with its own team of experts will be better equipped to provide support and quicker to address issues. With data from all components flowing seamlessly into a central system, analysis is streamlined resulting in timely report generation.

4.  Is your solution flexible and scalable?

While industrial plants share many commonalities when it comes to safety standards and protocols, there are nuances to each site, environment and maintenance project. That’s why there is no one-size fits all approach to confined space monitoring. Avoid vendors with cookie cutter implementations and select one that can modify its system components to their customers’ specifications.

The Dräger X-Viz® system implementation at a Plaquemine, LA plant demonstrates a vendor/customer partnership where the Dräger team easily adapted to changing needs. During implementation, the customer decided they wanted to monitor high foot traffic areas, plant perimeters and permit shacks in addition to confined spaces.

Dräger responded to their needs by expanding X-Viz® system video and access control technologies into these spaces. This eliminated the need for plant personnel to physically escort vehicles, supervise contractor safety, and screen for the correct permits during the plant turnaround period.

5. What other industrial plant safety solutions do you offer in conjunction with your confined monitoring system?

While a confined space monitoring system with robust capabilities can inherently meet most plant turnaround demands, there are times when a project requires additional safety components. For example, a turnaround could involve anything from perimeter and personal monitoring to hot work and fire watch.

Ask the vendor to provide their full scope of industry plant safety products and services and compare them to your maintenance project checklist. In the case of Dräger, the company offers a wide range of portable and fixed solutions for gas detection, flame detection systems, respiratory protection, personal protection equipment, fire safety and training equipment, escape and rescue equipment, and more to complement its X-Viz® system.

Implementing confined space monitoring can revolutionize plant turnaround operations by helping to enhance safety, efficiency and compliance. This technology reduces reliance on hole watch staffing, helping to minimize the potential for human error and the associated costs and logistical challenges.  

By leveraging 24/7 video monitoring, alarms and access control systems, plants can help to ensure continuous oversight and immediate response to any safety or compliance issues. This not only streamlines operations but can also significantly improve the safety of confined spaces, making maintenance turnarounds more predictable and manageable.

Furthermore, confined space monitoring provides invaluable data for productivity and future planning. The detailed reports generated by systems like the Dräger X-Viz® help plant managers to track worker efficiency, identify potential bottlenecks, and adjust staffing levels in real-time.

This data-driven approach helps to ensure that maintenance projects are completed on schedule and within budget, enhancing overall operational efficiency. By integrating these advanced monitoring solutions, plants can achieve higher standards of safety and compliance while optimizing resource allocation and planning for future projects.

Contact Dräger for an informational, risk-free conversation to learn how our solutions and services can help streamline and enhance your next plant turnaround project.

To learn more about Dräger Confined Space Safety Monitoring, visit draeger.com.

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