Have been thinking of doing draining, but I'm not fully sure about how to start. Is FFP3 masks sufficient for encounters with toxic gases and stuff? I'm defo bringing spare batteries and wellies, but need some beginner advice for this.
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Question - Draining Safety
- Thread starter PatientTheory
- Start date
the best way to deal with encounters with toxic gas is not to encounter them. The best bit of advice I can offer would be to invest in a 4gas detector which will alert you before the gases get to a dangerous level enabling you to make your escape before you die. I really must sort one out for myself 
Thanks but if i have to run before i die i'll invest in some respiratorsbefore the gases get to a dangerous level enabling you to make your escape before you die. I really must sort one out for myself
The only respirators which would work are the bottled air type, if you haven't got a gas detector you won't know when the air is safe or not so you'll have to do the full drain in one if you want to be safe!
That's when the logistics then get interesting as you'll have to ensure you have enough air to do the drain and extra just in case the shit hits the fan. I carry a 15 minute escape set when working in confined spaces at work, it's heavy and bulky and would only be worn to escape a location due to the gas meter alerting, to do a drain with this you will need multiple bottles.
The next thing would be a hose fed respirator, you have the freedom of no bottle, but you are then attached to a hose meaning you have to come out the way you went in and are limited to how far you can go by the amount of hose you have, you will also need an extra person to change the air bottles over outside the culvert and possibly a 2 man rescue team on stand by, both with breathing apparatus too, after all safety is paramount
I tend to use common sense, if it's a culvert with open ends no issues, and concerns bail and better still if going anywhere that may be dodgy like a sewer use a 4gas or better still get a friend who owns one, but check he has it calibrated correctly by reviewing the certificate of calibration, last resorts buy a canary
Hope that helps a little?
That's when the logistics then get interesting as you'll have to ensure you have enough air to do the drain and extra just in case the shit hits the fan. I carry a 15 minute escape set when working in confined spaces at work, it's heavy and bulky and would only be worn to escape a location due to the gas meter alerting, to do a drain with this you will need multiple bottles.
The next thing would be a hose fed respirator, you have the freedom of no bottle, but you are then attached to a hose meaning you have to come out the way you went in and are limited to how far you can go by the amount of hose you have, you will also need an extra person to change the air bottles over outside the culvert and possibly a 2 man rescue team on stand by, both with breathing apparatus too, after all safety is paramount
I tend to use common sense, if it's a culvert with open ends no issues, and concerns bail and better still if going anywhere that may be dodgy like a sewer use a 4gas or better still get a friend who owns one, but check he has it calibrated correctly by reviewing the certificate of calibration, last resorts buy a canary
Hope that helps a little?
Hmm, looks like there's a lot of investing to do. But judging by the images of people going in and out, it doesn't look like they run into this situation much...? And no it isn't a culvert, its a manhole with a half sliced lid on it with ladders going down
Thats the beauty of a gas detector though, it tells you the gas is present before it gets to dangerous levels, meaning you don't have to run. When you hear the alarm just turn around and go back the way you came. If you don't have a detector you run the risk of hitting bad air and continuing into it, especially in the case of H2S and thats when you die. As an example: you get a whiff of bad eggs which will soon disappear - is it just a whiff of fresh from the CSO further up the pipe OR is it high levels of H2S that causes you to lose the ability to smell it? Do you carry on or do you turn back? Do you don your BA or do you take a chance? A 4gas can save your life.
Have a look at some confined spaces training videos or something first. I would consider some serious learning before buying anything or going near any drains as you obviously don't even have the basic understanding yet. A 4 gas wont save you unless you totally understand the situations its there to help protect you from.
