Automated entry technologies for confined space work activities: A survey

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Robotics and Automation
• Industrial Engineering

Background:

• Confined space work presents significant risks to personnel, despite existing safety regulations.
• Accidents in confined spaces often result from failures in implementing safe entry procedures.
• Non-man entry is the most effective strategy for mitigating confined space hazards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review available automated technologies for hazardous confined space tasks.
• To identify limitations of current automation in confined spaces.
• To suggest future research directions for enhanced confined space safety.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of approximately 60 research papers.
• Analysis of innovative technologies for confined space work activities.
• Evaluation of automated solutions for cleaning, inspecting, and maintenance tasks.

Main Results:

• Several automated solutions exist, capable of replacing human workers for specific hazardous tasks.
• Complex confined space characteristics necessitate manual intervention for certain activities, such as residue removal.
• Current technologies lack the flexibility required for diverse occupational environments.

Conclusions:

• Automation offers potential for improving safety in confined spaces but cannot fully replace human operators yet.
• Further technological development is crucial to enhance flexibility and adaptability for non-man entry solutions.
• Research should focus on creating more versatile robots and systems for complex confined space operations.