A leading UK ship repair and marine engineering organisation required specialist rescue cover to support multiple confined space activities across several locations. With projects ranging from short-duration maintenance tasks to long-term vessel refurbishment programmes, the client needed a partner capable of responding quickly, managing complex operations and maintaining consistent safety standards.

Breathe Safety has provided 24/7 confined space rescue team cover for multiple simultaneous entries across a variety of projects and work scopes. Working closely with the client's operational teams, our rescue personnel have become an integrated part of site safety procedures, attending shift briefings and supporting the planning and safe execution of confined space activities.

The nature of the work often requires rapid mobilisation and flexibility. On several occasions, rescue teams have been deployed within 24 hours of an initial enquiry to support emergency or unplanned works. As project requirements change, resources can be scaled to match operational demands without compromising safety or response capability.

A key challenge has been managing multiple confined space entries taking place simultaneously on vessels. To maintain effective oversight, our teams operate from a central control point, maintaining continuous communication with entry controllers and implementing a clear, shift-by-shift rescue strategy that adapts to changing site conditions.

Alongside rescue provision, we have supplied CE/CA-accredited airline breathing air compressor systems for welding applications, supported by dedicated breathing apparatus standby personnel. This integrated approach provides clients with a single source of expertise for both rescue provision and breathing air support.

To ensure ongoing readiness, our teams regularly conduct on-site rescue drills, demonstrating extraction techniques and validating emergency response plans under realistic site conditions.

Outcomes

• Continuous 24/7 rescue cover for multiple simultaneous confined space entries.
• Safe delivery of projects across varied scopes of work with no lost time injuries during Breathe Safety's involvement.
• Rapid mobilisation capability, including emergency response deployments within 24 hours.
• Effective management of complex vessel-based confined space operations through centralised coordination and communication.
• Rescue teams fully integrated into the client's safe systems of work and operational planning.
• Regular rescue drills carried out to validate emergency response arrangements.
• Provision of breathing air systems and standby personnel alongside rescue services.
• Enabled the client and its contractors to focus on completing critical work while specialist safety support was managed by a dedicated team.

The Breathe Difference

Rescue cover is about more than having people ready to respond. It’s about creating a safer, more efficient operation from the outset.

In this project, Breathe Safety combined rescue provision, breathing air support, planning and ongoing coordination into a single integrated service. By adapting quickly to changing work scopes and becoming part of the client’s day-to-day operation, we helped maintain high safety standards without creating unnecessary complexity or delay.

The result was a practical solution that protected people, supported productivity and gave the client confidence that critical work could progress safely.