Confined space equipment in Malaysia: entry, rescue and gas testing
Tripods, winches, davits and rescue equipment for entry under a permit. Rented as a complete set.
TopBorneo supplies confined space equipment across Malaysia.
That covers tripods and rescue winches over the opening, ventilation to move the air, and harnesses with retrieval lines. It also covers the portable gas detectors used to test the atmosphere before anyone goes in. The same equipment can also be rented instead of bought. Entry sets are quoted at the level the job calls for, from a premium brand down to a lighter line, so the price fits the work.
Entry equipment supplied, rented and inspected
What is in this range
Tripods, davits, winches and entry kits
The frame over the opening and the winch that lowers the worker in and pulls him out. Supplied as a kit, rented for a shutdown or a one off entry, and inspected before it goes out.
Rescue and rope access equipment
Descenders, rescue kits, pulleys, rope and bags for getting a worker out of a space or down from height. Supplied, rented and serviced.
Gas detection for the entry
No entry without testing the air first. Multi-gas detectors, bump tested and in calibration, belong to every entry set and have their own page.
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
Read more
Open a section to read what a buyer or an HSE manager needs before ordering.
What is in a confined space entry set
| Item | What it does | Everyday comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Portable gas detector | Measures oxygen, flammable gas and toxic gas before entry and while the work goes on | A smoke alarm that also tells you how much oxygen is left |
| Ventilation blower and ducting | Pushes fresh air in or draws foul air out through a flexible duct | A fan in a window, with a hose long enough to reach the bottom |
| Tripod | A three legged frame over the opening that gives a fixed anchor point directly above the person | A well frame with a pulley over it |
| Rescue winch | Raises and lowers a person on a line, and is built for people rather than for material | A hoist rated for a person, not for a crate |
| Fall arrest block with retrieval | Stops a fall, and can then wind the person back up without a second device | A seat belt that can also pull you out |
| Full body harness and retrieval line | Connects the person to the line above, with an attachment point on the back or the shoulders | A climbing harness with a fixed lifting point |
Buy those six as a set and they work together. Buy them separately and you find out on the day of the entry that the winch bracket does not fit the tripod leg.
Test the air before anyone goes in
Atmosphere testing is the first step and the one that gets skipped. Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 requires an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor. That person carries out the gas testing, supervises the entry, and needs a detector that is in calibration.
That first test is taken from outside the space, before anyone opens it up and climbs in, and then at several heights inside, because gases settle at different levels. That takes three things a detector without a pump does not have. A pump unit draws the sample out. A sampling hose has to be long enough to reach the bottom of your deepest space. And there is a purge time before you read, because the air has to travel the whole hose first. Ask for the pump, the hose length you need and the purge time that length takes. A detector without a pump cannot make that measurement at all.
MSA recommends a bump test on a portable detector before each day's use and calibration at a maximum interval of six months. TopBorneo calibrates portable gas detectors in its own workshop, so the certificate comes from the same supplier as the detector. See gas detection for the detectors themselves and portable gas detector calibration for what happens on the bench.
Where the air cannot be made safe to breathe, the entry also needs breathing apparatus and escape sets.
The tripod and the winch over the opening
A tripod on its own is an anchor point. It becomes a rescue system when a winch or a retrieval block is mounted on a leg, so the person below can be lifted without anybody climbing in after them. That is the point of the whole set: nobody else has to climb in to reach the person below.
Tell TopBorneo the opening you are working over, the depth, and whether the person has to be lifted or only held. A manhole in a yard and a tank hatch on a vessel take different setups. The harness, the tripod and the winch are checked on a schedule, see fall protection inspection.
Ventilation
Ventilation is what turns a space you cannot enter into one you can. A blower with enough ducting to reach the bottom moves the air where the reading is worst, which is usually the lowest point. TopBorneo supplies blowers and ducting to order, against the length and the diameter you need.
Rent it instead of buying it
Confined space work is not spread evenly over the year. A yard that enters a tank twice a year does not need to own a tripod, a winch and four detectors. Bought equipment then stands in a container for the rest of the year and goes out of calibration. TopBorneo rents this equipment out, so the equipment arrives ready and goes back afterwards. See confined space equipment rental. The other product groups are on the safety equipment supplier in Malaysia page.
Common questions
What equipment is needed for confined space entry?
A portable gas detector with a pump and a hose tests the atmosphere from outside. Ventilation moves the air. A full body harness from the harnesses and fall arrest blocks range holds the person. A tripod stands over the opening. A rescue winch or a retrieval block lifts the person out without a second person going in. TopBorneo supplies this equipment across Malaysia.
Who may test the atmosphere in a confined space in Malaysia?
The Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 requires an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor to do the gas testing and supervise the entry. That person is certified separately. Read what Malaysia requires before an entry, and TopBorneo supplies and calibrates the detector that person uses.
What is a confined space tripod used for?
A tripod stands over the opening and gives an anchor point directly above the person working below, so a line runs straight down instead of over an edge. With a winch or a retrieval block mounted on it, the same tripod becomes the way that person is lifted out.
How often does confined space equipment need inspection?
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the harness, the tripod and the winch, and have the inspection done by a competent person who records the result in writing. There is no single interval that fits every harness and every site, and heavy use, heat or chemicals justify a shorter one.
Can I rent confined space equipment in Sabah or Labuan?
Yes. TopBorneo rents out confined space entry and rescue equipment as well as selling it. A yard that enters a tank now and then does not have to own the set. Send the dates, the job and what you need to crm@topborneo.com and a quote follows.
Send your job and your equipment list
Email the job, the opening you are working over and the equipment you need to crm@topborneo.com, or send it to the Labuan or Kota Kinabalu WhatsApp number. TopBorneo comes back with what fits together as a set, what can be rented instead of bought, and what the detectors need before they go out.