Claustrophobia can be defined as abnormal fear of being in an enclosed space. A more accurate description might be 'a fear of not having an easy escape route' because for anyone who experiences this phobia this is the predominating feature - you feel a need to be able to get out or get home, quickly. Let's get something quite clear at the outset - this is not an illness. It is a learned response to being in certain situations, and is a response that can be powerful, uncomfortable and embarrassing. It is quite possible that susceptibility to claustrophobia is not apparent at the start of employment. It may come about for the first time because of an incident when working within a confined space. If you suffer an attack of claustrophobia, you should make your colleagues and supervisors aware. Engineers should work in a team and assist one another if necessary.