If you are not a trained professional, you should avoid entering and operating in confined spaces because complications or a lack of safety precautions within confined spaces can result in serious injury or death. In the United States alone, about 100 workers die each year in confined-space incidents. Unfortunately, the majority of those workers were never properly trained or underestimated the risks, and as a result, they were unaware of the dangers of working in confined spaces. The good news is that confined-space incidents can be avoided if employers and employees both follow adequate safety precautions and standards. Such fatal situations can be averted by following these simple steps:
- Identification of Confined Spaces
Almost every workplace has areas that, under certain conditions, can be called confined spaces. OSHA defines a confined-space as a location that is big enough to enter but is not intended for employee occupation for an extended period of time and has limited or restricted means of entry. Pipelines, storage tanks, more than 4 ft deep holes, mines, and silos are all examples of confined spaces. Because of the unique character of each such place, it is critical to carefully assess each one in order to develop a safety plan that truly works.
- Prepare Safety Plan
Creating a safety plan for confined-space work is not only a good practice, but it is also a legal obligation. There are various reasons why a safety plan can be advantageous to your business and can include topics like measures to prevent unauthorized entry, employees internal communication and coordination, hazard identification and mitigation measures, procedures for safe entry, safety equipment provision, maintenance and training, protocols for obtaining and using entry permits, critical roles assignment as well as development of rescue plan among others.
- Employee Training
OSHA mandated that all employees, particularly those who will be working in confined spaces, receive safety training. Employee safety training not only helps them keep themselves safe during an emergency, but it also prepares them to safely rescue their coworkers in the event of an emergency. All personnel, regardless of their work type, must receive training because it helps them comprehend the potential dangers present in a confined-space if they ever have to attempt a rescue and make them understand the importance of safe entry and using entry permits.
- Hazards Identification & Elimination
- There are three basic categories of confined-space hazards: atmospheric, physiological, and physical. It is critical to identify and eliminate hazards for optimum worker safety; however, if complete elimination of the hazard is not possible, mitigating measures must be applied to assure employee safety while working in confined-spaces.
- Plan of Action for Rescue
In the event of an emergency, a well-established rescue plan is critical since it ensures the safe and rapid retrieval of injured entrants. Non-entry retrieval systems should be deployed whenever practicable, but if this is not possible, a rescue team should be called in. A rescue team must be properly trained in safe entry into a confined-space and removal of injured employees. At all times, unauthorized personnel must be prevented from entering the space.
