Confined Space Best Practices To Keep Your Workers Safe

August 4, 2022 |

One of the most difficult environments for employees to work in is a confined space. Confined areas often present unforeseen dangers, such as temperature spikes, poisonous gases, and even flammable dust. Understanding these hazards and the recommended safety measures can help ensure your workers are fully protected. Read on to learn the six confined space best practices that will help keep your workers safe!

Understand the Risks of Confined Spaces

Confined spaces refer to enclosed or semi-enclosed areas that are not designed to be inhabited. Within confined areas, there are likely combustible pollutants like fumes, vapors, or clouds of dust that might spark a fire or explosion, hazardous volumes of oxygen, and dangerous amounts of airborne pollutants. They also comprise physically taxing conditions including harsh temperatures, dangerous substances, the risk of falls, as well as possibly toxic atmospheres. Due to these, a confined space poses serious threats to health and safety.

Proper Specialized Training

Workers must receive sufficient training in order to operate safely within a confined space. During training, workers should learn about confined space permits, hazard detection, and isolation techniques, atmosphere testing, breathing apparatus, rescue protocols, and any other necessary specialized training. The best emergency response teams should firmly adhere to all safety protocols established.

Thorough Risk Assessment and Testing

The risks of entering the confined space must be carefully evaluated before entry. Next, the area has to be ventilated and tested to gauge the oxygen level and check for the presence of dangerous vapors, fumes, and gases. Training in the proper protocols is crucial to keep workers safe since many of the threats in confined spaces cannot be detected just with our senses.

Prepared Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Entry Equipment

During the hazard identification and risk assessment stage, any additional threats that will need PPE to manage must be identified. Also, different types of confined spaces have varied entry points like overhead, underground or side entrances, which require unique entry equipment in order to reach the area safely. It’s important to make sure all the right equipment has been prepared before entering.

Effective Communication and Constant Monitoring

Prior to entry, a reliable communication protocol must be set up, and all employees must be highly familiar with it. This includes any rope tugging signals or special hand gestures. Furthermore, the support personnel needs a method that will enable them to sound an alarm in case of an emergency. For instance, it could be necessary to restrict the time that workers can remain in a confined space due to the harsh temperatures and humidity, exposure limits for contaminants present in the area, or restrictions of the breathing apparatus. The support personnel is in charge of monitoring these situations closely and safeguarding the well-being of the workers inside the confined space.

Regularly Practiced and Evaluated Rescue Plans

Most confined space deaths happen when rescuers enter an area and end up being victims themselves. Therefore, it’s crucial that all operations have an emergency plan in place that rescuers have repeatedly practiced and evaluated to check if the methods used remain effective. The training and equipment necessary for confined space rescue teams to carry out a rescue effort must be continuously assessed and improved on.

If your onsite team needs a refresher course for confined space entry or confined space rescue training, Rescue Solutions can help! Our seasoned technical rescue instructors can travel to your jobsite and train your employees at any level.