Wondering If You Need A Confined Space Rescue Plan?

July 14, 2022 |

A confined space rescue plan is important to have in your workplace in case of an emergency. This emergency plan ensures the safety of your employees who are tasked with entering a confined space to accomplish their job. Here is a guide to understanding a confined space rescue plan.

Requirements of a Confined Space Rescue Plan

Before allowing any of your employees to enter a confined space, ensure you have enough qualified individuals on hand. Ask these questions:

Who knows how to perform confined space rescue on the job?
Who is qualified to provide first aid and CPR?
Who is authorized to utilize the rescue equipment required to carry out your confined space rescue plan?

Before anyone enters a confined area, these attendants must be ready to put the on-site rescue procedures and plan into action. Calling 911 does not constitute an on-site rescue technique since 911 responders take time to arrive, and you must have responders ready to act quickly to save a worker in distress.

Equipment Requirements

The rescue equipment you use will be determined by the threats in your confined area and your rescue plan. These may include:

Lifelines and Harnesses
Systems for Hoisting and Retrieval
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Airline Respirators

As an employer, you must ensure that all the rescue equipment included in your confined space rescue plan is in good working order. This means that they are:

Close and ready to use in the event of a rescue
Appropriate equipment for entering a confined space
Regularly inspected to ensure that it’s in good working condition. This inspection must be conducted by someone who has been appointed by the employer and has the necessary training, knowledge, and experience to carry it out. The results of the inspection must be recorded in the entry permit.

Communication Plan

You must create a method of communication between the employees entering the confined space and the attendants assigned to their entry in addition to ensuring that your rescue equipment is correct. There are a variety of communication options available, including:

Audible Signal
Radio
Phone
Intercom
Rope Signal
Visual Hand Signal

What to Include in a Written Confined Space Rescue Plan

Your entry supervisor will need to fill out the confined space rescue plan or entry permit and go over all the emergency procedures with all the entrants and other relevant workers before they enter a confined area. For each entry, you should construct an entry permit system.

You should include the following in your plan:

The date and hour of entry, as well as the duration of the permit’s validity
Name of the confined space and its location
Potential hazards that they may encounter.
The attendant’s and on-site rescue personnel’s names
Communication methods for the attendant, workers, and rescuers
Rescue techniques
Rescue equipment requirements
Inspections of rescue equipment
Medical equipment requirements
Requirements for personal protective equipment
The description and diagram of the confined space

Get Confined Space Rescue Training at Rescue Solutions

Rescue Solutions provides rescue training for both industrial and fire service clients, including Confined Space Rescue Training. Our classes can be adapted to your company’s policies and processes, ensuring that your employees receive industry-specific training. We also offer high-quality rescue equipment that is packaged to your safety or rescue team’s needs. For more information, contact us today!