Confined Space Entry Safety Training
Working in spaces such as manholes, tanks, ducts and pits is just a part of the job for the workers in many industries.
In fact, these workers may have been entering these spaces for years without giving a second thought to the hazards that might be involved.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies many such spaces as confined spaces.
A confined space is an area that has these three qualities:
- The size and shape are large enough for employees to enter.
- There are limited entrances and exits.
- It is not designed for people to work in continuously.
What’s so dangerous about a confined space? No matter how familiar employees may be with a space, there will always be risks. The hazards in a confined space can even be deadly.
The biggest risk is not having enough oxygen to breathe, or asphyxiation. When there is not enough breathable oxygen or when there are toxic or poisonous substances, the atmosphere is considered asphyxiating. Such an atmosphere is dangerous not only to the employee entering the confined space but to would-be rescuers, as well. Over 60% of confined space entry deaths happen to rescuers.
In addition to asphyxiation, employees face other hazards in confined space entry, including being engulfed or trapped and slipping or falling.
Given these hazards, careful planning is needed in order to safely enter a confined space. Employees need to know the potential dangers of the space and how to deal with them. In addition, employees must have action plans for emergency situations that may occur. Taking these measures is the best way to ensure that everyone stays safe.
The Blueprints for Safety© Confined Space Entry Program is designed to present a step-by-step approach to developing a confined space entry program for your company. This program will help you make sure that all of your employees receive the training and tools they need to work safely in confined spaces.
The outcomes of your confined space entry program will be as follow:
- To identify the confined spaces and hazards in the workplace
- To make sure employees understand how to use the proper safety equipment
- To make sure employees understand the duties of the confined space entry team
By creating a confined space entry program for your workplace, you can help employees know the hazards and how to control them. As a result, safe entry into confined spaces will become a routine part of employees’ daily tasks.
