Confined space
Confined spaces are specialized work environments characterized by limited or restricted access, where conditions may pose significant hazards to workers. To be classified as a confined space, an area must allow a person to enter and perform tasks but is not designed for continuous human occupancy. Common examples include tanks, silos, manholes, and tunnels. Unfortunately, these spaces are often associated with high risks, accounting for numerous workplace fatalities, particularly during rescue operations where rescuers become victims themselves.
In addition to basic confined spaces, there are permit-required confined spaces (PRCS), which present additional hazards such as toxic atmospheres or the potential for engulfment. Working in confined spaces necessitates strict adherence to safety protocols, including specialized training, proper ventilation, and emergency rescue plans. The importance of these safety measures is underscored by many incidents where established protocols were not followed, leading to tragic outcomes. Globally, regulations aim to protect employees from the inherent dangers of confined spaces, highlighting the necessity for safety training, monitoring, and emergency preparedness in these complex environments.
Confined space
Confined space refers to a specific type of hazardous work environment that may be encountered by employees. Government safety agencies have a precise way of defining these spaces and strict rules and procedures for working in them. Such protections are designed to keep employees safe from the elevated level of danger that these areas present. Confined spaces account for the majority of multiple fatality accidents in workplaces. In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 60 percent of the people who die in these accidents are not the workers but the rescue personnel who come to extract them.
Definitions
The definition of a confined space can vary slightly by country, but in most cases, an area is considered a confined space if it:
- has limited or restricted entrances or exits, especially those that make emergency exit or access difficult and
- is large enough for a person to enter and move enough to work and
- is not intended for ongoing human occupancy.
All three criteria must be present in order for an area to be considered a confined space. A confined space can be above or below ground. Some examples of confined spaces include ducts, tanks, vaults, manholes, tunnels, pipelines, and silos and storage bins. In some cases, even ditches and trenches can be considered confined spaces. Usually those in excess of four feet deep meet the criteria.
While the idea of “confined” might seem to imply a small space, many confined spaces are not small. The inside of an oil truck’s tank can hold thousands of gallons of liquids but can be considered a confined space. Such a tank has limited ways to get in and out and while people can get into it, it is not meant to be a place where humans live or work. On the other hand, a small two-foot square drain would not qualify as a confined space because it is not big enough for an adult to get into to work. Additionally, a portable toilet is not a confined space because it is designed to allow people to occupy it on a regular basis.
A related concept is the permit-required confined space, also known as PRCS or simply permit-required space. This is an area that meets the criteria of a confined space and presents at least one additional hazard. These include areas that:
- have or could have a hazardous atmosphere or
- contain something that could engulf or cover someone inside or
- are shaped in such a way that an occupant can get trapped and suffocate, such as floors that slope down or walls that are angled inward or
- presents another known risk, such as excessive heat or cold, live electrical wires, or machinery that cuts and crushes.
When a permit-required confined space exists, additional rules must be followed. Generally, all employees need to be notified of the existence and location of this space, and workers who do enter it need to have special training to avoid its hazards. Safety protocols need to be in place when the space is entered, including supervision and monitoring, communication methods, and having rescue personnel on hand.
Overview
Confined spaces can exist in nearly any workplace, putting millions of workers at risk of injury or death each year. Hundreds of people die as a result of confined space accidents annually, and more than half of these individuals were trying to rescue others. In many investigated confined space incidents, some or all of the procedures for entering and working in a confined space were not followed. For example, a worker may not have followed the established procedures for working in the space, the space may not have been properly ventilated, or a suitable escape and/or rescue plan was not in place for emergencies.
People may enter a confined space for many reasons. In most cases, it is part of their job to perform routine maintenance, inspection, or cleaning of the space. However, sometimes the entry is incidental to their employment. For example, a worker may climb into a ditch to retrieve a dropped tool, or someone may attempt to put out a fire in a machinery room. In addition, oftentimes, those who enter a confined space do so to help someone who is already in there and in trouble.
Confined spaces present unique hazards to workers. In a majority of fatalities, dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, or methane are a factor. A worker may pass out and suffocate from exposure, or the gas may trigger a fire. Many deaths in confined spaces occur when a worker is trapped or engulfed by loose material such as shifting grain in a silo, an underground tunnel that collapses, or sewers that become flooded by sudden runoff.
Many countries have instituted rules and standards to protect workers who encounter confined spaces. These vary, but generally include providing sufficient specialized training on how to enter and work safely in a confined space; having requirements for coordination, supervision, and monitoring of employees who are entering or working in a confined space; having an emergency rescue and response plan in place; and having emergency response workers on standby when entering a dangerous confined space.
Some additional steps that can be taken to protect workers who enter a confined space include ensuring that the space has been tested for hazards such as low oxygen r the risk of fire or collapse, providing proper safety and testing equipment to increase the likelihood of identifying mitigating hazards, and providing a means of ventilation to minimize asphyxiation risks.
Bibliography
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