The 7 Confined Space Safety Tips You Need To Know [2024]

Whether it’s repairing a grain silo or inspecting the cargo tank on a ship, confined space workers face unique hazards that aren’t present in a typical work environment. Safety training is paramount in these scenarios to ensure the health and well-being of your employees. Those who brush off protocol are, sadly, often the ones who don’t go home. We at Premier Safety understand the complexities of confined spaces, and we’re committed to ensuring your team has the knowledge and products necessary to work in confined spaces safely.

In this article, we’re outlining our top confined space safety tips for 2024. From testing air quality to recognizing a hazardous atmosphere, we’ll walk through our main strategies to help keep things safe and sound. Plus, we’ll break down the must-know OSHA rules to keep everyone in compliance. Our job is to make confined space work less daunting so that you can do your job well-informed.

Confined Space Safety Tips

First, let’s determine what constitutes this type of workplace. OSHA defines a confined space as; “a space that has limited means of entry or exit, is large enough for a worker to enter it, and is not intended for regular or continuous occupancy.” It’s critical to make sure that any hazards present are cleared before workers get started because self-contained spaces like this can become dangerous fast.

Examples of confined spaces include pits, crawl spaces, boilers, silos, tunnels, sewers, vaults, storage bins, pipelines, and more. There is inherent risk while working in these spaces, but risk can be minimized by careful planning and adherence to OSHA and state-sanctioned safety programs. Let’s take a closer look at our top confined space safety tips below.

1. Pre-Entry Planning and Hazard Assessment

With entry into a confined space, thorough planning is crucial. Determine if any spaces are permit-required confined spaces, and pause work until the permit is acquired. Conduct a comprehensive hazard assessment to identify risks like toxic gases, engulfment potential, and stored energy that could cause explosions. Employers must post signs to inform exposed employees of the location and dangers posed by these permit spaces. Enlist all team members to develop a detailed entry plan that includes emergency procedures, communication protocols, and rescue strategies.

2. Atmospheric Testing and Monitoring

Deaths in confined spaces often occur because the atmosphere is oxygen-deficient, toxic, or combustible. Atmospheric hazards pose a great risk since they can’t be seen with the naked eye. Prior to entry, you must perform an air quality test to measure oxygen levels and identify flammable gases or toxic vapors with certified gas detection equipment.

It only takes a few minutes to start losing consciousness from a lack of adequate airflow. Even household products can give off deadly fumes in a confined space. A designated professional on the team should continuously monitor the atmosphere throughout the duration of work to detect any changes quickly. Rapid reaction time could mean the difference between life and death.

3. Reducing Risks - Hazard Management

Prevention is key when it comes to confined spaces safety. While all hazards present can’t be eliminated, the likelihood that they cause serious injury or death can be reduced with proper hazard management. Control measures that help reduce risks include forced ventilation to remove known toxic gases, flashlights and lanterns to improve visibility, and keeping entrances and exits clear. Unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, and other recognized safety or health hazards should all be removed before workers get started.

Loose material like oil, coal, or gravel can change form quickly and unexpectedly, the result being a lost life due to engulfment. Use the buddy system wherever possible and ensure that safety ladders or load-bearing platforms are in working condition. The moment your life depends on this equipment bringing you to safety is not the time to worry about it malfunctioning. Inspect equipment regularly and check maintenance requirements to ensure that it stays effective over time.

4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Entry Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment is a nonnegotiable for confined space safety and should be in working order at all times. Ensure that all PPE is properly fitted, maintained, and compatible with other equipment being used. Before entry into a confined space, you must perform an inspection of all protective clothing and devices including helmets, gloves, ropes, goggles, face masks, and respirators to ensure they are in acceptable working condition. Entry-specific equipment may include ladders, hosts, and worker retrieval systems for safe entry and exit. If any equipment piece is evaluated as unfit for work, it must be replaced and tested before entering the confined space.

5. Entry and Exit Procedures

For permit-required confined spaces, a permit signed by the entry supervisor must be posted at entrances and visible to all before they enter. Entry permits include the location name, the names of authorized entrants, air quality test results and the signature of the tester. Review the hazard assessment to become familiar with all identified risks before entry. Ensure that your communication system, be it walkie-talkie or intercom, is operational. Check that all PPE is in good condition.

It’s critical to make sure that all workers are aware of and understand entry and exit procedures specific to your worksite. The Entrant enters the space first and must alert the Attendant if he notices any signs of exposure. The Attendant should continuously monitor the atmospheric conditions with a gas detector, keeping constant communication with the Entrant if they need to evacuate the confined space. This buddy system splits up entry duties, ensures safety in numbers, and lends to immediate action should they need to evacuate the premises. Workers can get into and out of confined spaces safely with our products designed for entry and retrieval.

6. Onsite Rescue Plans and Trained Personnel

Even when you take all the precautions humanly possible, emergencies can still happen in confined spaces. When they do, you must be prepared with a documented rescue action plan. OSHA requires trained personnel to be present just outside the confined space for the duration of the time that workers are inside. These rescue team members must be trained in CPR and first aid, and employers must prove that said training has been provided and completed. Rescue drills should be conducted regularly to ensure that all workers are familiar with emergency procedures.

7. OSHA Regulations and Compliance

Adhering to OSHA regulations and being in compliance is crucial to ensure confined space safety. Our confined space equipment is designed to keep your workers both protected and in compliance. OSHA separates specific confined space regulations into General Industry, Maritime, and Construction categories. These industries all involve areas with limited or restricted means of entry or exit. Stay updated on any changes or revisions to regulations so your safety practices match current standards.

For all worksites, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that a competent person identifies all confined spaces where employees may be asked to work, determine if they are a permit spaces, and evaluate all the hazards of the space with testing as necessary. Be sure to read the section specific to your industry and job type when formulating your workplace safety and emergency rescue plans.

FAQs:

What Are the Safety Precautions in Confined Space?

Each permit space varies, but overall safety precautions include pre-entry planning, atmospheric testing, proper PPE usage, and compliance with OSHA regulations. Be sure to monitor the confined space prior to and during entry and remove any potential hazards where possible. Have trained rescue personnel standing by outside who are capable of using mechanical means of rescue. A tripod, for instance, enables rescuers to remove workers from outside the confined space without endangering the rescue team. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best!

What Are the Four Main Dangers of a Confined Space?

The four main hazards workers encounter in confined spaces are atmospheric, physical, biological, and psychological. Atmospheric hazards include a lack of oxygen, toxic gases, and gaseous chemicals that are flammable. Physical hazards include the risk of engulfment or entrapment, where workers might drown or asphyxiate under solid or liquid materials. Biological hazards involve mold or bacteria exposure. Psychological hazards arise from claustrophobia or panic; this can be mitigated with properly fitted respirators, thorough planning before entry, and using the buddy system.

What is the Most Effective Control for a Confined Space Hazard?

According to OSHA, elimination is at the top of the hierarchy of controls for confined spaces safety. Elimination means physically removing the hazard from the space. Unfortunately, this is rarely possible, so substitution, or replacing the object or item with a less hazardous object should be your second choice. When elimination or substitution aren’t possible, engineering and administrative controls like limiting speed and installing warning lights and alarms, should be implemented. The last control measure involves the use of PPE.

What PPE is Needed for Confined Space?

Requirements vary according to each confined space, but basic PPE per OSHA includes the following: safety glasses, closed-toed shoes, gloves, and protective helmets or hard hats. Additional PPE may include protective clothing like coveralls or chemical-resistant suits, fall protection like harnesses and lifelines, and respiratory protection like gas meters and respirators. For permit-required confined spaces, OSHA notes that workers should be medically cleared to wear respirators. Ensure that workers exposed to atmospheric hazards have properly fitted masks or respirators.

What Are the Three Hazards that Must Be Tested for in a Confined Space?

Per OSHA, the three hazards that confined spaces must be tested for are oxygen, combustible gases, and toxic gases and vapors; in that order. These hazards are listed during evaluation testing and should be listed on your permit. Verification testing is done to ensure that these three hazards are below the levels necessary for safe entry. Atmospheric testing should be conducted using appropriate gas detection equipment before entry and continuously during work, as air quality conditions can change without warning.

Working in Confined Spaces with Confidence

There is no higher priority for you, as an employer, than to ensure the overall health and safety of each and every employee. Working in confined spaces presents deadly hazards that can creep up on even the most seasoned professional. With these confined safety tips we’ve shared, you can feel confident even in the face of an emergency. When danger arises without warning, our hardy confined space equipment has your back until you can get to safety. Ask us about our product training and fit testing while you’re outfitting your team; we’re here to help keep your workers and your business safe.