Confined spaces are dangerous work places. Their potential hazards include exposure to toxic substances, electrocution, asphyxiation and explosions. The more than 2.1 million workers who enter a confined space each year rely on their employers to ensure adequate safety. With lives at stake, proper precautions ought to be obvious, right? The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established comprehensive standards to protect workers in confined areas. Yet studies indicate that many employers do not take confined space safety seriously. With tragic consequences.

First, let’s understand what factors define a confined space. Per OSHA 1910.146 (b), a “confined space” is a space that:

• Is large enough for workers to enter and perform certain tasks;
• Restricts entry and exit, especially in an emergency (i.e., pipelines, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits); and 
• Is not designed for continuous occupancy.

In other words, your office at the end of the hall, or the broom closet, are not confined spaces per OSHA. But manholes and sewer systems are.

Deadly truths

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examined 100 cases of worker deaths in confined spaces. We’ve summarized the study to five deadly truths about confined spaces:

• Bad air — and more — can kill you. 66% of confined space fatalities were due to atmospheric conditions such as unbreathable air, toxins, gases and vapors. In 100% of these cases there were no gas detectors or adequate ventilation systems in place. Engulfment/drowning (21%), blunt force trauma from flying objects (10%) and electrocution/burns (3%) comprised the other causes.
• Routine doesn’t mean safe. 80% of deaths happened during ordinary confined space work. No visible danger needs to be present.
• Rescuers are at risk, too. Consider the “whirlpool” effect of confined space incidents. 60% of deaths involved search-and-rescue personnel. And 33% were supervisors.
• Training saves lives. More than 95% of victims had no formal training.
• Confined space deaths are preventable. With proper assessment, remediation, training, equipment and response.

Did you know?

28 states have OSHA-approved occupational safety and health programs. These state standards meet or exceed federal standards.

Follow the regs

So, what can an employer do to ensure worker safety in confined spaces? Answer: Follow the OSHA regulations to the letter. Establish a written Confined Space Safety program, and make sure every employee is trained and on board with compliance.  OSHA has established separate standards for confined spaces in General Industry (29 CFR 1910), Shipyards (29 CFR 1915) and Construction (29 CFR 1926). In a factory, warehouse or other facility, the ultimate responsibility for OSHA compliance falls on the owner. For shipyards or construction sites or anywhere multiple contractors are present, the standards are essentially the same, but the rules expand with responsibility across the owner and contractors.

At a high level, the OSHA methodology for confined space safety is as follows:

• Assess and Identify — Before work begins at a job site, all confined work spaces must be identified and evaluated for potential hazards by qualified experts. If one of the following conditions is present, the space is designated as a “restricted access area, called a permit space:

• Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere;
• Contains a material that could engulf an entrant;
• Is shaped in such a way to possibly trap or asphyxiate an entrant;
• Contains any other serious safety or health hazard

• Remediate—Any hazards must be removed, mitigated or neutralized before workers can enter. This includes ventilating the airspace, removing loose objects, securing pathways, installing railings and ladders and locking out power sources.
• Prepare—Workers must be supplied with approved head-to-toe personal protective gear, including respirators and fall protection apparatus, gas detectors, communication devices and tools to perform their tasks.
• Train—Training is required not only for authorized workers, but also for designated rescue workers. Rescue teams need to be familiar with confined space situations. The facility should conduct emergency drills periodically to test its preparedness for an incident.
• Communicate—Before work commences, all jobsite employers must share permit space information with each other and with the host employer. Employers must also inform their employees of the location, potential dangers and any implemented precautions of each permit space. Once work begins, OSHA requires that any complications or new hazards encountered in permit spaces be recorded and likewise communicated to all parties working the site.

Did you know?

One chief risk associated with a confined space is a hazardous atmosphere. Per OSHA, a hazardous atmosphere may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue, injury, or acute illness from one or more of the following causes: Flammable gas, vapor, or mist; Concentrated airborne combustible dust; Atmospheric oxygen concentration below 19.5% or above 23.5%;  Atmospheric concentration of any substance which could result in employee exposure in excess of its dose or permissible exposure limit;  Any other atmospheric condition that is immediately dangerous to life or health. So, before anybody can enter a confined space, the airspace inside must be rendered safe for occupancy.

Need help?

To learn more about Confined Space products, or for more information about OSHA regulations, ask BlackHawk. Our expert industry partners can assess your needs and help you find the right solutions.  This service is free.

Blackhawk offers thousands of products for Confined Space Safety. These include head-to-toe personal protection equipment, respirators and fall protection apparatus for your workers. Gas detectors and portable blowers help to ensure a safe working atmosphere. Lockout/tagout devices restrict access or warn when a workspace is unsafe or off limits. 

Resources

Brady 43991 1910 OSHA Guide, English Edition

NIOSH Study 94-103, Worker Deaths in Confined Spaces, 1994.

OSHA Confined Spaces web page

OSHA 1910 Table of Contents

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