Working safely in confined spaces awareness training

haz-ed-admin

14 May 2023

It goes without saying that working in confined spaces presents new hazards and exposes you to many different risks.

A unique set of safety skills and knowledge is essential, supported by well maintained and suitable equipment. This is the reason we supply safety equipment alongside accredited training courses – we believe that linking the two is absolutely crucial.

So what is a confined space?

In general, a confined space is one that satisfies the following:

• Not designed or intended to occupy a human
• Has restricted exits and entrances by means of size, location and/or method
• Presents a health risk for entrants by what the space contains or activities within the space

It’s alarming that 60% of confined space related fatalities happen to the people who are attempting a confined space rescue. This brings into light the importance of training and confined space readiness in the event of an emergency.

You may be thinking that your work doesn’t involve confined spaces – but in nearly every kind of work there are spaces that defined as confined. These might include vats, silos, hoppers, train cars, sewers, trucks, tanker cars, boilers, manholes, storage bins or even trenches and ditches.

Aside from the obvious safety implication there are also legal and regulatory measures in place when entering a confined space. Every worker who works in a confined space is required to have confined space training. Working in the confined space without proper training is not only asking for problems… in most cases it is against the law!  The company is responsible for the safety of their workers and they are responsible for the training compliance of their workers. Every company must provide the right training for their workers.

If you need to know more about the legal and safety implications of working in a confined space, get in touch with our consultants today.