“Common Hazards of Confined Spaces in Food Processing Facilities”

Confined space hazards are common within food processing facilities, and you need to pay special attention to worker safety when accessing these types of areas. Implementing a safety protocol, providing workers with confined space safety equipment that complies with local safety regulations, and prioritizing safety training all help to mitigate the potential dangers. 

What Is a Confined Space in Food Processing?

As defined by OSHA and the Canada Occupational Health & Safety, a confined space is any area that's large enough for a person to enter and complete certain tasks, but which is not designed for continuous occupation. Confined spaces are also defined as having limited entry and exit options. Confined spaces of particular concern (designated “permit-required confined spaces” under some regulations) are those that, in addition to meeting the criteria for a confined space, also present an atmospheric or other hazard to workers.

Examples of confined spaces in a food processing facility include, but are not limited to:

• Storage Tanks
• Vats
• Storage Bins
• Hoppers
• Silos
• Vaults
• Pits
• Large Machinery 

When Do Employees Need to Enter Confined Spaces?

By definition, a confined space is one that's not meant for continuous occupancy. But sometimes, it's necessary for workers to access the space. The reasons for entry into a confined space vary, however, some common tasks that workers perform in these spaces include:

Facility Cleaning

Food and beverage manufacturers must regularly clean hoppers, storage tanks, vats, and processing equipment. Oftentimes, this task is performed manually by an employee who enters the confined space. Limited entry and exit points as well as the potential for chemical contaminants make cleaning confined spaces a potentially dangerous endeavor. 

Equipment Repairs

When a large piece of machinery breaks down or malfunctions, time is of the essence. It must be fixed quickly to keep the pace of production. Employees must enter the space, make the repairs, replacing parts in cramped quarters and often on a deadline. Squeezing into a tight space to make repairs includes the risk of shock, crushing, and potential exposure to harmful gases.

General Facility Repairs

Your food processing storage containers and machinery aren't the only potential confined spaces in your manufacturing plant. Consider the fact that most of your electrical system, plumbing, and HVAC system may be hidden behind walls, under floors, and in ceilings. Getting to these systems to make repairs could put workers and repair crews in a confined space. Electric shock is a common risk in this case, as is the risk of falling or encountering hazardous environmental conditions within the space.

Safety Requirements for Workers in Your Facility’s Confined Spaces

It's your obligation to know and follow all applicable local and national safety standards in your food manufacturing facility. To remain compliant with confined space safety regulations, you must:

• Evaluate the workplace to determine if any spaces are permit-required confined spaces. 
• If permit spaces are present, you must inform employees by posting warning signs or by another equally effective means of highlighting the confined space hazards.
• Even if it is determined that workers are not going to be entering the confined space, steps must still be taken to prevent any accidental or unauthorized entry.
• If workers will be entering the confined space, even if only occasionally, a written safety plan for that space, the tasks to be performed in it, and the safety equipment and measures required must be created and shared with employees prior to entry.
• Access control and fall prevention equipment such as guardrails and a swing gate may need to be installed around the opening of a confined space.
• Use regulation-compliant confined space safety equipment for entry, material handling, and rescues.
• Due to the restricted access of confined spaces, rescue equipment must be set up and ready to use before most forms of entry can begin, even for routine tasks.

Confined Space Hazards and Solutions

Your food processing facility presents many potential dangers, and complying with safety regulations requires taking steps to protect employees throughout the work environment. Confined spaces include familiar food industry dangers as well as hazards of their own, often heightening the potential for problems due to the characteristics of the spaces. OSHA and Canada Occupational Health & Safety usually do not specify which equipment must be used to address each safety hazard, so you will need to rely on your judgment and the advice of qualified experts.

Atmosphere and Environmental Dangers

Although not all confined spaces are enclosed, many have limited ventilation, tight spaces, and other factors that can affect employee respiration. The air in enclosed spaces often includes the solvents, fumes, extreme temperatures, and even the airborne dust, flour, or other particulates which may be present in other parts of your food processing facility. With limited ventilation and the potential for low oxygen and other breathing hazards, these threats can be far more serious. Thoroughly test all aspects of air content, including temperature and humidity, before any work begins and maintain constant ventilation and monitoring during the job to maintain compliance with all OSHA and Canada Occupational Health & Safety standards. Ensure that all employees have any masks, goggles, or other personal equipment that the atmosphere conditions in the enclosed space may require.

Falling and Accessibility Challenges

Regulation-compliant passive protection such as guardrails and self-closing gates should be in place in all areas of fall risk, confined or not. Getting into and out of confined spaces presents a particular level of potential risk, however. Big tanks and bins are some of the areas where workers will require special positioning and fall prevention equipment. Personal, active fall protection such as safety harnesses and self-retracting lifelines may be needed for workers entering and exiting confined spaces.

Even a relatively shallow confined space such as a 4-foot-deep vat requires the presence and use of equipment such as a powered hoist or manual winch for lowering and lifting workers and equipment. Often there is limited space or lack of available anchor points around a confined space. If this is the case, specialized confined space access equipment like a tripod, a mast-style lift, or portable anchor point may be employed. Remember that OSHA and other regulatory authorities may require equipment for rescue personnel and equipment to be prepared before beginning confined space work, so lifts, tripods and hoists capable of handling two or more people may be necessary.

Awareness and Human Error

With restricted ability to evacuate and limited contact with fellow workers, confined spaces can make many hazardous situations and accidents even more dangerous than they might be in a normal work environment. The leading causes of serious accidents in confined spaces are engulfment in materials and asphyxiation, situations which require immediate intervention by rescuers. For this reason, thorough preparation of equipment and constant communication during confined space work are essential. Any laps of attention or failure to follow the safety plan can lead to serious consequences.

The importance of employee training and a safety-first corporate culture cannot be overemphasized. Ensure that all employees at every level are educated about risks and safety procedures from day one and throughout their entire tenure, including an emphasis on any confined spaces that may be present in your food processing facility.  

Providing Your Facility with the Right Confined Space Safety Equipment

When it comes to protecting your employees and complying with regulatory standards, your facility can't afford to take confined space hazards lightly. Not only is there the possibility of costly fines and penalties for any violation; an accident can badly harm company morale and may even tarnish your company’s reputation and the food brands you serve.

Contact the safety experts at Tractel® today to discuss your confined space safety needs or visit our confined space page to learn more about our solutions. From navigating the details of safety regulations, to fall prevention equipment and specialized access solutions, to training and planning for a full range of safety needs, Tractel® is a highly capable partner and resource for you and your company. With decades of expertise and unparalleled international support, we are ready to help you today.

Contact Tractel®