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Some safety issues are easy to understand and mitigate, such as providing fall protection for employees working at height. Other issues, like confined space safety can be more difficult to understand. With all of the inaccurate information and myths surrounding confined spaces, it can be easy to misunderstand, which can lead to unnecessary injuries on the job.
Myths Regarding Confined Space Safety
While the concept of confined spaces and the hazards they present might seem obvious, it’s not that simple. In fact, there are several things that even some experts may not be aware of when it comes to what a confined space is and how best to protect employees when they're working in and around them. Here are just a few:
Myth #1 – It’s Easy to Recognize What Is and Isn’t a "Confined Space"
OSHA and Canada Occupational Health & Safety specify the traits and qualifications for a confined space; their guidelines don’t provide a comprehensive list of such spaces. In order to identify confined spaces, a certain degree of personal judgment as well as expertise is required. But any areas of your facility may be considered "confined spaces" if they aren't designed for continuous occupancy, but they are large enough for someone to enter (with any part of their body) to complete a task. Confined spaces also have restricted or limited entry and exits. Some examples of confined spaces according to OSHA 1910.146 include:
- Tanks
- Vessels
- Silos
- Storage Bins
- Hoppers
- Vaults
- Pits
- Manholes
- Tunnels
- Equipment Housings
- Ductwork
- Pipelines, etc.
If a confined space has certain particularly hazardous characteristics, it's considered a permit-required space by OSHA, and has additional safety requirements under Canada Occupational Health & Safety regulations. If the confined space exhibits one or more of the following, it's an especially dangerous hazard:
- Contains or may contain a hazardous atmosphere
- Holds material that could engulf a person
- Has walls that lean inward or floors that slope down and taper into an area that may trap or asphyxiate an entrant
- The presence of any recognized safety or health hazard, like unguarded equipment and machinery, exposed live wires, or excessive heat
Myth #2 - Confined Spaces Are Small and Enclosed
Although space restriction is one factor in determining if a space is confined or not, it's not the only thing to consider. When thinking of “confined spaces,” you might imagine workers in hardhats and safety harnesses being lowered down narrow shafts or squeezing into crawlspaces, but some areas that meet confined space qualifications can be quite roomy. The inside of a big storage tank, open pit, or other work area may have plenty of space to stand and move around, but there is also restricted or limited access. Other factors such as the type of material present in the space and environmental conditions may also determine if a space is considered confined (see Myth #1, above).
Myth #3 – Safe Oxygen Levels Mean Safe Breathing in a Confined Space
While this seems logical, it’s not that simple. OSHA guidelines state that oxygen levels between 19.5% and 23% are safe, and the air we breathe normally every day contains around 20.9% oxygen. However, the problem lies with what's replacing the oxygen, or driving the level up, even within these tight limits.
Harmful gases may be present and can be dangerous, even in relatively small concentrations. In particular, carbon monoxide often displaces oxygen, and the maximum allowable exposure to this colorless, odorless gas under OSHA standards is just 50 parts per million, or .000005% of the atmosphere in a confined space. Levels of oxygen and other gases can also vary due to elevations within a confined space and over time, so multiple air safety tests throughout all parts of a confined space before and during each job should be performed, and constant ventilation must be provided. See Myth #4 below for additional atmospheric concerns in confined spaces.
Myth #4 – The Atmosphere of a Confined Space Refers Only to its Air Quality
A common misconception about confined spaces is that a hazardous atmosphere refers to issues with the air quality, oxygen levels, and the potential to inhale harmful materials like solvents or dust. While these are certainly atmospheric conditions, atmospheric regulations for confined spaces also require taking into account the nature, duration, and frequency of the work being done by each worker. In addition to airborne chemicals and particulates, temperature and humidity in the combined space are also considered atmospheric factors and can increase the danger of the work area and lead to a greater risk of incident.
Myth #5 - You're Only in a Confined Space if Your Entire Body is Inside
It may be easy to argue that you're not working in a confined space unless your entire body is within the space. However, OSHA says that whenever any part of the body breaks the plane of the opening of a PRCS (permit-required confined space), entry is considered to have occurred, and other regulations make similar specifications. In other words, if you put your hand or foot into the space, you've technically entered. And even this partial entry into the space by your workers requires you to provide them with regulation-compliant safety equipment, including having confined space rescue equipment (tripod, anchors, safety harnesses, lifelines, etc.) and personnel prepped and ready to take action.
So, now that you’re aware of these misconceptions, it’s only fair to ask…
How to Protect Workers in Confined Spaces?
In order to comply with regulations for confined spaces, you'll need to develop a detailed safety plan for each space. Workers must follow key safety guidelines and you must provide the proper confined space safety equipment. This may include, but certainly isn't limited to:
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Ventilation – It's good practice to ventilate all enclosed confined spaces with normal air to assist in clearing any potentially hazardous gas build-up. However, do NOT use pure oxygen to ventilate as this can cause an additional hazard within the confined space.
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Confined Space Rescue Equipment and Access Control – Access to a confined space is by definition “limited.” Safely getting in and out can be tricky, and unauthorized and accidental entry must be restricted by use of safety gates, railings, hatches, and in some cases, warning signage. In most cases workers should be equipped with appropriate safety harnesses and suspended by a lanyard or self-retracting lifeline attached to a regulation-compliant tripod designed to provide a temporary anchor point (in the absence of permanent anchorage) for fall arrest and rescue.
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Lifting Materials – In addition to moving people safely into and out of a confined space, you also need to be concerned with the tools and other materials necessary to complete the job. A manually operated hoist or winch can safely move materials without risking the safety of workers.
Consult with a Confined Space Expert
Protecting your employees from hazards within the workplace is your obligation under the regulations of your country and locality. If your facility or jobsite isn't 100% compliant with federal safety regulations, you can face severe fines, penalties, and other financial issues. If someone gets hurt due to your lack of compliance, the cost is even higher. Why risk it? When it comes to workplace safety, rely on the experts at Tractel to guide you through the complicated OSHA and Canada Occupational Health & Safety regulations and requirements for confined space safety and compliant confined space rescue equipment.
To learn more about how Tractel products and services can enhance the effectiveness and safety of your workers, contact us today.