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Along with the technical challenges of working in confined spaces, there are also a number of safety concerns. Safety managers and business owners tasked with providing confined space safety, must consider numerous potential dangers, including low visibility, poor breathing conditions, and restricted access. In order to help owners and managers keep employees safe, OSHA has outlined regulations specifically to deal with working within confined spaces.
Here we’ll take a fresh look at the OSHA confined space regulations,as well as the rescue and fall protection equipment needed to keep your employees safe while on the job.
What is a Confined Space?
OSHA defines a confined space as any space that:
- Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work
- Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (e.g., tanks, tankers, silos, storage bins, vaults and pits)
- Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy
Though these definitions may seem easy to understand on paper, the conditions of a real world workspace can be a little harder to define. It’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to maintaining employee safety — and that means it’s important to make sure you follow safety regulations and provide workers with the appropriate confined space equipment in any scenario that may fit OSHA’s confined space definition.
What Are the Most Common Confined Spaces?
Confined spaces safety is a priority for workers in a wide range of industries and work environments. Though in no way a complete list, OSHA confined space regulations most often apply to worksites such as:
- Manholes
- Vaults
- Pipelines
- Equipment housings
- Tanks
- Storage bins
- Silos
- Ductwork
- Pits
- Hoppers
Permit-Required Confined Spaces
Beyond the basic definition of a confined space, OSHA also has a delineation for what they refer to as a “Permit-required Confined Space.” According to their regulations, these are any confined space that also:
- Contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere;
- Contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant;
- Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section; or
- Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
OSHA also has created a “Permit-required Confined Space program” subdivision within their confined space safety regulations which outlines the proper protocols employer’s must undertake to address the safety hazards of these high-risk areas. These protocols outline a number of hazard identification, testing, abatement, and training procedures to keep employees safe when working both in or near Permit-required Confined Spaces
Rescue and Emergency Services
In the event of an accident or injury that may occur within a confined space, OSHA also outlines the proper procedure for a rescue. Within these regulations, OSHA details a number of statutes, some of which deal with the proper equipment to use during a rescue. Here, OSHA states:
- Each authorized entrant must use a full body harness, with a retrieval line attached at the center of the entrant's back near shoulder level, above the entrant's head, or at another point which the employer can establish presents a profile small enough for the successful removal of the entrant
- The other end of the retrieval line must be attached to a mechanical device or fixed point outside the permit space in such a manner that rescue can begin as soon as the rescuer becomes aware that rescue is necessary. A mechanical device must be available to retrieve personnel from vertical type permit spaces more than 5 feet (1.52 meters) deep.
OSHA-Compliant Confined Spaces Safety Equipment
If an incident occurs in a confined space within your facility or out in the field, it’s necessary to have the proper confined space equipment to help rescue the worker. As noted by OSHA, this equipment is usually comprised of a combination of three elements: a safety harness, a lanyard or lifeline, and an anchor point.
Safety Harnesses
Safety harnesses come in a variety of materials, configurations, and sizes to meet the needs of a number of scenarios. When choosing a safety harness for your rescue operations, make sure they properly fit the employees, are free from wear and tear, and will provide the proper support during the lifting of the injured party.
Lanyards & Lifelines
Lanyards and lifelines are the connecting lines between a harness and an anchor point. These lines feature energy absorbers to mitigate injuries during a fall. Lifelines and lanyards come in a range of lengths, widths, and weight capacities to fit any requirement.
Anchor Points
An anchor point provides a secure place to attach a lanyard or lifeline. But a reliable anchor point is not always easy to come by near or over the entryway of a confined space, especially out in the field. Utilizing a fixed anchoring system or portable tripod provides your entrant, and rescue team with a stable, overhead anchor point to aid with the operation.
How To Select the Right Confined Space Equipment?
Begin by determining which OSHA confined space regulations apply to your work conditions. Then, determine which protective equipment will simultaneously fulfill the requirements for confined spaces, fall safety, and any other relevant safety considerations.
Ensuring OSHA Compliance with Tractel
For assistance determining which confined space equipment will meet your needs for both confined spaces and fall protection, contact Tractel. Our industry-leading safety engineers are constantly innovating the most effective and safe confined space equipment, suitable for the widest range of confined spaces operations.