Many, or perhaps even most, workplaces have something on the premises that would be correctly termed a “confined space.” If you have regulated confined spaces, you need to have a confined spaces program to protect workers.
OSHA defines a confined space as a space that is large enough and configured in such a way that a person can enter and perform work inside, but has limited or restricted means of entry/exit, and is not designed for continuous occupancy.
Examples of confined spaces include storage tanks, pits, silos, vats, degreasers, boilers, ventilation and exhaust ducts, sewers, tunnels, underground utility vaults, wells, shafts, and deep trenches.
Confined spaces can be dangerous places in which to work because:
- The ventilation is likely to be poor, and dangerous levels of air contamination or oxygen deficiency can occur. Or the atmosphere may be flammable.
- Stored products may shift and be unstable.
- There may be physical barriers to movement—and it can be difficult to get into or to remove an injured worker from the space because of the size or location of entrances and exits.
Whatever safety meeting you need, chances are you’ll find it prewritten and ready to use in BLR’s Safety Meetings Library. Try it at no cost or risk.
Written Program Require
Employers whose operations may require workers to enter spaces defined by the OSHA standard as “permit-required confined spaces” must have a written program that provides proper protection including:
- Prohibiting entry without a permit approved by the supervisor, and protecting and posting the openings to bar unauthorized entry
- Testing the atmosphere before entry for oxygen content and for any flammable gases and vapors or toxic air contaminants and then purging the atmosphere of hazardous elements
- Providing appropriate ventilation, lighting, and personal protective equipment for the entrant
- Having at least one attendant on standby outside the space in continuous communication with the worker inside, wearing protective equipment, and equipped with a lifeline or harness in case a rescue is needed
- Arranging necessary rescue equipment, personnel, and procedures
- Training all workers who will be involved in any activities related to regulated confined spaces
We challenge you to NOT find a safety meeting you need, already prewritten, in BLR’s Safety Meetings Library. Take up our challenge at no cost or risk.
A Shrewd Investment
That last OSHA requirement for confined spaces programs bears repeating— training all workers who will be involved in any activities related to regulated confined spaces.
BLR’s Safety Meetings Library provides the perfect materials for conducting frequent and engaging training on confined spaces safety. This cost-effective resource provides no fewer than seven separate safety meetings on the topic, as well as supporting handouts, quizzes, posters, and safety slogans.
All told, the CD provides you with more than 400 ready-to-train meetings on more than 100 key safety topics—a shrewd investment in this time of tight safety budgets. In addition to the meetings’ supplemental quizzes and handouts, you also get relevant regulations (OSHA’s CFR 29), a listing of the most common safety violations cited by OSHA, and case studies of actual OSHA cases and their outcomes.
Safety Meetings Library lets you choose from a variety of training approaches, including:
- Mandatory—Sessions that are OSHA-required
- Comprehensive—Sessions with broadest coverage of a topic
- 7-Minute—Short, simple, targeted sessions to fit tight schedules
- Initial—A session used as introductory training on a topic
- Refresher—Sessions that follow up on or reinforce previous training
- Tool Box Talk—More informal reinforcement of a topic
- PowerPoint®—Graphic presentations for comprehensive initial or refresher training
- Hands-on—A session in which there are training activities
- Spanish—Including Spanish language handouts and quizzes coordinated with English sessions
You can get a preview of the program by using the links below. But for the best look, we suggest a no-cost, no-obligation trial. Just let us know and we’ll arrange it for you.
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