Confined spaces can be deadly unless employees are aware of hazards and understand safety measures required to prevent accidents and injuries.
OSHA defines confined spaces as work areas with certain features. They are:
- Large enough to enter and work in
- Limited entry and exit areas
- Not designed to be occupied for extended periods
Examples of confined spaces include tanks, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, pits, furnaces, tunnels, sewers, pipelines, crawl spaces, process vessels, and underground areas.
Common tasks performed in confined spaces include cleaning, painting, welding, scraping, performing repairs, and maintenance.
Confined space hazards include:
- Hazardous atmosphere or potential for one
- Materials such as sand or grain that could potentially engulf a person in the space
- Slanting walls or sloped and tapering floor that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant
- Any other recognized serious safety or health hazard, such as heat, falls, noise, equipment, or electricity
You are responsible for testing and inspecting confined spaces to make sure they are safe for employees to enter. Failing to identify hazards and take precautions causes thousands of serious injuries and many deaths in confined spaces every year.
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Hazardous Atmospheres
One of the most common causes of confined space injuries and fatalities is a hazardous atmosphere inside the space.
Employees could risk death or serious illness, become incapacitated, or have trouble escaping if the confined space’s atmosphere contains:
- Levels of flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10 percent of their lower flammable limits. Anything that could burn or explode (for example, gasoline, methane, dust) is more likely to do so in a confined space. These substances can be ignited by smoking, grinding or welding sparks, unapproved electrical equipment, or metal friction (even from nails in shoes).
- Airborne dust levels at or above their flammable limits or permissible exposure limits (PELs) or at levels that prevent visibility of fewer than 5 feet. Dust is not only a breathing hazard; it’s also an explosion hazard.
- Oxygen concentration above 23.5 percent or below 19.5 percent. Oxygen levels over 23.5 percent create a serious fire or explosion risk. Levels of 16 percent can cause drowsiness and nausea, 12 percent can cause unconsciousness, and 6 percent can cause death. Methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, corrosion, or rust can displace oxygen in a confined space.
- Any other condition, such as toxic vapors, that could threaten life, cause irreversible health problems, or make it difficult to escape the space without help.
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Employee Training
In addition to hazard recognition, OSHA-required confined space training includes safe work practices, communication methods, and rescue procedures.
All employees involved in confined space entry must be properly trained to recognize signs of danger and take proper actions to protect entrants. This includes:
- Authorized entrants
- Attendants stationed outside the space
- Entry supervisors, who authorize and oversee confined space operations
- Rescue personnel
Tomorrow, we’ll continue our review of confined space safety and focus on OSHA’s requirements for permit-required confined space programs.
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