The Ins and Outs of Confined Spaces Rescue Services

Depending on the hazards of a confined space, you might need a rescue team to be on standby during a confined space entry so that it can respond to an emergency within minutes, or you might only need a team to be available to respond and be able to get to the site as quickly as possible.

Generally, you need to have a rescue team at the site if the atmosphere in the space is or could potentially become immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH).

Just keep in mind that in the case of a CPR emergency—no breathing, no pulse—you only have about 4 minutes to restore breathing and heart function before brain damage occurs.

If you use an off-site rescue service, such as your local fire department, make sure they know:

• The number, description, and location of each permit-required confined space on your premises
• All known hazards associated with each space

Also be sure to provide access to these spaces so that off-site rescue personnel can familiarize themselves with the space, develop an adequate rescue plan, and practice rescue operations.

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Evaluating Off-Site Services

When selecting off-site services, you have to evaluate them carefully. OSHA says your evaluation must consist of two components—an initial evaluation and a performance evaluation. During the initial evaluation, you should meet with the off-site service personnel and ask questions like these:

• How quickly can the team get to the confined space in an emergency?
• What is the availability of the team? 24/7? Or are there times when it is not available?
• Are team members properly trained in rescue duties?
• Does the team have all the required PPE and rescue equipment?
• Do team members have the required medical skills, such as CPR and first-aid certification?

The performance evaluation should be based on documentation of the team in action during practice drills. You should look for answers to questions such as the following:

• Have team members been trained as permit space entrants, including training in the potential hazards of the types of permit spaces from which rescue may be needed?
• Can team members recognize the signs, symptoms, and consequences of exposure to any hazardous atmospheres that may be present in those permit spaces?
• Do they know how to use all kinds of rescue equipment, including testing equipment?
• Can they perform their functions safely and efficiently?
• Do they know how to identify and interpret essential information from permits and SDSs?
• Does the team have a proven rescue plan for each type of confined space on your premises?

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E-Z Training at a Phenomenal Price

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All told, this "trainer’s bible" contains 50 prewritten meetings covering almost every aspect of safety you’d want or need to train on, in a format designed to be taught in as little as 7 minutes. Major topics include:

• Confined spaces
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• and dozens more

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