Permit-Required Confined Space Personnel

   Last time, we took a look at confined spaces, and I wanted to explore it a little further in this post.
   Once the employer has determined that a space meets all the requirements in the OSHA standard for Permit-Required Confined Spaces, a few roles have to be filled if employees intend to enter the space. The Permit itself will also contain the names of the relevant employees. Training must be provided to designated employees prior to the entry.
   The first designated employee will be the Entrant. Entrants are the employees that will perform whatever task is required in the confined space. The authorized entrants are the only employees that may enter the confined space during normal (non-rescue) operations. They should be aware of the relevant hazards to the confined space, as well as the task they intend to perform. They must also stay in contact with the Attendant while they perform their tasks in the confined space. Communication methods will vary, depending on the exact nature of the space, but the main requirement is that the attendant must be able to effectively communicate emergency information back and forth with the entrants.
   Next on the list is the Attendant. The attendant is an employee stationed outside a permit-required confined space to convey information to and from the entrants. The attendant must also be aware of the exact nature of the hazards that may be present in the confined space.  The attendant may not perform any task that interferes with his primary role as the attendant, but may perform ancillary tasks such as air-monitoring or passing tools back and forth to the entrants. The attendant has the main authority to evacuate the confined space if a threat is detected, so, again, effective communication is paramount. The attendant will also be in the best position to summon emergency help if it becomes necessary. The attendant must not enter the confined space for any reason, and may not leave the space unless properly relieved by another attendant.
   The last role that must be designated by the employer is that of the Entry Supervisor. The entry supervisor is the person responsible for coordinating the entry. This is the employee that will make sure that the permit is properly filled-out, that attendant and entrants are designated, and assume responsibility for ensuring that procedures related to the entry are followed. The entry supervisor’s duties are mostly administrative in nature, and this employee may not be physically on the jobsite where the entry occurs. The attendant and the entry supervisor might even be designated as the same person. The entry supervisor, like the attendant may not enter the confined space, although either may perform non-entry rescue.
   Through effective hazard recognition and reduction techniques, entry into permit-required confined spaces may be made safely and efficiently. Training and detailed programs and procedures are also required both for regulatory compliance, and employee safety. Employers who demonstrate dedication to these practices benefit from reduced injuries and related costs.

-Jason

Confined Space Training

   One of the more common training types our company has been asked to perform over the last year or so, has been Confined Space Training.  Requests come from very diverse sources; from an oil refinery in the Bahamas, to a slaughterhouse outside of Amarillo, TX. (I’ll leave you to guess which of those I taught personally, and which I didn’t!) The one thing they all have in common, is the fact that they recognized the need for confined space training, and understood that OSHA requires employers to provide relevant training to employees exposed to hazards on the job.
   The first part of the process is to determine if employees will be exposed to confined spaces on the job. Even if employees will not actually enter the confined spaces onsite, awareness training regarding the hazards may still be needed. Under OSHA guidelines, a confined space:
“(1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
(2) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry.); and
(3) Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.” - 29 CFR 1910.146(b)
   A wide range of spaces may fit this description on a given jobsite, so it is important for each employer to assess the worksite to identify these confined spaces. Then next step is to determine if any of the confined spaces qualify as ‘Permit- Required Confined Spaces.’ Basically, if the confined space contains, or has the potential to contain, some other serious hazard (such as bad air, engulfment hazards, etc.) then it becomes a Permit space. You can consult OSHA’s 1910.146 standard for further guidance, or engage a safety consultant to help audit your particular jobsite and needs.
   Either way, once the types of confined spaces have been identified, employers must provide training to employees to make them aware of potential hazards on the jobsite. The training should be relevant to the jobsite, and specific enough to address the controls and procedures that will be used on the jobsite. The type of rescue to be used will also play a key role in the extent of the training, because employers wishing to maintain their own onsite rescue teams must also train those teams in the proper use of additional equipment as well as provide practical exercises annually to retain proficiency.
   Confined Spaces can be deadly. About 65% of fatalities in confined spaces occur because of bad air, and of those incidents, almost 100% have no air monitoring equipment or powered ventilation. Approximately 60% of deaths in confined spaces are would-be rescuers who lack the proper training to effectively assist a coworker, and about 29% of fatalities are supervisors.  All of these statistics point to one thing: a lack of awareness of the hazards of confined spaces that could be mitigated through proper assessment of the workplace, and effective training of employees. Both easily addressed with the resources available to employers.
   Stay tuned, and we will look at Permit-Required Spaces more closely in the future.
-Jason