Confined Spaces Hazards and Requirements
By Mike Rich- Safety Services Company
Published: July 27, 2011
Summary
Many workplaces contain spaces considered "confined" because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in and exit them.
A confined space by definition has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Examples of confined spaces include underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines.
In addition to standard confined spaces OSHA uses the term "permit-required confined space" to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.
Nationwide there are a combined 6 million work-places with confined spaces. In these workplaces on average 92 workers die and another 5,000 plus are injured in confined spaces a year.
To limit these incidents of injury and death OSHA has instituted a strict policy dealing with confined spaces.
Through this policy OSHA requires implementing standard emergency procedure training for entrants, attendants and supervisors. Plant management is required to have fully trained rescue teams ready to respond to any situation. Other requirements include identifying hazards in confined spaces, defining your workplace confined spaces and setting up a permit policy.
In addition to the increase of workplace injury by not having a policy in place non-compliance carries penalties of $70,000 per occurrence, and it is expected that numerous fines will be imposed on businesses committing serious violations.
A confined space by definition has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Examples of confined spaces include underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines.
In addition to standard confined spaces OSHA uses the term "permit-required confined space" to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.
Nationwide there are a combined 6 million work-places with confined spaces. In these workplaces on average 92 workers die and another 5,000 plus are injured in confined spaces a year.
To limit these incidents of injury and death OSHA has instituted a strict policy dealing with confined spaces.
Through this policy OSHA requires implementing standard emergency procedure training for entrants, attendants and supervisors. Plant management is required to have fully trained rescue teams ready to respond to any situation. Other requirements include identifying hazards in confined spaces, defining your workplace confined spaces and setting up a permit policy.
In addition to the increase of workplace injury by not having a policy in place non-compliance carries penalties of $70,000 per occurrence, and it is expected that numerous fines will be imposed on businesses committing serious violations.
Related
- Spilling the Truth on Bloodborne Pathogen Training(July 26, 2011)
- Fall Protection and Requirements (July 25, 2011)
- Aerial Lift Hazards and Training Requirements (July 25, 2011)
Introduction
There are more than 5 million permit-required confined spaces in workplaces across America and another 1 million non-permit spaces.
But, do you know what a confined space is or a permit required confined space?
OSHA defines a confined space as any space having one of the following characteristics.
(1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work
(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.
In addition, a "permit-required confined space" is one that: 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 that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section; or contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
Examples of confined spaces include storage tanks, compartments of ships, process vessels, pits, silos, vats, degreasers, reaction vessels, boilers, ventilation and exhaust ducts, sewers, tunnels, underground utility vaults, and pipelines.
There are more than 5 million permit-required confined spaces in workplaces across America and another 1 million non-permit spaces.
But, do you know what a confined space is or a permit required confined space?
OSHA defines a confined space as any space having one of the following characteristics.
(1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work
(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.
In addition, a "permit-required confined space" is one that: 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 that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section; or contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
Examples of confined spaces include storage tanks, compartments of ships, process vessels, pits, silos, vats, degreasers, reaction vessels, boilers, ventilation and exhaust ducts, sewers, tunnels, underground utility vaults, and pipelines.
Hazards of Confined Spaces
On May 17, 2004, a 36-year-old Hispanic laborer entered a sawdust storage silo to unclog a sweep auger advance mechanism and became engulfed in sawdust. After several minutes of struggling in the dust a nearby coworker heard a noise from the silo which prompted him to call out to the victim. When he heard no response, he and several co-workers began looking for the man. After approximately 20 minutes of digging through the collapsed sawdust, they found him dead.
It was not an isolated incident.
According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program, fatal injuries in confined spaces fluctuated from a low of 81 in 1998 to a high of 100 in 2000 during the five-year period, averaging 92 fatalities per year. [1]
In addition to the fatalities, more than 5,000 workers are seriously injured in confined spaces each year.
The most common cause of those injuries is a hazardous atmosphere. This hazard primarily deals with the air in the confined space and includes oxygen-deficient, oxygen-enriched and flammable or toxic atmospheres.
Other common confined space hazards include:
Engulfment
Engulfment means the surrounding and effective capture of a person by a liquid or finely granulated substance that can be inhaled and cause death by strangulation, constriction or crushing. Loose, granular material stored in bins and hoppers, such as grain, sand, coal, or similar material, can engulf and suffocate a worker.
Falling Objects
Workers in confined spaces should be aware of the possibility of falling objects, especially in spaces which have topside openings, and where work is being done above the worker.
Temperature Extremes
Extremely hot or cold temperatures can present problems for workers. For example, if the space has been steamed, it should be allowed to cool before any entry is made.
Noise
Noise within a confined space is amplified by the design of the space. Excessive noise can not only damage hearing, but can also affect communication, such as causing a shouted warning to go unheard.
Slick/Wet Surfaces
Slips and falls can occur on wet surfaces causing injury or death to workers. Also, a wet surface will increase the likelihood and severity of electric shock in areas where electrical circuits, equipment, and tools are used.
Injuries Cost Employers Billions
While the sheer number of those injuries is staggering, the financial impact they place on employers is overwhelming.
An annual study conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in 2010, revealed that the direct cost to employers from injuries in 2008 was $53.42 billion.
Furthermore the study concluded that accidents at the workplace were estimated to cost employers an additional $80 to $200 billion annually.
A second report by the U.S. Department of Labor cemented the finding of the insurance groups report. This report stated the average workplace injury cost an employer $43,000. The same study estimated the cost from wage replacement due to injury to be roughly $50 billion a year.
"An accident at the workplace can often be the difference between operating in the black and falling into the red," said Safety Services Company CEO Devon Dickenson.
It was not an isolated incident.
According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program, fatal injuries in confined spaces fluctuated from a low of 81 in 1998 to a high of 100 in 2000 during the five-year period, averaging 92 fatalities per year. [1]
In addition to the fatalities, more than 5,000 workers are seriously injured in confined spaces each year.
The most common cause of those injuries is a hazardous atmosphere. This hazard primarily deals with the air in the confined space and includes oxygen-deficient, oxygen-enriched and flammable or toxic atmospheres.
Other common confined space hazards include:
Engulfment
Engulfment means the surrounding and effective capture of a person by a liquid or finely granulated substance that can be inhaled and cause death by strangulation, constriction or crushing. Loose, granular material stored in bins and hoppers, such as grain, sand, coal, or similar material, can engulf and suffocate a worker.
Falling Objects
Workers in confined spaces should be aware of the possibility of falling objects, especially in spaces which have topside openings, and where work is being done above the worker.
Temperature Extremes
Extremely hot or cold temperatures can present problems for workers. For example, if the space has been steamed, it should be allowed to cool before any entry is made.
Noise
Noise within a confined space is amplified by the design of the space. Excessive noise can not only damage hearing, but can also affect communication, such as causing a shouted warning to go unheard.
Slick/Wet Surfaces
Slips and falls can occur on wet surfaces causing injury or death to workers. Also, a wet surface will increase the likelihood and severity of electric shock in areas where electrical circuits, equipment, and tools are used.
Injuries Cost Employers Billions
While the sheer number of those injuries is staggering, the financial impact they place on employers is overwhelming.
An annual study conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in 2010, revealed that the direct cost to employers from injuries in 2008 was $53.42 billion.
Furthermore the study concluded that accidents at the workplace were estimated to cost employers an additional $80 to $200 billion annually.
A second report by the U.S. Department of Labor cemented the finding of the insurance groups report. This report stated the average workplace injury cost an employer $43,000. The same study estimated the cost from wage replacement due to injury to be roughly $50 billion a year.
"An accident at the workplace can often be the difference between operating in the black and falling into the red," said Safety Services Company CEO Devon Dickenson.
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