The Perfect Fit: Confined Space Equipment and Safety

 

Construction jobs can provide work in the most confining of places. While performing tasks in confined spaces, it is important to utilize correct equipment and safety precautions to ensure that you exit as well as you’ve entered: intact and unhurt. If you aren’t prepared for the right procedure when it comes to confined spaces, you could end up injured or worse. To be prepared for these types of jobs, it is important to view and understand the expectations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as be informed on the correct confined space equipment you may need to perform the task safely and effectively.

Before Working in a Confined Space

Employers must make employees aware of the dangers of the confined space by posting signs that portray the dangers of the space. Along with posting signs, employers must actively converse with employees about the existence and potential dangers of the confined space immediately. If the employer needs an employee to enter the confined space, that employer must have a confined space permit program that follows all the rules of OSHA, which you can sign up for online.

Making the Confined Space Safe for Entry

According to OSHA, the employer must make the atmosphere of the confined space safe for entering. This requires the use of continuous forced air ventilation that does not intrude with a passenger’s exiting or entering of the area. Monitoring and inspection of the atmosphere of the space must be executed as OSHA instructs in the confined space permit program. This information must be made readily available to any employees deemed permissible for the entrance of the confined space.

Entering the Confined Space

If there is a cover to the confined space, it must be removed after any potential hazards upon removal of the cover are eliminated. Once open, the confined space must be surrounded with a security guardrail to prevent any falls. Before an employee is granted access, the atmosphere of the confined space must be tested to ensure the safety of the employee. If upon entry a hazard is recognized, employees must clear from the confined space immediately until the hazard can be properly identified and removed. The hazard must be removed without personnel entrance to the space. Documentation of the removed hazard must be kept before a space can be deemed enterable again. For more information on permit space entry communication, coordination and the permit-required confined space program, training, and more visit OSHA’s requirements.

Confined Space Equipment

Once you have your permit, trained your employees, and gotten prepared, you are ready to decide upon confined space equipment. There are a few different ways that confined spaces can be entered, and specific tools are usually a requirement for optimal safety. Industrial Ladder provides a few different options in ladders and aerial access that are great means of confined space equipment.

Werner Type IAA Fiberglass Manhole Ladder- These manhole ladders are available in 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16-foot models. Each is designed for the slender fit inside of a manhole that is ready to be entered safely. For easy removal, these ladders offer aluminum loops on the top that are coated with vinyl to offer mar resistance. Each step is slip resistant with state of the art Traction-Tred technology. Additionally, these ladders offer 3-foot sleeves on the top section of the rails to offer resistance to wear and damage that a manhole may cause. They offer a 1A class rating with a 375-pound weight capacity. To view the options for this ladder, visit our website for more information.

Werner Blue Armor 1000 Standard Harnesses- When a ladder just isn’t the option, an aerial entrance may be necessary. A Werner harness can give you the sturdy and trusting strength that you need in fall protection. Each harness is designed with heavy duty webbing, adjustment locations for supreme comfort, back and shoulder pad with D-ring for aerial support, and impact indicators for safe and efficient use. These harnesses come in 8 different options and have all different applications, so make sure to choose the one that fits your needs. View all the harness options from Industrial Ladder right on our website.

 

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