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Best Practices & Safety Protocols For Confined Spaces

September 18, 2024
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Confined spaces are dangerous for several reasons, but the overarching issue is that these spaces weren’t designed for people to work in. Yet, from construction workers to pest exterminators, farm workers to electricians, there are so many occupations that involve crawling somewhere dark and cramped as part of the job description. Some common confined spaces you’ll find in the workplace include sewers, stormwater systems, grease traps, silos and treatment process tanks. With confined spaces so prevalent, confined space safety should be a priority for any industry requiring employees to work in these areas.

According to Safe Work Australia, a confined space is a space that is not intended to be occupied by a person and is likely to involve health and safety risks from a lack of oxygen, airborne contaminants or the likelihood of getting crushed. As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you are responsible for managing or eliminating the risks associated with confined spaces by eliminating the need to access one wherever possible. Part 4.3 of the model WHS regulations has additional requirements designed to keep your workers safe if there’s no way for them to avoid working in a confined space. Procedures include ensuring workers have completed training to enter confined spaces and providing an entry permit, signage and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Incidents in confined spaces can and have resulted in serious injury and death. It’s crucial to ensure that any work you do in confined spaces is carried out to the highest possible standards.

When you need help with confined space management, SSTC is happy to assist. We can offer you a procedure for the management of confined space works and ensure your every strategy is aligned with the confined space code of practice.

Hazards in Confined Spaces

A confined space is more than just a physically tight or enclosed location. Confined spaces are defined by the hazards that make them potentially dangerous to work in. The most dangerous examples of these hazards include:

Restricted entries and exits

Smaller-sized entries and exits make it harder to rescue injured workers from confined spaces or to get equipment in and out. Sometimes, confined spaces actually have very large entranceways but are located in areas that make them hard to access. These situations can require ladders, hoists and other devices, making rescue operations even more challenging.  

Airborne chemicals

Confined spaces also tend to be the kind of environments where harmful and hazardous chemicals are unleashed. Examples include tanks of hydrogen sulphide in sewers and pits, freshly released contaminants when sludge or slurry is removed, residue from the manufacturing process evaporating into gas or vapour, and carbon monoxide from forklift exhaust. Toxic fumes and gas can cause loss of consciousness or death within minutes and can overwhelm not only the worker in the confined space but any would-be rescuers, too.

Unsafe oxygen levels

Oxygen levels of 19.5% to 23.5% by volume are generally considered safe. However, certain situations can cause oxygen levels to dramatically decrease in confined spaces. For example, the oxygen in a confined space may be displaced by gases, depleted through surface oxidation, or consumed during the combustion of flammable substances. Too much oxygen can increase the risk of the next hazard: fire and explosion.

Fire and explosion

A fire or explosion requires the existence of an ignition source, air, and a kind of fuel capable of igniting. A flammable atmosphere can result from flammable residue, materials left in the space, a chemical reaction, or the presence of combustible dust.

Engulfment

Engulfment is the danger of being swallowed up by material, which can result in asphyxiation. Materials that pose the risk of engulfment include sand, plastic, liquids, fertiliser, grain, coal products, sewerage and animal feed.

These are just a few of the hazards it’s possible to encounter while working in a confined space. Other threats to confined space safety include (but aren’t limited to) biological hazards, the introduction of uncontrolled substances, mechanical hazards, loud noise and both physical and psychological demands.

Mandatory Safety Protocols in Confined Spaces

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Some mandatory requirements for confined space safety according to the Code of Practice include:

Eliminating the risk

As a PCBU, you must eliminate the risk by removing the need to enter a confined space. If there’s no way to avoid entering the confined space, you must minimise the time inside it as much as possible. Having a competent person carry out a risk assessment will help determine what kind of controls you need to minimise risk in the confined space.

Entry permits

Legally, a worker is not allowed to enter a confined space unless the worker has been issued with a confined space entry permit. A competent person has to complete the permit and fill in several important details: what the confined space is, the names of the people permitted to enter, risk control measures, etc.

Isolation

Before anybody enters the confined space, all hazardous plant and services should be isolated. This prevents risks such as the introduction of hazardous chemicals through vents and piping and the inadvertent use of any electrical equipment. The possibility of movement should be removed from fans, agitators, or any other moving parts that may cause injury to workers and devices or equipment with any stored energy should be reduced to a zero-energy condition.

Best Practices for Confined Space Safety

Some steps you can put in place to ensure confined space safety include:

Have a plan

It’s essential to understand the laws around confined space management and to have a procedure in place for the management of confined space works. Document the steps you need to take before, during and after entering a confined space to stay safe.

Test the atmosphere of the confined space

Before the worker enters the confined space, perform an evaluation test to determine the confined space’s atmosphere and how you can address any hazards like combustible or toxic gases. Test results should be included on the work permit.

Ensure adequate ventilation

In a confined space, proper ventilation keeps the atmosphere at a safe level with a continuous supply of fresh air.  Ventilation maintains a safe, effective level for the atmosphere, keeps the temperature cool and helps to remove contaminants.

Use personal protective equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) lets the worker protect their whole body before entering the confined space. From harnesses to lifelines, face protection to gas monitoring devices, the style of PPE required varies from task to task.

Continuously monitor the worker in the confined space

Conditions in confined spaces have the power to change, sometimes quickly, exposing workers to new conditions and challenges. One of the most effective ways to prevent accidents is to continuously monitor the confined space using apparatuses like direct reading monitors.

Ensure Your Site’s Safety with SSTC

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You can trust the SSTC team to ensure the safety of your site's confined space. With SSTC’s confined space management services, we maintain the highest levels of safety while always complying with the Australian confined space Code of Practice.

SSTC can help you with every aspect of your site safety plan from start to finish including procuring the right plans and permits. Services we can provide include isolations, documentation, permit issuing, confined space set-up and emergency response teams. We can put together a solid confined space safety plan to ensure we follow all the rules and regulations as we keep your workers safe.

If you’re ready for the highest level of confined space safety, get in touch with a company that takes safety seriously and is trusted by some of Australia’s biggest construction companies. Contact the SSTC team for a free quote.

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