How to Keep Workers Safe in a Confined Space
Confined space work requires comprehensive safety protocols, proper training, effective communication systems and emergency response procedures that are tailored to the specific hazards and constraints of these spaces.
While confined space entry and exit can be challenging, and often can be dangerous, connected gas detection solutions can help enhance worker and worksite visibility and be an additional benefit in confined space applications.
With an estimated more than 2 million workers operating in confined spaces every year across a variety of industries,1 it is important for teams to have the proper PPE, safety equipment, and emergency procedures in place.
What Is a Confined Space?
A confined space2 is designated as a space that:
Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
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 is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
A “permit-required confined space”3 is one that meets all three of the above and at least one or more of the below criteria:
- Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere,
- Includes material that has the potential to engulf anyone who enters,
- Features walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward, tapering to a smaller space that can trap or asphyxiate an entrant,
- Comprises any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires or heat stress.
How can Connected Safety Solutions Help?
The presence of hazardous vapor and gas concentrations is one of the primary risks of confined space entry. As well as atmospheric hazards, limited communication, restricted movement, delayed emergency response and reduced visibility in confined spaces and other physical and verbal challenges can hinder worker safety in a confined space.
The variety of risks makes it ever more important that site managers and their workers are not only equipped with the most appropriate PPE and portable and wearable gas detectors for their working environment, but also that the equipment is used correctly to help ensure the safety of those working in confined space environments.
Portable or wearable gas detectors can help workers not only monitor the atmosphere of a confined space, but when these devices are part of a connected safety program, they can also alert on-site workers and off-site safety managers when a gas leak is present, or a worker is in danger.
For example, portable or wearable gas detectors that come with automatic cellular connectivity and integrate with cloud-based software can provide on-site workers warnings and alerts when dangerous gas levels are present and allow off-site safety managers the ability to monitor the location and status of workers across a single worksite or multiple worksites.
Connected detectors can also be assigned to a worker at the start of a shift, giving safety managers and teams off-site visibility into that worker’s location, the current readings of his/her device, and the ability to issue an evacuation if that worker’s device goes into an alarm. Some detectors even offer alerts that notify from device to device, sharing an alarm on-site if a nearby worker or another worker in their group goes into alarm, providing increased awareness of when to evacuate, respond to a worker emergency, or contact first responders.
When a Portable or Wearable Gas Detector Goes into Alarm
While each confined space or jobsite and emergency situation may have its own unique challenges, and organizations have their own established standard operating procedures and Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), here are some recommended steps to take when a detector goes into alarm:
Alert Others
The moment a gas leak is suspected or detected, alert all workers within the vicinity as quickly as possible, whether through audible alarms, device or radio communications, or verbal notifications—to ensure the message is conveyed quickly and clearly. Establishing a clear signal for evacuation can prevent panic and help ensure an orderly exit.
Evacuate the Area
Everyone in the affected area should evacuate immediately, following pre-established safety protocols and evacuation routes. It is essential that these routes are clearly marked, well known to all personnel, and free from obstructions at all times. During evacuation, remain calm, and assist others who may be disoriented or require help.
Ventilate the Area
If it is safe to do so, attempt to ventilate the area to disperse any toxic gas detected. This can involve opening doors, windows or activating ventilation systems specifically designed for emergency use. However, this step must only be taken if it can be done without risk of ignition of flammable gases or exposure to toxic substances. The aim is to reduce the concentration of the gas, thereby lowering the risk of health complications and explosion.
Do Not Return
Under no circumstances should anyone re-enter the area until it has been declared safe by professionals with the appropriate expertise. Gas concentrations can remain dangerously high even after they are no longer detectable by smell or other basic senses, and the area might also be structurally unsafe.
Seek Medical Attention
Individuals who were in the vicinity of the gas leak should seek medical attention if they exhibit any symptoms of gas exposure, which can include, but are not limited to, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing or headaches. Early symptoms can worsen rapidly, so immediate medical evaluation is crucial, even for those who feel only slightly affected.
Investigate the Source
After the area has been declared safe by competent authorities, a thorough investigation into the source of the gas leak should be conducted. Understanding the cause of the leak is essential for implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence. This step often involves reviewing the event on the gas detector and in digital data logs, checking equipment maintenance records, examining the integrity of gas storage and delivery systems, and assessing adherence to safety protocols.
Gas leaks in confined spaces pose a significant risk, but the danger can be effectively managed through prompt and decisive action.
Connected gas detection solutions can help drive visibility across workers and worksites and can be an additional benefit in helping to enhance decision-making with comprehensive analytics and insights. Workers in confined spaces can gain an added layer of security, backed by the continuous support and monitoring of real-time data, setting a new standard for workplace safety in challenging environments.
Chris Irwin, CSP, is global training instructor lead with MSA Safety.
- https://www.assp.org/docs/default-source/standards-documents/z117-1_tech_brief_220302.pdf ↩︎
- https://www.osha.gov/confined-spaces ↩︎
- OSHA 3138-01R 2004 Permit-Required Confined Spaces ↩︎
