If you’re wondering whether your workplace has confined spaces and whether your workers should undergo confined space training, keep reading to find out all of the crucial information about employees’ safety in confined spaces.
What Qualifies as a Confined Space?
If you’re unsure whether certain spaces in your workplace may qualify as confined spaces, here’s how you’ll know for sure. According to its definition, a confined space is an area with restricted or limited space for an entry and/or exit and is not designed to be continuously occupied. These are some of the common examples of confined spaces in workplaces:
- Tanks
- Vessels
- Storage Bins
- Hoppers
- Vaults
- Pits
- Manholes
There are numerous job positions where employees will come in contact with confined spaces. Some of them include vacuum truck operators, oilfield laborers, pump truck technicians, construction workers, scaffolders, electricians, and others. Working on a construction site is especially likely to include encountering confined spaces. Though this practice of working in confined spaces is common for many workers, it is highly regulated for the many dangers it can cause. Workers who enter confined spaces on a daily basis must have the proper training and permits in order to do their job.
Why is it so dangerous?
Now, you might be wondering why is working in confined spaces so dangerous that it requires special training and permits. Aren’t those just small spaces? Well, it’s more than just a small space.
Confined spaces often carry numerous invisible dangers that only properly trained workers can detect and avoid in time. These are just some of the most common reasons why confined spaces can be dangerous:
- Reduced oxygen levels
- Fire risks
- Risks from noxious fumes
- Flooding/Drowning risks
- Asphyxiation risks
- Contamination risks
- Access difficulties during emergency situations
All of these and more represent huge safety and health risks. That is why your workers need to be trained and prepared for such dangers. Working in confined spaces without training and a license can increase the level of risks and cause major injuries or even death in workplaces.
Why is confined space training important?
For the above-mentioned and several additional reasons, confined space training is extremely important and even required for many job positions. These are some of the most convincing reasons why you should provide confined space training to your employees if they encounter confined spaces on a daily basis.
It ensures safety
The first and the most important reason is the fact that confined space training will ensure the safety of your workers. Working in confined spaces without any prior training can pose health risks and cause serious injuries to workers and those around them. If your workers are properly trained, they will be able to avoid such situations. On top of that, if an injury does occur, your workers will be prepared to react properly in a given emergency situation. Not only does this ensure their safety but it can also save their lives.
It prevents property damage
Another important aspect has to do with the property or the workplace. If you work in construction zones you most likely have a set time period during which the project should be done. If your employees work in confined spaces without any training and that leads to major incidents, it can cause damage to the property you’re working on as well. Not only can a situation like this lead to huge expenses, but it can set back your working progress and end up slowing down your construction project. So, make sure everyone is trained properly and knows how to work in confined spaces while also taking care of the property you’re working on.
Concrete cracks may seem harmless
It’s important that when concrete cracks form on the concrete surface you take concrete repair Bronx seriously. While concrete cracks may seem harmless, concrete damage can quickly escalate into more concrete problems if you do not handle concrete crack repair correctly. If left alone, concrete cracks can spread quickly and cause further concrete damage that will be more expensive to fix concrete surface preparation. If you have concrete cracks on the concrete surface, it’s important to concrete repair Bronx the concrete crack before the concrete damage becomes worse concrete damage.
It saves money in the long run
You may have to invest some money to have your workers trained, but this will actually help you save a lot of money in the long run. If your people get injured in their workplace or the property suffers huge damage during an accident, think about how much money will be spent to get everything back on track.
It ensures professionalism
Lastly, confined space training will ensure that the job is done with utmost care and professionalism. People who are properly trained for such working conditions will know how to maneuver around difficult spaces and get their job done efficiently and on time.
Conclusion
Overall, if your workplace meets the criteria for confined spaces, your employees should undergo confined space training to ensure their safety while working on daily tasks.
