Confined spaces are any enclosed space that limits the amount of air you can breathe. This can be found in many places, such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, and homes. If you’re interested in learning more about confined space training, this article will give you some insight into what they are and why they’re dangerous for workers in them.
Table of Contents
What is a confined space?
A confined space is a space that is too small to allow the worker to escape safely. Confined spaces can be found in many places, including homes and businesses. They are also known as confined spaces, confined spaces, and confined areas.
The most common example of a confined space is an elevator shaft that has been left open after its last use by workers who have since left for their day off or gone home early due to bad weather conditions outside the building walls.
Why do you need a permit to enter the confined space?
The first thing you need to know is that confined spaces can be dangerous. Confined spaces are not always what they seem, and if you don’t know what to expect when entering one, it could lead to injury or death.
Any worker in a confined space environment (like an elevator) needs to have training on how best to enter and exit their assigned area safely. This includes knowing how long it will take before someone else arrives at their position to help them out of a bad situation—and also being able to work alone while waiting for help because there may be no one else around at all!
If something goes wrong during this process, such as leaking gas or electrical current escaping from an improperly maintained piece of machinery running inside your elevator car itself then don’t panic!
What are the hazards of a confined space?
Confined spaces are dangerous, and you need the training to enter them. You must be aware of the hazards involved in a confined space, as well as how to deal with them when they arise. You should also be trained on how to respond if there is an emergency or evacuation situation in your workplace.
The four types of hazards in a confined space
Four types of hazards can occur in a confined space:
- Physical Hazards: These include such things as falling objects, hot surfaces, and chemicals.
- Biological Hazards: These include germs, viruses, and bacteria that can cause disease or infection. They also include insects (such as cockroaches), rodents (rats), and snakes.
- Chemical Hazards: These include flammable gases, poisonous gases, and other liquids or solids with a high concentration of toxic elements such as arsenic or cyanide; they may be present at all times but they become more dangerous when they are combined with heat from an electrical source causing an explosion or fire which could lead to death if not controlled immediately by trained personnel wearing protective clothing during rescue operations
- Electrical Hazards: These include power lines near your work area and faulty wiring on equipment like forklifts or other machinery being operated within an enclosed room. They may be present at all times but become more dangerous when combined with heat from an electrical source causing an explosion or fire which could lead to death if not controlled immediately by trained personnel wearing protective clothing during rescue operations.
Suffocation hazards
Confined spaces can be filled with gases and vapors. These substances are harmful if inhaled, so it is important to identify a potential suffocation hazard before entering one. A confined space that has a potential for suffocation can be identified by looking for:
- Hazards such as flammable or explosive chemicals;
- An increase in humidity levels;
- The presence of toxic fumes or gases (such as carbon dioxide); and/or
- Signs that there are people present in the area who should not be there (e.g., lack of oxygen).
Drowning hazards
Drowning is one of the most common causes of death in confined spaces. If you are trapped in a confined space and someone else is drowning, it is important to know what to do.
If you have training on how to prevent drowning, then some things can help save lives during an emergency:
- Stay calm and stay at least one arm’s length away from the victim until help arrives (if possible). This will allow them time to breathe normally again before they lose consciousness.
- If possible, open a window or door so that fresh air flows into the room where they’re trapped (and vice versa). This will aid their breathing efforts greatly!
Hazards of toxic substances
You should also be aware of the dangers of toxic substances. Toxic substances, such as paint and adhesives, can cause serious injury to an employee in a confined space if they are not handled properly.
If you work with hazardous materials such as this, you need to know what symptoms to look for so that if something goes wrong, you can get help immediately. If someone experiences any sort of discomfort or pain after working with these substances, he or she should stop working immediately!
Hazards of flammable substances
You might be surprised to learn that there are many hazards associated with confined spaces. Fire and explosion can occur when a flammable substance like gasoline, oil, or kerosene is present.
These explosions can cause burns and even death if they happen in the workplace or at home. The best way to avoid this type of incident is by following the rules set forth by OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration). These include:
- Working within an area that has been properly checked for hazards;
- Using tools approved by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health);
- Inspecting equipment before using it; or replacing defective parts immediately upon discovery
Physical hazards.
Confined spaces are dangerous. You may not realize it, but confined spaces can be just as dangerous as any other type of workplace hazard.
Physical hazards include sharp objects and uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, and other dangers that could cause injury or death if you’re not trained to deal with them. Physical hazards also pose risk to equipment in the area.
For example, if there’s a metal door that swings open when someone walks through it and they’re not wearing proper safety gear they could cut themselves on the edge of that metal door and injure themselves badly enough that they won’t be able to come back into work for several days or weeks depending on how severe their injuries are.
The same goes for electrical wires running close together near stairs where someone might trip over them while trying not only to walk downstairs but also moving around elsewhere inside their facility (such as from one floor up).
With training, you will be ready for emergencies.
You should never feel like you have to be a superhero in an emergency that’s just not realistic. But with proper training and understanding of the risks associated with confined spaces, you can respond appropriately if something unexpected happens in one of these spaces. And if something does happen? Well, then at least you’ll know what to do next!
Conclusion
Confined spaces can be deadly for the unwary. They can also be hazardous for the unprepared. It is therefore important to understand the hazards of confined spaces and how you can avoid them. The first step is learning about confined space training so that you are prepared before going into one of these spaces without proper safety equipment, training, or knowledge.
Leave a Reply