SITEX’s confined space rescue technicians are experienced professionals. With an experienced rescue team, you’ll know that your confined space entrants are protected. Guidelines aren’t a substitute for a trained confined space rescue team. OSHA has set up useful guidelines for employers and emergency service providers to follow for confined space rescue. OSHA has stated that not all emergency responders are trained or equipped to conduct confined space rescues. Many companies rely on local emergency services for assistance. For even more explanation on the shortcomings of using local emergency services as your CSR plan, read our blog Why 911 Can’t Be Your Confined Space Rescue Plan. In most cases, OSHA has established 3-6 minutes as an appropriate response time, so you can see why it’s so challenging to meet the standards for using 911 services as a confined space rescue plan. Ensure the responder has proficiency in the needed rescue services.Ensure the responder has the appropriate training and equipment to enter the specific confined space.Ensure the responder can arrive at the site in a timely manner (usually only a few minutes).OSHA does make it possible to utilize local emergency crews as a compliant confined space rescue plan, but it’s worth noting how difficult it is to satisfy all the requirements – it’s a practical impossibility in most cases.Īn employer relying on local emergency services to satisfy OSHA standards must meet three primary requirements: Many companies rely on 911 and local emergency responders as their confined space rescue plan. Learn more about when you need a confined space rescue team Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazards.Has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section.Contains a material with the potential to engulf someone who enters the space.Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere.It has limited or restricted means of entry or exit.Ī permit-required confined space meets the above requirements but additionally includes one or more of the following, and requires an on-site rescue team :.It is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee and.

It is large enough for an employee to enter fully and perform assigned work.OSHA standards ( Subpart AA) define a confined space as one that has all three of these characteristics: If an employee is working in any area that OSHA defines as a confined space, a standby rescue team is required. Do You Need a Confined Space Rescue Team?ĭepending on particular aspects of the confined space, OSHA requires you to have either a standby or on-site rescue team available. The most common hazards include atmospheric hazards and loose materials. The main reason workers enter the confined space space is to perform routine maintenance. Out of 100 the deaths investigated by NIOSH, only 15% of the employees had any confined space training. Confined space incidents result in approximately 100 deaths per year. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), about 2.1M workers enter permit-confined spaces every year. Therefore, these spaces require special planning and preparation to prevent harm to anyone who enters them. Confined spaces like vaults, tanks, storage bins, vessels, and silos present unique hazards, including falls, asphyxiation, and entanglements.

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