Confined Space Safety
Confined spaces are often found in agricultural operations and often require entry. While these spaces are not designed for people, they often must be entered to perform various tasks and maintenance work. These spaces often have limited room for entry and exit and are not designed for continuous occupancy.
OSHA Standards and Requirements for Confined Spaces
Before entering a space, evaluate the space to determine if a permit is required to enter the space.
Take measures to ensure that employees do not enter a permitted space if they are not trained or equipped with the proper PPE.
Develop a plan for entering confined spaces and have all necessary certifications and trainings.
Incident Prevention
Label all confined spaces. This allows workers to identify confined spaces and take the proper measures before entry.
Evaluate all confined spaces to determine if they contain any potential hazards.
Provide workers with the proper training on determining if a confined space is hazard free and allows adequate entry and exit.
Test the air quality before entering a confined space. Most incidents occur because of low oxygen levels, combustible gas in the air, or toxins. In the event of an incident, never go in after the person. Call local responders to perform the extraction.
While a worker is in a confined space, contact is always kept with them.
