CONFINED SPACE Safety REV1

Safety Aspects of working in
CONFINED SPACE
Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Ground rules for the webinar participation
• Don’t note things down, try to understand
• Actively participate when encouraged, try to make this a dialogue rather than a
monologue
• If you have a questions, write your questions in the chat area during the
presentation, these will be answered at the end
• Question breaks will be taken appropriately
• Mute your line if you are not speaking & remember to mute again when you have
spoken

Objectives
After this module you should be able to
• Understand what is Confined Space and types and Hazards
• Identify the most common confined space hazards
• Necessary steps that needs to be taken to avoid those hazards
• Understanding Confined Spaces working Team and Responsibilities
• Permits and Checklist

Confined Spaces
Confined space is space that:
• Large enough to bodily enter and work

• Limited entry and exit
• It is not designed for continuous human occupancy
• Has unfavorable natural ventilation due to stagnant air, oxygen
deficiency or enrichment or nitrogen atmosphere
• Has contaminated air with toxic or/and flammable gas, dust, etc.
• May cause engulfment in unstable or loose material

Confined Spaces

Confined Spaces

Hazards in Confirmed Space
Confined Space - Hazards
Hazards of Confined Spaces
• Oxygen Deficient Atmospheres. • Nonspecific work practices.
• Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres. • Temperature Extremes.
• Flammable Atmospheres. • Noise, Slick/Wet Surfaces, Falling Objects.
• Toxic Atmospheres. • Engulfment (burying) in loose material.
• Poor lighting and ventilation.
• Unexpected activation of machinery
• No way or no time available for the exit.

Confined Spaces – Other Hazards
• Unstable or dangerous work surfaces
• Falling objects
• Insects or animals
• Biological
• Noise
• amplified due to acoustics of the space
• damages hearing and affects communication
• Slippery or wet surfaces

• increased risk of falls and electrical shock
• Personal protective equipment

• more common PPE such as hard hat, hard-toed boots, safety glasses,
face shield, gloves, and overalls must be worn when needed
• Hot work
Types of Confirmed Space
Confined Space - Characteristics
Internal configuration
Open - no obstacles, barriers or obstructions within space (i.e. water tank)
Obstructed - permit space contains some type of obstruction that rescuer would need to
maneuver around, such as baffle or mixing blade
Large equipment, such as ladder or scaffold brought into space for work purposes, would
be considered obstruction if positioning or size of equipment would make rescue more
difficult
Open Obstructed
Elevation
• Elevated - permit space where entrance portal or opening is above grade ≥ 4 ft.
(Usually requires knowledge of high angle rescue procedures because of
difficulty in packaging & transporting patient to ground from portal)
• Non-elevated - permit space with entrance portal located ≤ 4 ft. above grade
(Will allow rescue team to transport injured employee normally)

Portal size
Restricted - portal ≤ 24” in least dimension
Too small to allow rescuer to simply enter space while using SCBA
Too small to allow normal spinal immobilization of injured employee
Unrestricted - portal ≥ 24” in least dimension
These portals allow relatively free movement into and out of permit space

Space access
Horizontal - portal located on side of permit space
Use of retrieval lines could be difficult
Vertical - portal located on top of permit space; rescuers must climb down, or at
bottom of permit space, rescuers must climb up to enter space
May require knowledge of rope techniques or special patient packaging to safely
retrieve downed entrant

Confined Spaces – Types (summery)

Confined Space WORKING Team
Configuration of team
• Attendant
• Authorized Entrant
• Entry Supervisor
• Emergency rescue
personnel

Attendant
Individual stationed outside one or
more permit spaces, who monitors
authorized entrants & performs all
attendant’s duties assigned in
employer’s permit space program

Duties of Attendants
• Knows hazards that may be faced during entry
• Aware of possible behavioral effects of hazard exposure in authorized entrants
• Continuously maintains accurate count of authorized entrants
• Remains outside permit space during entry operations until relieved by another attendant
• Communicates with authorized entrants
• Monitors activities inside & outside space
• Summons rescue & other emergency services
• Performs non-entry rescues as specified by employer's rescue procedure
• Performs no other duties that might interfere with primary duty to monitor & protect authorized entrants

Authorized entrant
Employee authorized by employer to
enter permit space

Duties of Authorized Entrants

• Know hazards that may be faced during entry, including information on mode, signs or symptoms
& consequences of exposure
• Properly use equipment as per SOP
• Communicate with attendant as necessary to enable attendant to monitor entrant status & enable
attendant to alert entrants of need to evacuate space
• Alert attendant whenever:
• Entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure to dangerous situation
• Entrant detects prohibited condition
• Exit from permit space when…

• Order to evacuate is given by attendant or entry supervisor
• Entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure to a dangerous situation
• Entrant detects prohibited condition
• Evacuation alarm activated
Entry Supervisor
• Person (such as employer, foreman or crew chief) responsible for determining
if acceptable entry conditions are present at permit space & overseeing entry
operations & for terminating entry.
• Note: entry supervisor may serve as attendant or authorized entrant, as long
as that person is trained & equipped as required for each role.

Duties of Entry Supervisor

• Knows hazards that may be faced during entry
• Verifies, by checking that appropriate entries have been made on permit, all tests specified by
permit have been conducted & all procedures & equipment specified by permit are in place before
endorsing permit & allowing entry to begin
• Terminates entry & cancels permit when required
• Verifies that rescue services are available
• Removes unauthorized individuals who enter or attempt to enter during entry operations

Confined Space Retrieval system
Retrieval system
Retrieval system
• Equipment (including retrieval line, chest or full-body harness, wristlets, if
appropriate, & lifting device or anchor) used for non-entry rescue of persons

Confined Space Testing
Confined Spaces - Testing
Testing
Process by which hazards that may confront entrants are identified & evaluated.
• Before employee enters space, internal atmosphere shall be tested, with calibrated direct-reading
instrument, for following conditions in order given below -
• Oxygen content
• Flammable gases & vapors
• Toxic air contaminants

Test the Oxygen:

Oxygen Deficient Atmospheres :
• Normal air contains 21% Oxygen (O2). An O2 level of 19.5% or less is considered O2 deficient.
• A reduction in O2 can be caused by rusting, decomposition, or replacement by another gas like
nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

Flammable Atmospheres :
Few Critical Factors:
• Presence of flammable gas, or vapor (Methane, hydrogen, Acetylene, Propane, Gasoline
fumes, etc.)
Proper air/gas mixture can lead to an explosion
• Smoking
Typical Ignition Sources:
• Sparking or electric tool.
• Welding/cutting operations.
• Smoking

Toxic Atmospheres :
Product stored in a confined space:
• Gases released when cleaning. (Toxic materials are Carbon
monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, welding fumes, corrosive, etc.)
• Materials absorbed into walls of confined space.
• Decomposition of materials in the confined space.

Hazard Control @ Confined Space
Confined Spaces – Control Measures
The hierarchy of control measures to eliminate or minimize the risk should be

followed in the priority order listed steps:
1. Elimination
2. Substitution
3. Isolation
4. Engineering controls
5. Administrative controls
6. Use of PPEs.
7. Use of rescue tools.

Confined Spaces – Requirements
Precautions to be taken before entry to confined space:
1. Ventilate, eliminate, or control the space’s atmospheric hazards.
2. Disconnect and cap all input lines so that no hazardous materials can
enter the space.
3. LOTO (Lock out tag out)
4. When entrance covers are removed, guard the opening immediately.

Permit and Checklist
Confined Spaces – Work Permit
Contents of The Entry Permit:
• Permit space to be entered
• Purpose of the entry
• Date and the authorized duration of the entry permit
• Authorized entrants
• Attendants
• Site supervisor with a space for the signature
• Hazards of the permit space
• Measures used to isolate the permit space and to control permit
space hazards before entry
• Acceptable entry conditions
• Results of initial and periodic tests, names or initials of the testers
and when the tests were performed
• Rescue and emergency services
• Communication procedures
• Equipment (PPE, testing equipment, communications equipment,
alarm systems, rescue equipment, etc.)
• Any other information necessary in order to ensure employee safety

Confined Spaces – Checklist

Confined Spaces – Additional Work Permits
Work performed in a confined space that require additional work permit:
• Welding, cutting, brazing, soldering
• Painting, scraping, sanding, degreasing
• Sealing, bonding, melting

Employer & Employee Responsible
Employer Employer Is Responsible for
• Providing atmospheric testing equipment
• If necessary, providing ventilation equipment and/or respiratory protection
• Providing and training on confined space permits and the written program
• Developing and training on emergency action and rescue plans

Employees Responsible for
• Testing the atmosphere prior to entry
• Periodically monitoring the atmosphere for possible changes
• Following permit procedures
• Ensuring that there is at least one authorized attendant present at all times

In Confined Space Remember the Word…
M I N A
In CONFINED SPACE Always Remember…
MINA
• M Monitor the condition and Atmosphere
• I Isolation of all kinds of Energy Sources
• N Never Work alone
• A Appropriate PPE to be used

In your win, lies our win!
Thank you

CONFINED SPACE Safety REV1

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Safety Aspects of working in

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

• Don’t note things down, try to understand

presentation, these will be answered at the end

• Question breaks will be taken appropriately

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

After this module you should be able to

• Understand what is Confined Space and types and Hazards

• Identify the most common confined space hazards

• Necessary steps that needs to be taken to avoid those hazards

• Understanding Confined Spaces working Team and Responsibilities

• Permits and Checklist

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Confined space is space that:

• Large enough to bodily enter and work

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Hazards of Confined Spaces

• Oxygen Deficient Atmospheres. • Nonspecific work practices.

• Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres. • Temperature Extremes.

• Flammable Atmospheres. • Noise, Slick/Wet Surfaces, Falling Objects.

• Toxic Atmospheres. • Engulfment (burying) in loose material.

• Poor lighting and ventilation.

• Unexpected activation of machinery

• No way or no time available for the exit.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

• Unstable or dangerous work surfaces

• damages hearing and affects communication

• Slippery or wet surfaces

• Personal protective equipment

Open - no obstacles, barriers or obstructions within space (i.e. water tank)

maneuver around, such as baffle or mixing blade

be considered obstruction if positioning or size of equipment would make rescue more

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Restricted - portal ≤ 24” in least dimension

Too small to allow normal spinal immobilization of injured employee

Unrestricted - portal ≥ 24” in least dimension

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Horizontal - portal located on side of permit space

Use of retrieval lines could be difficult

bottom of permit space, rescuers must climb up to enter space

May require knowledge of rope techniques or special patient packaging to safely

retrieve downed entrant

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Individual stationed outside one or

more permit spaces, who monitors

authorized entrants & performs all

attendant’s duties assigned in

employer’s permit space program

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

• Aware of possible behavioral effects of hazard exposure in authorized entrants

• Continuously maintains accurate count of authorized entrants

• Communicates with authorized entrants

• Monitors activities inside & outside space

• Summons rescue & other emergency services

• Performs non-entry rescues as specified by employer's rescue procedure

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Quess Corp Conﬁdential © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Duties of Authorized Entrants

• Properly use equipment as per SOP

• Exit from permit space when…