Tool Box Talk: Confined Spaces, Important Basics of Confined Spaces
What exactly is a confined space?
“Confined space” means a space that:
Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work and;
Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, hoppers) and;
Is not designed for continuous human occupancy.
The Dangers of Confined Spaces
Spaces that;
Contain or have the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere.
Contains material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant.
Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a narrower cross-section.
Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
The Facts:
Enclosed and confined spaces can be very dangerous.
Not all hazards are easily recognized.
Untrained personnel should never enter these spaces.
You have entered a space when any part of your body crosses the plane of the opening.
Space must be tested and permits issued before anyone enters.
All energy sources to the space must be isolated (locked and tagged out) prior to entry.
No form of pressure vessels such as cylinders must be stored in a confined space.
Adequate ventilation must be provided as well as constant monitoring of entrants.
“Learn from the past, but don’t dwell in the past. In other words, don’t abuse the precious ‘now’ by not being in it.” Unknown
