Risk Assessments

Confined Spaces with space inventory and risk assessments

Due to lack of training, many deaths occur because of confined spaces. Confined spaces are also referred to as silent killers. Confined space is the one that is closed in fully or partially which is not designed for human use, entry is restricted according to the location, it endangers the health and safety of the one who enters because of the following factor: design, location, construction or atmosphere; the  substances and materials present there; the work activities carried, mechanical; safety hazards and processes present. These can be above ground or below it almost found at any workplace. These are not small necessarily. Some examples of confined spaces are silos, hoppers, vats, utility vaults, sewers, access shafts, pipes, aircraft wings, truck or rail tank cars. Trenches and ditches are also included in confined spaces.Confined spaces include all the hazards that regular workplaces have, but they are more dangerous than the regular work sites.

Hazards of confined spaces:

Poor air quality: sure to  poisonous substances that are in the workplace, oxygen levels deplete and it makes the worker unconscious. natural air is not sufficient to maintain breathable air quality. chemical exposure due to ingestion and skin contact and also bas air inhalation.

Fire hazard: due to flammable/ explosive atmosphere where flammable gases and liquids fires would be ignited.

Radiation and noise also add fuel to the fire.due to moving parts of equipment, entanglement structural hazards, slips and falls can occur.

Atmospheric and surface temperature extremes.

Collapsing or shifting of the bulk material. other dangers include electrical shocks, biological dangers, etc.

Working in confined spaces is more dangerous:

Before working in confined spaces many factors need to be reviewed since a single error can result in the most dangerous situation which can become uncontrollable. For example the entrance and exit of the workplace may not allow the employee to get in an out frequently, it is hard for a worker to rescue himself in case of emergency, victim rescue is very difficult due to the interior structure of the confined work space since movement in these spaces is not possible due to lack of space, natural ventilation will not be enough for the workers to breathe since there wont be much quality breathing air, conditions change in fraction of a second, the outside conditions leave an impact on the conditions inside the workspace and vice versa.