Not all workplaces will have confined space, but those that have need to have good controls in place for those who need to go into confined spaces to do any maintenance work or repairs. There are a few things you must consider before letting people go into confined spaces such as access, testing the atmosphere and if the area they’re going into is properly isolated so equipment won’t start. You also need to think of the job they are doing. If you’re just going in to do a check, there’s a small chance it will be dangerous, but if you’re going in to do maintenance or something that could affect the atmosphere then there needs to be more control put into place.

Confined space rescue

Confined space rescue is very important but is something that is rarely practised. There are a few things you could consider in order to be prepared. Firstly, have a plan for confined space rescue. Make sure that the people involved in the rescue are trained, competent and have a good understanding of the equipment they will be using. Finally, you need to make sure the equipment available is appropriate for the environment you’re working in.

Review your process
Every company will have a different confined space rescue plan that works best for them. But often, people tend to overlook small details that would actually make the rescue a lot harder. Plans may be done quickly and thought provoking questions may not be asked. This is important to ensure you have looked at the rescue from all angles and worked out what you would do for unique situations. So when doing your plan, ask yourself questions and what you would do in certain situations and then see if the plan is still viable. If it’s not, work out another way to do it. This ensures a safe and appropriate plan is created for any situation.

Look at confined spaces individually
Confined space rescue plans cannot be looked at with a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each confined space should be reviewed individually and plans should be tailored to that space. Look at the access, look at how you’ll make the rescue, look at where you want to be positioning the rescue equipment, you should ensure individuals taking part are highly trained and finally, you should practice.

Most organisations will have a confined space rescue plan in place, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the most effective one. When going over a rescue plan, it’s important to ensure that in an emergency, you are able to get everyone out quickly and safely without adding extra danger and hazards. How do you ensure your rescue plan is the safest way to react in an emergency?

It’s really important that each confined space has its own rescue plan. Each space will be different and will have different access, will need different equipment and will need the rescue to adapt accordingly. Are all your confined space rescue plans the same or do you tailor them to each individual space?

Control in confined spaces in the workplace is very important. You need to ensure those going into a confined space are in safe working conditions. You need to look at what kind of job the worker will be doing whilst in there. If it’s a quick check, there is minimal risk that something will happen. However, they could be going in to do maintenance or something, where the atmosphere could change so more control, would need to be put in place. What sort of control would you implement in this situation?

ABOUT HOST 

Colin Nottage 

‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.’ 

This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry. 

Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions. 

He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes that are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation. 

Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses. 

Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, -an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive. 

He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought-after health and safety speaker and trainer. 

He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)