Safety highlight – Working in confined spaces
Working in confined spaces requires additional safety layers as they often have poor ventilation, which allows hazardous atmospheres to develop quickly, especially if the space is small. The hazards are not always obvious and may change from one entry into the confined space to the next.
Confined spaces also pose dangers because they are usually not designed to be areas where people work, such as engine rooms, freezers, anchor lockers and net storage areas.
A confined space is determined by the hazards associated with specific circumstances and not just because work is performed in a small space and may include any enclosed, or partially enclosed, space that:
- is not designed or intended primarily to be occupied by a person,
- is, or is designed or intended to be, at normal atmospheric pressure while a person is in that space,
- is, or is likely to be, a risk because of the atmosphere, contaminants or smothered.
A person must be on standby in the immediate vicinity outside the designated confined space preferably in direct communication with the person inside in order to assist if needed.
The risks of working in confined spaces include loss of consciousness, impairment, injury or death from:
- immediate effects of airborne contaminants
- fire or explosion from the ignition of flammable contaminants
- difficulty rescuing and treating an injured or unconscious person
- oxygen deficiency
- falls from a height
- environmental factors, such as extremes in temperature
- poor lighting
- poor communication and,
- manual handling.
Worksafe (WA) has guidance material on confined spaces to assist operators on how to manage the risks associated with confined spaces in the workplace.
You can find out more here.