Confined Space Training is Important for New Mexico Construction Companies – Here’s Why

As of August 3, 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented a new regulation for confined spaces. Are you adhering to the rules?

Let's begin by defining a restricted place according to OSHA. All the following conditions are met by a limited space:

• It is spacious enough to accommodate a worker.
• It is not supposed to be occupied for an extended period; there are just a few ways in and out.

 A permit-required confined area may be defined as a local place with dangers. Contained areas that require a permit include one or more of the following features:

• A hazardous atmosphere is present or may be present in the area.
• The stuff may engulf an entrant in this room.
• When the walls or the floor slope downhill and become narrower in cross-section, an intruder may be imprisoned or asphyxiated due to the interior structure.
• Other known foremost safety or health risks are present.

Restricted space training and OSHA safety training are mandated for host employers, controlling contractors, and entry employers. Each of these parties has specific responsibilities and obligations when working in confined spaces. The construction site's host employers are the property's owner or management. Contractors responsible for the whole building project are known as "controlling contractors." Employees of entry employers, often known as subcontractors, are needed to get a permit to enter a confined place.

Host/Controlling Employer Obligations:

Before any entrance activities may commence, the following information must be submitted to the controlling contractor by the host employer:

• Each local place for which a permit is necessary may be found here.
• Each confined space's dangers or prospective hazards; and the basis for its permit-required status.
• Precautions adopted by the host employer or any prior controlling contractor/entry employer in the permit-required restricted space for the safety of employees

Entry Employer Obligations:

• All permit-required restricted places on a construction site should be made clear to workers.
• To ensure the safety of employees, eliminate or isolate dangers in the workplace, analyze personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, provide the necessary PPE, and teach workers how to use it and any related hazards.
• Train permit-required restricted space employees to safely execute their responsibilities and understand the risks in permit areas and the procedures utilized to isolate and regulate personnel.
• Prepare, use, and cancel entrance permits by the stated permit-required restricted space entry program.
• Before entering any restricted locations requiring permission, be sure that rescue and emergency personnel are on hand and appropriately trained.