What are the Top Confined Space Hazards in Construction?

Construction workers, regardless of the field they work in, are frequently faced with confined spaces and these spaces can unfortunately contain physical dangers as well as environmental hazards.

There are numerous reports over the years of injuries and deaths incurred (massive beatings in dangerous conditions found inside, mind you). But with the proper safety training and precautions, construction workers can mitigate their risk for injury.

What Are Confined Spaces?

Common to nearly any work site, confined spaces are not typically for workers to feel comfortable spending a lot of time in, and they’re frequently difficult to get out of if something goes wrong. Construction: Confined spaces in construction are defined by the Federal OSHA as:

• Large enough for worker entry
• Restricted points of entry or exit
• Not suitable for Habitation

A number of confined spaces also need a permit to do anything in them, under certain conditions such as the following:

1. The presence of a dangerous atmosphere or the potential existence of a dangerous atmosphere
2. Standard Dynamic Safety and effectively prevents the worker from becoming entrapped.
3. Interior configuration of restricted access which could entrap an employee.
4. Asphyxiation hazard from sloping walls or floors, etc.
5. Any other hazardous safety or health hazard such as open conduits and chemical spills

Dangers of Confined Spaces

From road construction to commercial and residential projects, workers throughout the country are required to work in a confined space on a daily basis including: boilers, manholes, crawl spaces, incinerators, tanks (cutting apart or welding together), HVAC ducts.

Irrespective of the nature of confined space or construction worksite, many potential hazards to workers’ health and safety may include exposure to toxic chemicals and gases, accidental electrocution, as well as death.

Any construction project involves risks, and one of the most serious is the threat posed by a confined space and its level of oxygen. When a worker is sent into such a confined space without appropriate safety gear and training, however, horrible things can happen.

Four minutes without air, and a construction worker — or any other human being for that matter — begins to lose oxygen to the brain, potentially suffering cell death from which there is no recovery. Conversely, too much oxygen, oxygen enrichment, can also be fatal.

OSHA’s Construction Standard

In an effort to assist employers in understanding and dealing with these potential hazards, before employees entered those confined spaces for work, OSHA implemented its Confined Spaces in Construction standard. Employer Requirements It requires that employers do the following:

• Confined spaces subject to permitting.
• Permit required confined spaces entry and attendant hazards recognition by a competent person
• What is a hazard and how do we make it safe.
• Training on confined space entry and victim rescue for employees
• Control of unauthorized employees and the general public into these confined spaces

Learn More with Safety Counseling

If not following OSHA’s Construction Industry confined space standard, there are many undesirable things for an employer.

These may include lawsuits, workers’ compensation claims, fines and reputation that comes with employees getting seriously injured or dying on your watch.

Safety Counseling can help your business avoid all of this and increase the safety of their workers by offering a variety of OSHA approved safety classes. Get in touch with us today to learn more about this.