Page 14 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2017

CONFINED SPACES
Your rescue team must be able to respond in a “timely manner.” So what is a “timely manner,” knowing seconds count when an incident occurs?
OSHA defines “timely manner” based on the hazards associated with the space. An exception does exist and must be noted: “If entering an Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Permit Required Confined Space, the rescue team is re- quired to be at the space, onsite, and ready to rescue prior to entry (refer to 1910.134).”
Some employers misunderstand the permit required space requirements and think that only bad atmospheres cause in- jury or fatality. Too often I hear, “Our per- mit spaces are not that bad, so we don’t have a rescue team at the site, we just write ‘Call 911’on our permits.” But it is not only the atmosphere in a space that causes injury or, worse, a fatality; it can be a medical condi- tion such as a heart attack, stroke, or heat exhaustion in a space. And sadly, a high percentage of confined space fatalities are unauthorized personnel, co-workers trying to save the worker in trouble.
Having had the misfortune of conduct- ing confined space entry and rescue train- ing after a confined space fatality—a worker had a heart attack and neither the employ- ees nor the fire department could extract the worker or get to the worker to admin- ister first aid in a space deemed “not that bad”—I can attest that this is not a pleasant experience. It’s after the fact. Grief-stricken employees are now learning what they should have been taught before the incident, causing another set of emotions; they’re dis- traught that their employer did not comply with the requirements of 1910.146.
I consider myself knowledgeable in Permit Required Confined Space 1910.146, being immersed daily as a training instruc- tor of confined space entry and rescue, a certified standby rescuer, and an indus- trial safety consultant. Never have I read or found these words written by OSHA: “If your permit-required spaces are ‘not that bad,’youdonothavetohavearescueteam available or on standby.”
Trained and equipped rescue teams need to be on site prior to entry and should consist of employees or a third-party rescue service, or a combination thereof. Your lo- cal fire department typically cannot be con- sidered an option because there is no guar- antee of being able to respond in a timely
manner and it may not have the technical training or equipment to perform rescue.
For permit required confined spaces, OSHA requires employers to develop and implement procedures and have a rescue team proficiently trained and equipped on site for rescuing entrants and preventing unauthorized personnel from attempting a rescue. A rescue team on site at your facil- ity prior to entry is not just critical, but is required in 1910.146.
Confined Space Rescue Training
Employers must have training focused on the skills necessary to rescue in the facil- ity’s confined spaces. Developing a rescue team that is proficient and able to perform a rescue is accomplished through rescue- focused skills training with simulated ex- ercises, real-life scenarios specific to your facility. Rescue training should encompass those skills necessary for your facility’s con- fined spaces. Incorporate the skills needed to meet Curriculum Standards (NFPA, OSHA, etc.) into scenarios as soon as pos- sible to help the students start to tie it all together. Students should have the skills (able to tie knots, rig, etc.) but need to ap- ply those skills to rescue scenarios where they have to think through how to rescue and make team assignments. Skills profi- ciency is only half of the training; the other half is how to apply the proficiency into a rescue scenario, how to think through the scenario keeping rescuers safe, and how to identify hazards and challenges associated with rescue.
Training instructors also need to be familiar with your facility and confined spaces so they can design and deliver an ef- fective rescue training program that meets your needs. They should train using the rescue equipment utilized at your facility since your rescuers must have knowledge on how to use their equipment properly and effectively.
Confined Space Rescue Equipment
Employers must have proper rescue equipment for the entry/exit of a confined space. In addition to rescue equipment being available, rescue teams must have training on the equipment and be knowl- edgeable on how to use the equipment ap- propriately. This requires employers to as- sess their existing equipment, evaluate the latest available, and provide their rescue
team with equipment that reduces error and increases proficiency.
In the fire service, there is a saying: “One hundred years of tradition unimped- ed by progress.” In an industry such as the fire service, we are proud of our rich history and traditions; however, many times this gets in the way of progress. The same is true with confined space and rescue equipment. The technological and design advance in the rope rescue equipment has moved sig- nificantly ahead in recent years. It is impor- tant to keep up with what is available and determine which items of equipment are most beneficial for your team.
Some of the benefits of employing newer equipment: It’s easier for rescue per- sonnel to stay proficient on; can reduce the chance for human error of rigging incor- rectly; can reduce the number of rescuers needed (extremely beneficial for facilities with minimal rescue staff); can reduce the amount of hardware needed; and can re- duce overall time to rig so rescuers can get to the worker at risk safely and quickly.
Here are a few of the newer style rescue devices available today. I am not recom- mending any of these brands, just provid- ing examples of advanced equipment.
■ Petzl ID’l and CMC MPD. A lower- ing system, raising system. Eliminates some old-school equipment and can easily be op- erated by one person. Old-school systems required two to three people to operate.
■ Petzl ASAP Lock. Belay device hooked to the rescuer and the rope. Elimi- nates a person to manage the belay line.
■ Anchor Straps. Adjustable or fixed- length straps that replace webbing. Elimi- nates the need to remember how to tie a water knot or how to loop the webbing around an anchor.
■ Rock Exotica Aztek Kit and Petzl Jag. Assists with rescuing a person who has fallen and is hanging from his harness, as well as pick offs.
■ Petzl Rescuecender. A rope grab much easier to use than tying prusiks or usingtheolder-styleropegrabs.
■ CMI Uplifter. 4 to 1 system with a built-in, easy-to-use brake that can be used for lowering and raising.
■ Yates Spec Pak. Short board that im- mobilizes the head and neck and can be hoisted vertically or horizontally, a great device for confined space rescue.
There are other devices and brands in
14 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2017
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