Page 67 - OHS, October 2020
P. 67
CONFINED SPACES
Expert Tips for Working Safely in Confined Spaces
Water treatment workers that enter ducts, manholes and vaults frequently must know these safety tips for confined spaces.
BY MARK HEUCHERT
www.ohsonline.com
OCTOBER 2020 | Occupational Health & Safety 63
Little space, lack of oxygen and hazardous substances: Workers in the water treatment industry who enter the confined spaces of ducts, manholes and vaults need to trust that
they can also get back out again safely.
Danger Lurks in Confined Spaces
The cleaning, maintenance and repair of canals and
shafts is a common task in the wastewater treatment industry, yet it is anything but routine. This is because the necessary entering of these “confined spaces” is one of the most dangerous tasks workers face. But when is a confined space defined as such and thus deemed to be particularly dangerous?
Although the definition of a confined space varies between jurisdictions, which leads to numerous local
