Page 68 - OHS, September 2024

FALL PROTECTION
Confined Space Fall Protection: Hazards, Highlights and How to
Keep Workers Safe
Confined spaces present unique fall hazards, but these risks can be mitigated through proper assessment, effective fall protection solutions, and thorough training.
BY PHILIP JACKLIN
The risk of slipping, tripping or fall- ing is prevalent in many facilities and job sites. In fact, falls are the second leading cause of occupa- tional deaths, only surpassed by automobile accidents. Confined spaces carry similar risks and hazards but add to the complica- tions with physically or atmospherically challenging environments for workers to perform their duties. A 2020 fact sheet pub- lished by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis- tics (BLS) reported that 1,030 occupational deaths were linked to work in confined spaces. Of those deaths, falls to a lower level accounted for 156 fatalities, second only to trench collapses.
To reduce the number of fall injuries & fatalities, it’s first necessary to start reduc- ing the number of falls occurring. Con- fined spaces pose unique risks to workers, but fortunately, they can be mitigated just like any other workplace hazard. The Oc- cupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) believes all falls are preventable, even falls in confined spaces. Let’s discuss some unique challenges in developing a confined space fall protection program,
how to address fall hazards systematically and how to maintain a comprehensive pro- gram that keeps confined workers safe.
Definitions of Confined Spaces
As far as OSHA compliance is concerned, a confined space is defined as a working environment with limited or restricted means of entry and exit, specifically an ac- cess point less than 24 inches in diameter. Examples of confined space work environ- ments include underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, hoppers, ingot pits and diked areas, vessels, silos and other similar areas. Personnel working in confined spaces are often subjected to increased risk of entrap- ment, engulfment and hazardous atmo- spheric conditions.
Additionally, a permit for entry must be obtained if a confined space contains any of the following conditions:
■ A hazardous atmosphere (or one with the potential to become hazardous).
■ Material that has the potential for en- gulfing an entrant.
■ An internal configuration that could cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxi-
ated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor, which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section.
■ Any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
Permit-required confined spaces con- tain an increased risk of falls due to the hos- tile atmospheric conditions present. Respi- ratory protection gear should be properly fit-tested per manufacturer instructions while wearing fall protection equipment to ensure compatibility & worker safety.
Identify, Evaluate and Control Hazards
While confined spaces may contain el- evated chances of risk or unique hazards not found elsewhere in a facility or job site, assessing and addressing the fall hazards should follow the same procedure per the fall protection program. Before any con- fined space work is performed, employers must conduct a hazard assessment to iden- tify the fall hazards present and evaluate solutions to mitigate any found hazards. (Note: the hazard assessment should be performed in conjunction with the organi- zation’s Competent Person to ensure com- pliance with OSHA and ANSI standards as well as any corporate safety policies).
A confined space fall hazard assessment should begin with a visual inspection of the work area. Employers may find it benefi- cial to include one or more workers work- ing in the confined space to assist with the hazard assessment. Frontline workers can provide helpful insight into the potential effectiveness of proposed solutions. Hazard mitigation methods become useless if work- ers think them too cumbersome to comply. Sometimes, safety professionals can get too caught up in conjecturing standards and le- gal compliance and forget the most critical component of user compliance: the user. Of- ten, the best safety solution is the one work- ers will use each time.
It is also imperative to attempt to elimi- nate the fall hazard before simply mitigat-
66 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2024
www.ohsonline.com
chitsanupong/stock.adobe.com