Transcript Confined Space Rescue

Including Firefighters!!!!
 Most are due to hazardous materials inhalation or
asphyxiation.
 Most so-called Con-Space Rescues are body recoveries.
 OSHA will come on-site and investigate.
 The desire to rush in and help must be tempered by an
appreciation of the hazards.
 Is large enough and so configured that an employee
can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
 Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit
 Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy
 Contains
or has a potential to contain a
hazardous atmosphere;
 Contains a material that has the potential for
engulfing an entrant;
 Has an internal configuration such that an entrant
could be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly
converging walls or by a floor which slopes
downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section; or
 Contains any other recognized serious safety or
health hazard.
 silos
 tanks
 bins
 vaults
 tunnels
 trenches
 storm sewers
 sanitary sewers
 Trenching results in confined spaces. A trench is a
narrow excavation below the ground. Trenches are
typically deeper than they are wide; however, the
width of a trench is less than 15 feet.
 Employees must follow all the requirements
associated with confined spaces when working
within trenches. (OSHA Directive)
 Engulfment
 Diverging/Converging
 Chemical
walls
 Entrapment
 Entanglement
 Gravity
 Atmospheric
 Temperature
 Electrical
 Mechanical
 Hydraulic
 A 41-year-old male painter (the victim) suffered burn
injuries from an explosion which occurred while he
was painting the inside of a 1,300-gallon tank. He
died 5 days later. A 32-year-old male painter (coworker) stationed outside the tank suffered burns
and a broken arm.
 An industrial meter reader employed by a mid-sized
city in Ohio began his workday as usual at 7:30 a.m.
He did not return to the garage at quitting time (4:00
p.m.) and was found face down in a meter vault at
6:45 p.m.
 A 31-year-old male assistant construction supervisor
(victim) entered an oxygen-deficient manhole to
close a valve and collapsed at the bottom. In a
rescue attempt a labor foreman (male, age 34) and
the victim's supervisor (male, age 36) entered the
manhole and also collapsed. All three workers were
pronounced dead at the scene by the county
coroner.
 A father and son inspection team, under contract to a
petroleum company, were inspecting the seals between
the internal panels of a floating roof and the sides of a
150,000 barrel storage tank containing regular gasoline.
At 12:30 p.m. the victim's father contacted the yard office
and reported that his son was 7 minutes overdue. At 2:30
p.m. the victim's body was located on the opposite side of
the tank on top of the floating roof. By 4:30 p.m. a rescue
team removed the victim from inside the tank. He was
pronounced dead at the scene
 One police officer and two sewer workers died in an
attempt to rescue a third sewer worker, who had
been overcome by sewer gas at the bottom of an
underground pumping station. All four persons were
pronounced dead upon removal from the station.
 Is this a confined space?
 Is this a rescue or recovery?
 What went wrong?
 If they knew what they were doing, why are you
here?
 Is entry necessary? Can the task be completed from
the outside?
 Has a confined space safe entry permit been issued
by the company?
 Have I been trained for confined space entry &
rescue?
 Do I have any idea what to do?
 If entry is to be made,
 Flammable range less
has the air quality in the
confined space been
tested for safety based
on the following criteria:
than 10% of the lower
explosive limit
 Absence of toxic air
contaminants.
 Oxygen supply at least
19.5%
 Have I been trained in
the selection and use of:
 protective clothing
 respiratory protection
 air monitoring
 retrieval systems
 lifelines
 ventilation systems
 Has
the space been
isolated / locked-out from
these hazards:
 electrical
 thermal
 mechanical
 pneumatic
 hydraulic
 chemical
 engulfment
 falls
 Establish Command
 Identify the number and location of victims
 Last time victim was seen or talked to
 Call for additional resources: Zones 3 Confined Space
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Rescue Response, Medics, etc.
Isolate the outside area
In case of collapse, stop vibrations
Isolate all energy sources/lock-out equipment
Use PPE
 Ventilate
 Air Monitoring from the opening with SCBA donned
 Call for utilities if applicable
 Did I mention ventilate?
 Consider Decon for after removal of the victim
 If it is not a victim rescue or recovery, but a fire you
need to still consider it a confined space.
 Attack the fire from a defensive posture till all the
requirements of a confined space are satisfied.