Confined Space Standard
Various examples of workplace exist in industrial practice where spaces are characterized by several restrictions. Such spaces are identified as: manholes exhaust ducts, boilers, silos, vats, pipelines, underground vaults, storage tanks etc. The characteristics of such confined spaces are: limited openings for entry and exit, poor natural ventilation, continuous human occupancy not possible. The employers must ensure safety of employees when working in such confined space and employees must not have any adverse health effect. Only specified permitted employees must be allowed to enter such spaces. It means that the industry must have permit system if work is to be done in these spaces. The standards must be formulated to
- Identify spaces that can be entered by permit,
- Restrict entry to identified space only to permit holders
- Adopt such work practices which would avoid hazard,
- Monitor the conditions in confined space to see any hazardous situation likely to arise remain under control and to seal the space occasionally to clean or remove any cause of hazard.
All industries concerned in such confined space must be made to follow these standards irrespective of number of workers.