When is a confined space not a confined space?!
April 1st 2006 Speedy and MSA work together to clear the air around Confined Space legislation
Confined Space legislation can apply to many more scenarios and environments than you might expect. Indeed, an environment such as the office or cabin in which you may be sat right now could fall under the regulations should it be very poorly ventilated or undisturbed for a long period of time.
The 1997 Confined Space Regulations define a Confined Space as "any place including a chamber, tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, sewer, flue, well or any similar place in which by virtue of its enclosed nature there arises a reasonably specified risks."
Some areas which fall under the regulations are obvious, but equally dangerous are less readily apparent areas of risk such areas as unventilated or poorly ventilated rooms.
What are the dangers of working in Confined Spaces? - Lack of oxygen
- Poisonous gas, fume or vapour
- Liquids or solids which can suddenly fill the space or release gases into it when disturbed
- Fire and explosions
- Residues in the space that can give off gas, fume or vapour
- High concentration of dust
- Extreme conditions leading to a dangerous increase or decrease in body temperatures
Specified within the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999, a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks is required.
This means identifying hazards, controlling the risks, and determining precautions.
Avoid - the first duty is to avoid entry into Confined Spaces where possible. Can the work be carried out from outside the Confined Space for example?
Prevent - where entry to a Confined Space is unavoidable, the focus then should be on the correct application of safe working practices and safe use of the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE).
Minimise - where work in Confined Spaces the only course of action, all efforts should be made to minimise the risks associated - procedures should be put in place for emergency scenarios and the required rescue equipment such as tripods, winch and harnesses should be available.
One of the most effective means of avoiding falling foul to the complexities of legislation is to take advantage of the expertise and experience of suppliers to advise and assist, particularly in the selection of PPE.
Once such supplier is Speedy Safety. In order to provide an even more comprehensive service in this specialist area, Speedy Safety have joined forces with PPE manufacturer MSA to apply their respective experience and expertise to this potentially complicated area of health and safety at work.
The joint venture involves a training and education programme for the Speedy sales team. This offers their customers the benefit of enhanced advice and guidance in the selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as escape sets and breathing apparatus.
This new level of service is available throughout the UK at over 50 Speedy locations, with 5 dedicated Centres of Excellence featuring the full range of equipment and services available from Speedy Safety.
Borne out of the close historical working relationship between Speedy and MSA, the joint venture brings a new level of capability and specialism to the market including a comprehensive servicing capability, able to mobilise and maintain high volumes of equipment on demand.
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