Why Confined Spaces are Hazardous to Entrants
By their very nature, confined spaces can be hazardous.
Narrow hatches are just one of the many hazards inherent in confined spaces.
Below is a list of hazards:
- Space configurations such as small openings and inwardly converging walls, which can trap an entrant, restrict easy entry and exit, or impede rescue.
- Atmospheric hazards such as gasoline tank vapors, combined with limited ventilation. Such conditions can cause asphyxiation or explosion. These are the most common hazardous conditions within confined spaces.
- Physical hazards, such as unstable grain contained in silos, which can engulf a worker.
- Other serious hazards associated with general industry, such as electrical equipment, moving machinery, falling objects, and wet or slippery surfaces.
Some of the potential hazards entrants may encounter include:
- no ventilation (pits and vaults seldom opened);
- leaking chlorine gas (which is heavier than air) that can accumulate in low-lying spaces; and
- oxygen depletion, which can be caused by:
- rotting vegetation and decaying dead animals; or
- corroding or rusting machinery
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-5. Which is the most common hazardous condition within confined spaces?
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