Evaluating an Emergency Rescue Service
An employer who designates rescue and emergency services must evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified.
An employer who designates rescue and emergency services must evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond in a timely manner.
What will be considered timely will vary according to the specific hazards involved in each entry:
- If the confined space involves hazards posing an immediate threat to life or health, rescue providers should be located outside the space ready for entry at a moment's notice.
- If the hazard involved is not immediately life-threatening, the employer may designate a rescue service capable of responding within a reasonable time commensurate with the nature of the hazard.
- Since OSHA cannot state in advance whether any specific response time is adequate, employers need to determine what a timely response time is for themselves after review of all of the relevant factors.
The employer must also evaluate a prospective rescue service's ability to function appropriately while rescuing entrants from the particular permit space or types of permit spaces identified.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-5. If the confined space involves hazards posing an immediate threat to life or health, where should rescue providers be located?
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