The True Danger Of Confined Spaces Just how dangerous are confined spaces? Aren't all the warnings and procedural checks simply overkill? Hardly. Think about this: According to a study performed by Safety Sciences, the following types of confined space incidents resulted in injuries and/or fatalities: Type of Event Number of Events Number of Injuries Only Number of Fatalities Atmospheric Conditions (lack of oxygen) 80 72 78 Explosion or Fire 15 49 15 Explosion or Fire at Point of Entry 23 20 32 Electric Shock 11 2 9 Trapped in Unstable Material (cave in) 16 0 16 Struck by Falling Objects 15 1 14 These numbers should tell you something: Fifty-four % of the people exposed to oxygen deficient conditions died. For every fire within a confined space, one person...

Emphasis on Confined Space Confined space can be deadly.  Overcome by gases, vapors, fumes, engulfed by material, or caught in moving machinery, workers may find they have nowhere to go without proper entry procedures.  Adding to this potential tragedy, most fatalities occur to ill-prepared rescuers. A confined space is large enough for an employee to enter and perform work.  It has limited openings to enter and exit.  It is not designed for continuous occupancy.  A permit-required confined space has these limitations AND added dangers such as hazardous atmospheres, material engulfment, inwardly converging or sloped walls, or other serious safety and health hazards. Confined...

The Silent Dangers of Confined Space Workers tend to put their faith in most indoor or confined atmospheres, thinking someone else has checked for safety.  Air, whether life sustaining or killing, is usually colorless, odorless, and tasteless.  The atmosphere in a confined space, for example, may seem like any other.  But that is one work place that must never be taken for granted.  Confined spaces have fooled scores of workers killed or injured every year because they thought someone had checked for safety or because they “followed their noses” and guessed the air smelled OK.  The air may look safe and...