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HEALTH & SAFETY ConFined


SpACe entry: think beyond the obviouS


many a surprise awaiting the unprepared. Selecting the right fall protection PPE (personal protective equipment) to address every eventuality is vital. So is planning for every type of emergency. Falling from a height is already well


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established as industry’s biggest cause of fatal accidents for workers. In the UK alone, there were 35 such deaths in 2020/21, accounting for a quarter of all fatalities at work. Falling within a confined space adds extra dimensions to that hazard. European statistics for fatal injuries


specifically involving work in confined spaces are less readily available but reports from the United States give some sense of the risk. One of these gives a nationwide figure of 1,030 deaths between 2011 and 2018. Amongst these, 156 were due to falls. While fall protection is the focus of this


article, there are many other confined space entry (CSE) hazards from which workers need to be protected. Along with the necessary PPE, working in this environment requires robust safety protocols, checks and emergency plans. Importantly, these apply not only to those entering confined spaces but to those supporting them from outside and, in the event of an accident, carrying out rescues.


Confined spaCes and their hazards


A confined space in this context can be described as one which is fully or partially enclosed, large enough for a worker to enter, but not designed for continuous occupation. It has limited means of entry and exit, and its nature is such that serious injury due to conditions or substances present is a foreseeable risk. An archetypal example of confined space


entry is the manhole through which workers access an underground sewer. However, there


n what is potentially one of the most high-risk scenarios an individual can face at work, there is – literally – little room for error. Its dangers go way beyond the obvious, with a wide variety of conditions and factors at play – and


When an employee enters a confined space to carry out works or inspections, how can you be sure they will come out alive and well? As fall protection specialist Alfonso Fernandez of MSA stresses, positive outcomes for workers inside that space depend on organisations thinking outside the box.


are many other examples, such as chambers, tanks, pits, tunnels, pipes, shafts and ducts. They are found everywhere, from water and sewage systems to mines, manufacturing plants and all types of building. In addition to falling, workers can be struck


by objects or bump into walls and obstacles. Depending on the space’s location and use, they may suffer from oxygen deficiency or be overcome by toxic or suffocating gases and vapours. In some cases, there are risks of drowning in liquid or being buried by solid materials. Hazardous chemicals, fires and explosions, as well as extremes of heat or cold, are further possibilities. These are all hazards and workplaces


with which MSA is very familiar, and for which the company provides a full range of PPE products.


fall proteCtion kit for Cse


A fall protection kit for confined space entry contains equipment for two main purposes: 1) Arresting falls;


2) Rescuing someone who has fallen or is in some other way injured. PPE users, suppliers and legislators seem to


give less attention to the second aspect than the first. This is worrying, as survival in the event of an accident depends on forward thinking, a clear rescue plan and a fully trained and equipped team. The kit starts with an anchor – usually a


tripod or davit – to which lifelines and other safety devices can be firmly attached. These


16 oCtober/noveMber 2022 | induStriAl CoMpliAnCe


will include a fall arrest system, whose braking limits the distance and speed of falling. A self- retracting lifeline (SRL) is often used for this. If a worker needs to be lowered into and


out of the space instead of climbing, a winch is needed. The winch will also be employed for rescue if a worker falls. Alternatively, the team can use a product known as a ‘rescuer’, which serves both as an SRL and as a rescue and retrieval device. In all cases, the lifelines attach to a safety harness worn by the worker. The combination of PPE and procedures


deployed may have to be adjusted according to what the team finds on approaching the confined space. Consider the typical scenario of a street sewer manhole. If a ladder is absent or in poor condition, a normal SRL will


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