Tips for Working in a confined space:

Seeking information about working in confined spaces is the first step to preventing accidents in this type of location.

Furthermore, by knowing more about the subject, both professionals and companies can seek the necessary training to make working in these types of conditions safer and more comfortable. Tips for Working in a confined space.

Therefore, be sure to follow until the end, as this is a subject that deserves our full attention!

Working in a confined space: what is it?

We can call confined space work any professional operation that usually takes place in places not suitable for human occupation. Click here for Confined space Rescue training

These places tend to have limited entry and exit options, in addition to other risk factors, such as excess or lack of breathable air and the presence of toxic or flammable substances, for example.

Examples of confined spaces:

In several areas of industry we can find examples of confined spaces, especially in construction. Among these examples we can mention:

• Water and sewage pipes;
• Silos;
• Water or oil tanks;
• Elevator shafts;
• Wells;
• Chimneys;
• Ducts;
• Underground galleries, etc.

And whenever a professional needs to enter these places to carry out repairs, cleaning or installations, it is considered work in a confined space.

Work in Confined Space:

Work in confined spaces, as it involves a series of risks, requires careful planning, and in the event of an emergency, all equipment and people involved must be properly positioned and prepared.

Adequate training for all participants is an essential requirement, including in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Statistics show that 60% of deaths in confined accidents are due to poorly prepared rescuers.

In a confined operation, regardless of the monitoring of the atmosphere and respiratory protection, one of the first measures is to locate or position anchorage points for attaching ropes that will assist the worker’s descent and removal, after carrying out the work or in the event of a rescue. For this to occur smoothly, the worker must enter the confined space using a specific safety belt for confined work, and properly connected to the rope.

What are the regulations for this type of work?

In UAE, there is a specific standard that regulates work in confined spaces.

It is published in December 2023 by the Ministry of Labor. It was prepared following the model of international regulatory standards.

In this way, this standard standardizes the training and measures to be followed to ensure the safety and health of professionals.

In addition, it provides guidelines on how to identify, recognize, evaluate and monitor this type of work.

This is because there are several areas in which services are not provided continuously in a location classified as a confined space.

For example, imagine a place that carries out pet work, with silos for storing food. Workers don’t work continuously in a place not designed for human occupation, right?

But imagine that one of the employees needs to enter one of these silos to carry out cleaning or repairs. This, according to rule it would be classified as work in a confined space.

Therefore, this service should be carried out by someone trained, the space should be evaluated by a work safety technician and the entire process monitored according to the rules.