| In our travels in the waste management industry and | | | | the simplest example of which is a manhole. These |
| in particular in our visits to landfills we have found | | | | can be especially dangerous at a landfill where landfill |
| that despite the fact that in the United Kingdom | | | | gas might be present - and if it may be then the |
| there are Health and Safety Regulations which require | | | | ATEX and DSEA Regulations (DSEAR) apply in the |
| (under criminal law) that for all instances of confined | | | | UK and national equivalents to the DSEAR apply |
| space access the responsible persons shall have | | | | throughout Europe. |
| completed a risk assessment and shall only work to | | | | (In all the references which follow we refer to UK |
| carefully judged and established safe working | | | | regulations. As previously stated - all readers |
| methods. All this will normally be done in accordance | | | | prompted by this article are to refer to their own |
| within the employer's, or site operator's own safety | | | | local regulations.) |
| policy and standing method statements/ or | | | | Naturally, entry by a manhole like this means that the |
| procedures. | | | | Work at Height Regulations 2005 would need to be |
| Nevertheless, safety in confined spaces can be easily | | | | considered. |
| be compromised by over familiarity with the site, and | | | | A suitable approach would probably include a full-body |
| most commonly of all, personnel fail to define a | | | | harness, with front-and-rear D attachment points, a |
| confined space broadly enough. | | | | fall arrest block, and an anchorage point such as a |
| A confined space is any space in which there is any | | | | tripod. |
| restraint to access or egress, or any significant | | | | In order to fully comply with Regulation 5 of the |
| confinement at all. Therefore, a confined space could | | | | Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, there must be |
| be quite a shallow tank, an small inspection chamber | | | | "suitable and sufficient arrangements for the rescue |
| etc. A confined space could be a kiosk or even a | | | | of persons in the event of an emergency". The |
| shed, if circumstances introduced special risks into | | | | fall-arrest block should incorporate a recovery |
| that area. | | | | mechanism, to enable an incapacitated person to be |
| In Wikipedia a confined space is defined as follows: | | | | retrieved. |
| "Confined space is a term from safety regulations | | | | But this system needs a secondary backup to |
| that refers to an area whose enclosed conditions and | | | | safeguard against a catastrophic failure of the |
| limited access make it dangerous." | | | | primary system - that is, the winch. |
| So, the definition is extremely broad. Please Note - In | | | | Clearly in the first mode of entry - the steps or |
| each country readers must refer to their own local | | | | ladder provide the primary means of access, egress |
| regulations. | | | | and escape in the event of an emergency. |
| In confined spaces, the correct approach to access | | | | In both modes of entry, a full body harness is |
| and egress is crucial, but awareness of some of the | | | | essential equipment. |
| basic apparatus involved is often lacking. It is clear | | | | Full-body harnesses, used for fall arrest, must meet |
| from our experience that people are regularly going in | | | | the EN 361 standard and, as a minimum, be fitted |
| and out of confined spaces without using the proper | | | | with a rear D attachment point. |
| combination of equipment. | | | | A front D attachment point may also be used for |
| In recent times, workers have even been known to | | | | fall-arrest purposes, if fitted. The attachment point |
| lower others into shafts using nothing more than a | | | | can only be used for access/egress, rescue and |
| rope. But, more frequently, errors arise even when | | | | retrieval purposes. Some higher-specification |
| proper equipment is available. | | | | harnesses also include a waist belt. |
| Many confined spaces in the waste and landfill | | | | Please do take heed of this reminder - your life or |
| industry are accessed via a vertical shaft, perhaps | | | | that of others may depend upon it. |