-By T. A. Ibbetson
Reprinted with permission from Facility
Safety Management Magazine
Any safety regulation that comes with a built-in plan
for executing a rescue from the environment being regulated,
speaks volumes about the dangers of working in that environment.
Regulations for confined space entry fall into this category
and you only have to look at the statistics to understand
why. In normal work places, for every 1,400 accidents reported,
one results in a death or serious injury. In confined spaces,
it is one in 10. Also, for every death in a confined space,
almost two rescuers die as well.
In 1993, the U.S. became the first country to enforce dedicated
confined space regulations on a national scale. Since then
many countries have followed suit, including Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Thailand and Great Britain with other European
Countries following soon. In a very short time, the safety
of workers in confined spaces has become a global issue,
even though it has been a problem for generations.
The regulations were introduced to improve statistics
by mandating that companies not only recognize, but inventory
and label all confined spaces within their operations. They
also state that workers understand the hazards of working
in confined spaces, are properly trained and equipped to
handle them and have access to a fully trained and fully
equipped rescue team in the event of a problem.
Confined spaces by definition are not designed to be
worked in on a continuous basis; they have limited access
and egress and contain physical or atmospheric hazards.
Entering a space can subject even seasoned entrants to feelings
of claustrophobia, stress or panic, and while these feelings
can be controlled by workers during “normal” confined
space entries, they can surface very quickly if a problem
occurs, often with disastrous consequences.
The rule clearly provides fixed guidelines for the physical
protection of workers entering and working in confined spaces,
but gives little consideration to the psychological effect
on entrants. As most accidents are attributed to “human
error,” this article discusses why just being in a
confined work space can increase the possibility of accidents
occurring and the use of effective voice communication between
entrants and safety attendants as a counter measure.
The well being of entrants determines
how they function at any given moment.
We have learned through the study of ergonomics that
the better people feel; the better they perform their jobs.
We are also told that people working below their comfort
level are more prone to errors due to poor decision making
caused by stress or panic.
Entrants, no matter how experienced, are still human, and
while an error due to stress outside a space may be easily
corrected, the same error made by entrants while inside
a confined space could be their last.
The basic formula for a person’s “level of well
being” is a combination of mental and physical comfort.
To downgrade either one of these will take that person below
their “level of well being” or comfort threshold,
resulting in stress or panic that can adversely affect sound
decision-making.
Consider the physical side of the formula for “well
being.” Humans need air, sustenance, sleep, relief
from normal bodily functions and the knowledge that the
body is physically protected from dangers such as falling
debris, burning materials or contamination.
In a confined space work situation we can assume that prior
to entry, the entrant has slept, eaten, drank and relieved
bodily functions. Breathing equipment gives air; fall protection
and special clothing give the necessary physical protection,
so we can assume that this side of the formula is satisfied.
If you look at the “mental” side of the formula:
While there is comfort in knowing that the body is protected
during an entry, the mind cannot be fully at ease in an
enclosed environment without having human contact on a continuous
basis.
There are numerous studies to support this statement, ranging
from the effects of solitary confinement to loneliness being
the primary cause of suicide.
If you have any doubts about this, try the following: Find
the smallest, darkest closet in your house, go in and close
the door. When you cannot stand it any longer come out and
check how many minutes you lasted. Now enter the same closet,
but take a telephone with you, call a friend and talk before
closing the door. You will stay in the closet (confined
space) for as long as you have human contact.
We tend to forget that in our office,
warehouse, factory, construction site or shop, we are surrounded
by activity; we can hear voices and see people moving.
Also, we are in a spacious environment that is familiar,
friendly and geared to our needs, all of which have a positive
effect on our well being.
Confined space entrants have none of this. The space they
enter is harsh and unfriendly. It was designed by engineers
to function efficiently for a specific task, not for human
occupancy. Entrants cannot rely on their surroundings for
mind comfort and must rely on what can be taken into the
space with them to accomplish this essential function.
Continuous voice communication is the only vehicle available
to entrants that provides the level of comfort needed to
relieve fears of entry. Hearing a friendly voice allows
entrants to maintain an acceptable comfort zone for the
duration, keeping feelings of claustrophobia and panic in
check.
Entrants who use voice communication equipment on a regular
basis for confined space entry confirm this. They report
feeling safer, more at ease and less stressful. They also
say that as a result they work better, make fewer errors
and are more efficient.
As an added benefit, safety attendants also report
favorably on being able to communicate with entrants. Their
job is less boring, and being able to monitor entrants at
all times inevitably leads to closer teamwork. With proper
communication, work in a confined space is made easier,
safer and in many cases, more productive.
Care must be taken when selecting communication equipment
for this unique work environment. Confined spaces are very
different from any other work area and must be treated accordingly.
The two methods of electronic voice communication most
considered are wireless, using two-way radios, and hard
line, using a cable connected intercom system.
Radio signals do not penetrate metal or concrete with re-bar,
which describes a majority of confined space environments,
and is known to create dead spots or reduce signal strength
resulting in messages that are garbled or not received.
This does not allow continuous communication in certain
types of confined spaces.
Radio equipment is extremely effective
when used by safety attendants outside spaces to maintain
contact with their base or, in the event of a problem, to
call for a rescue team.
The best overall choice for reliable communication in
confined spaces is a hard-line full duplex system, which
allows hands free, private communication between safety attendants
and their entrants. This provides the continuous human contact
that is desired by most entrants during entry.
No matter which method of communication is chosen, be sure
to select equipment that will survive in your particular
work environment. As with all electronic equipment, it must
be electrically shielded.
It must also be extremely rugged, resistant to chemicals
and be environmentally sealed. Most importantly, as a majority
of confined spaces are classified as being explosive or
potentially explosive, the possibility of the equipment
being the cause of an explosion must be eliminated.
Equipment should therefore be Intrinsically Safe
Approved for the explosive substances it may contact during
entry.
All IS Approved equipment carries a label from the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration accredited test laboratory
(NRTL) that completed the test. Look for the label, without
it there is no approval, only the carefully worded claims
of a manufacturer to protect them from liability if an accident
occurs.
Continuous voice communication for confined space workers
is both necessary and practical. Apart from allowing
full compliance with current regulations, having this type
of communication brings entrants more in line with what
non-entrants expect as a normal part of their job.
Human contact, hearing a friendly voice while working in
a space has proven to have a lifting effect on entrants
by removing the stress of being alone in a hostile environment.
With continuous voice communication, entrants work smarter,
are less prone to errors (accidents) and are therefore safer
and more effective.
There is one more fact about this topic that should
not be ignored. Introducing reliable voice communication
equipment to any job situation that previously had none
or used unreliable methods has always resulted in a dramatic
increase in job efficiency.
Workers regularly using good communication during confined
space entry have streamlined jobs and made them easier,
resulting in higher efficiency, and in many cases, greater
productivity.
Given today’s economy, any safety product that proves
it can be purchased for dollars saved from increased productivity,
while providing a safer work environment, must be taken
seriously. Sometimes the old ways must be left behind in
favor of better ways, which are more in keeping with today’s
environment. Electronic voice communication in confined
space is a win, win situation. FSM
T. A. (Terry) Ibbetson is president of Con-Space Communications,
Blaine, WA. He can be reached at (800) 546-3405.
