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Confined Space Fall Protection: Hazards, Highlights and How to Keep Workers Safe
Implementing Solutions and Personnel Training
Once effective solutions are identified and implemented, the real work begins. Confined space work will likely necessitate training that goes above and beyond standard fall protection training. It would behoove employers to rehearse entering a confined space before performing the actual confined space work. While on-the-job training is an effective way for workers to gain valuable knowledge, proactive training will only reinforce those principles when it is time to get down to business and work must be performed.
Any user entering a confined space should be prepared to perform pre-use inspections on their fall protection equipment and any other personal protective equipment (PPE) that will be used to perform their task. The organization’s Competent Person should train on the importance of verifying the integrity of safety equipment before work starts to prevent unanticipated injuries from occurring. Additionally, retraining should occur if an employee displays a lack of knowledge or a gap in understanding of the company’s written fall protection plan.
Conclusion
Confined spaces bring unique challenges and elevated chances of risk to any job site, but their hazards can still be remedied by ordinary mitigation methods. As safety professionals, it is important to remember core principles that will help identify effective solutions and make the safety of the worker the top priority. Throughout this process, we must ensure that solutions will be effective enough to keep workers safe and simple enough to use that users will adopt them into normal work routines. With positive reinforcement and an emphasis on keeping users safe, we can make steady progress in achieving fewer falls, fewer injuries and fewer fatalities over time.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
Philip Jacklin is the Continuing Education Program Manager for Diversified Fall Protection. Since 2018, Philip has been training workers nationwide on best practices when using their fall protection, and advising safety managers, EHS leaders, plant maintenance managers, and other safety professionals on how to create more efficient fall protection programs.