Do you have a confined space rescue plan?
Working within confined spaces can be dangerous, but with the advanced planning and preparation your team can remain safe during entry. Beyond having the proper PPE, Air Monitoring Equipment and trained entry team; having a detailed emergency procedure in place will help everyone on your team be on the same page in the case of emergency. What is, most likely, the first item on an emergency procedure checklist? Call 911. But are your local emergency responders ready for your call?
Here are a few items to keep in mind when writing your emergency procedure for confined space entry.
- Have I contacted my local fire department to find out if they are trained in confined space rescue?
- In the case of emergency, what is the response time for my local emergency services?
- Are there 3rd party services that I should look to hire when performing confined space work?
In some cases, your local emergency responders will be trained in confined space rescue. It’s a good idea to contact your local department ahead of confined space entry to talk with them about their training and availability in the case of emergency. If this is not the case in your area, there are many 3rd party companies that provide confined space rescue as a service. Performing a quick search on the internet will return plenty of options for your team.