Yesterday, Huddersfield Magistrates heard how a West Yorkshire steel fabricator flouted SSoW measures when a worker was severely burned in a flashover during hot-cutting work at Fox’s Biscuits factory in Batley in February 2012.
Training needs to concentrate not only on Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) but also on self-rescue procedures and putting measures in place to avoid the need for having rescue teams placed on standby in the first place.
PASS Training has appointed experienced confined spaces and breathing apparatus specialist Andy Richford as business development manager.
Most trenches move in and out of confined space mode on an hourly basis. You do not always need a gas detector or a pump, but you do always need to know when you need one.
Asphyxia, gas poisoning, fumes, fire and explosions are common hazards so employers and employees need to be aware of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.
A rock collapse in a South African mine has killed eight workers, with a ninth missing and assumed to be trapped within the mine.
Even in a large, open-air area such as a quarry, the dangers of confined spaces still exist. Despite the fact that you’d think there was unlikely to be confined spaces in these environments, confined spaces are often located within equipment, below ground and in other applications with a quarry.
A confined space, an area that’s hard to enter, potentially dangerous and generally unsafe for human habitation, should always be approached with care, the correct knowledge and the correct equipment for entry. This makes sure at all times that the safety of those entering the space is not jeopardised and the risk of potentially fatal incidents is exponentially reduced.
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