What is a confined space? A confined space is any area or environment not designed for continuous human occupation. It has limited means of entry ...

What is a confined space?

A confined space is any area or environment not designed for continuous human occupation.
It has limited means of entry and exit, insufficient ventilation to remove contaminants, or where there may be a deficiency or enrichment of oxygen.
Many people die every year due to unsafe factors in a confined space, whether trying to save a companion or performing work on-site.
Confined spaces have various shapes and diameters and can be cisterns and wells, valve pits, silos, tunnels, sewers, barrels, tanks, hoppers, cyclones, air washers, bucket elevators, galleries, ducts, reactors, galleries, etc.
The professionals responsible for occupational safety must have the necessary knowledge to monitor the activity and supervise these places.
The most evident risks in this type of activity are atmospheric, chemical, physical, biological, mechanical, electrical, and ergonomic risks.
The activity will only be allowed when a document called Work Entry Permit (PET) is provided by the responsible person in the company's area.
This documentation will only be valid for a single entry permit for the activity and is a legal requirement.
This permit can be issued by the entry supervisor, which must be delivered before the start of the activities and must be kept filed for five years, and may be requested for any inspection.
Under no circumstances can the activity start without this documentation, as the document contains information about the situation of the environment, the prevention measures that must be followed, and periodic inspections on how the location is and the professional's performance.
This document must also contain an action plan for rescue and emergency care.
This authorization must be signed after the inspection confirming that everything is in accordance with the necessary precautions, and this copy must be fixed in the workplace in easy access for visualization, and after the end of the activity, the document must be filed.
Throughout the activity process, atmospheric conditions must be monitored to identify if access and permanence conditions are safe.
Therefore, confined space is not something simple to work with, and the occupational safety technician and all professionals involved must have sufficient knowledge to deal with these conditions, so seek to improve yourself, and the mission is to take care of lives and preserve the integrity of the site.