New Year, Fresh Start!
Following the high profile Brucejack mine death in October 2022, it is important that safety is at the top of everybody’s agenda when staffs return to work in 2023. Site managers should take the time to plan inspections of all confined spaces that are likely to require entry this year and staff refresher training must be provided ahead of any such entry. Any equipment that will be required must be tested, calibrated and confirmed to be in full working order. It is sensible to conduct an external inspection of all confined spaces on site, even if they are not yet due a full inspection, to ensure that they show no signs of degradation that may require emergency maintenance later in the year.
The back end of last year was tinged with sadness as the industry recognized once more how dangerous working in confined spaces can be and how even the most intricately planned rescue can fail. If your organization needs help or support in creating, refreshing or updating your rescue plans and protocols, we can provide expert advice that is specifically tailored to your unique set of circumstances.
Confined Space Services That We Offer
We offer a range of training and support to ensure that businesses that require personnel to enter confined spaces as part of their role are fully trained to do so safely. We ensure that they understand how to assess the risks that they will face in doing so and know how to safely abort an entry attempt if they encounter any reason to believe that the entry will pose a safety risk to them or others working on the site.
We can create bespoke risk and hazard assessments for your business, together with rescue plans and entry permits. We can teach you and your staff how to correctly monitor the atmosphere in confined spaces, control hazards and maintain appropriate ventilation. We also host customized confined space entry training sessions for businesses and their staff.
We even offer rental of safety equipment that is suitable, fully inspected, tested, calibrated and fit for purpose. This service allows businesses with an infrequent need to enter confined spaces to access specialist equipment on an as-required basis without needing to take responsibility for maintaining it in between access events. We also deliver a full suite of training for each rental to ensure that those who will be deployed with the equipment are competent to use it safely.
Conclusion
It is important that lessons are learned from the Brucejack mine tragedy, and there should be no delay in implementing effective safety protocols and getting back to work in 2023. A thorough review of safety processes, protocols and equipment is a sensible way to start the new year.
You should incorporate any updates or lessons learned from previous confined space entries into your processes and ensure that all staff have returned from Christmas break refreshed and fit to operate. It is the duty of the site manager to ensure that all staff understand their responsibilities and are able to demonstrate that they are competent to return to work.