MRS TRAINING & RESCUE
INTRODUCTION
For many years the conundrum faced by many in the construction industry was ‘ how do we deal with entering and working in confined spaces safely ’. In order to help address these anomalies , legislation specifically focused on confined spaces was enacted in 1997 . These regulations no doubt cleared up most of the contentious areas , however the day to day issues associated with these spaces still exist and are analysed further in this short paper .
THE PROBLEM
Some years ago our experiences and observations whilst operating in confined spaces led us to conclude that the root causes of most problems lay in one of four directly related areas . This we documented and illustrated in the form of the model shown here now known as the ‘ confined space box ’ which is widely used and recognized .
DESIGN
Human activity within the space should always be the prime consideration and it must be seen as the starting point in the design cycle . Safety procedures , training and specialist equipment can be put in place when the workplace is completed but the design of the spaces will determine the effectiveness of those measures . In any design of a space where human entry is required the following should be the criteria ; 1 . Adequate room at the entry point for equipment
( entry or rescue ) 2 . Ease of access into and out of the space 3 . Ease of movement within the space 4 . The ability to undertake rescue operations
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HSE INTERNATIONAL