FEATURE 23
The risk assessment A proper risk assessment must be conducted before work starts. Coetzee emphasises,“ Poor planning is the biggest contributor to incidents and accidents in plumbing.”
The risk assessment:
• Is performed by a qualified person
• Provides details on: o What the space is o What the scope of the work is o What is going to happen in the confined space o The specifics of the job, such as purging times and controls
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It is also through this risk assessment that an emergency rescue plan can be generated, based on the specifics of the site being worked on. For example:
• Deep vertical confined spaces such as manholes would require a tripod, procedure for setting up the tripod, and ensuring the person is properly hooked in at all stages. Communication must be constant, and if the person does not respond to regular check ins, they should be winched up immediately.
• Flat confined spaces may simply require pulling the person out.
• Elevated confined spaces may need rope rescue kits to lower the person safely to ground.
Overall, the emergency plan must be tailored to the exact type of confined space and work being done.
So, who is the qualified person that can do the risk assessments?
Who conducts the risk assessment? A plumber can qualify to do risk assessments through various training programmes. Currently, there are two main training courses: PRIME and Confined Spaces training.
1. PRIME( Plumbing Risk Incident Management Education) Part of the PRIME programme offered by OHSS Consulting includes HIRA – Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment, which includes training on how to conduct risk assessments. The programme consists of eight online courses and two classroom courses, and covers:
• The OHS Act
• Liability
• Health and Safety representation in the workplace
• Introduction to risk assessments and how to perform them
Those who complete the PRIME programme are also offered templates and pre-filled plumbing-specific templates adaptable to sites through the PRIME app.
2. Confined spaces permits training This will be training done by OHSS Consulting through the Institute of Plumbing South Africa’ s website. Calendars for this training are currently being scheduled with all of the provinces, and will roll out on different dates within each region, with the confined spaces training being a full-day course. PA
PPE will be decided through the risk assessment, carried out by a qualified person.
PPE for methane gas PPE is critical but is not a one-size-fits-all situations. Based on the risk assessment, some of the below PPE may be useful:
• A respirator capable of filtering gases in the environment
• Goggles or full-face masks if splashback is a hazard
• Long overalls, long sleeves, full coverage to protect from chemical splashback and contact
• Gloves( depending on the chemicals)
• Water-tight safety boots or standard safety boots with steel toes
• Rescue PPE, such as full body harnesses or self-contained breathing apparatus
• Full body harnesses for working at heights
Gas detectors
• Once you have tested at ground, mid and high level, and deemed the area safe to enter, be sure to keep the detector on your person once you have entered the space.
• Before use, do the following tests: o A bump test – this is where you expose the detector to a known gas( such as methane) to ensure the machine’ s response is correct. o Visually inspect the machine – check that the inlet is not blocked, and that there are no cracks or moisture.
• Regular calibration of the machine is required: o Full calibration is typically required every 3 – 6 months( confirm with the manufacturer’ s instructions). o Dropping the machine can lead to false readings, sensor contamination, sampling errors or physical damage, so if the machine is dropped or exposed to high levels of gas, recalibrate the machine immediately.
• Store the machine in a clean and dry area.
• Always ensure the battery is fully charged at the start of each day.
July 2026 Volume 32 I Number 05 www. plumbingafrica. co. za