Fatality Statistics - Training & Awareness

Between 1983 and 1993, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted 70 on-site investigations of fatal incidents in confined spaces. Thirty-four percent of the victims in these incidents had received no training whatsoever, and 41 percent had received only informal, on-the-job training. Nineteen percent of the victims had the benefit of formal, classroom training, but only 6 percent of the victims received training specific to confined spaces. Meanwhile, only 40 percent of the employers involved in these incidents had any written safety information.

This data suggests the importance of confined spaces safety training. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations relating to confined spaces reflect this need, and require employers to provide safety training in a language that all employees can understand.

To learn more about Confined Spaces visit our Construction Confined Spaces Online Training web page.