Confined Space Emergency Response

Best practices for emergency response includes pre-planning by having rescue drills and back up plans. We will now look at appropriate emergency response procedures for attendants and entrants.

Attendant

Under normal entry situations, the attendant maintains communication with the entrant throughout the entry period. Under emergency situations, the attendant alerts the entrant to evacuate and initiates the rescue process by notifying the supervisor and the rescue team. The attendant must have an alarm to call for help and have rescue equipment immediately available in case of emergency. The attendant may attempt non-entry rescue with a lifeline, but is not authorized to enter the confined space unless properly relieved, equipped, and trained as a rescuer. If the attendant becomes the rescuer, he or she must maintain constant communication with the new attendant and the supervisor.

Entrant

The best way to survive an emergency within a confined space is to avoid having the emergency. As an authorized entrant, ensure that you perform all pre-entry duties to the best of your ability to acknowledge that the confined space is safe to enter, and always maintain communication with the attendant, who serves as your lifeline.

To learn more visit our Confined Space Online Training web page.