Confined Space Other Potential Hazards

Noise Hazards

Noise is amplified within a confined space. NIOSH levels allow for 90 decibels over the course of eight hours; anything above that requires hearing protection. For every increase of five decibels over the permissible 90 decibels, time spent without hearing protection is cut in half. For example, at 95 decibels, the exposure is limited to four hours, but at 100 decibels, exposure levels would be reduced to two hours.

Vibration Hazards

If you are an authorized entrant, you work with equipment often. Most of this equipment can have whole body, hand, and arm vibration effects. These vibrations can lead to complications both inside and outside of work, including back pain, decreased grip strength, decreased hand sensation and dexterity, carpal tunnel syndrome, and finger blanching, which causes your fingers to turn white due to lack of blood flow. Proper selection of tools and equipment can reduce vibration exposure; an employer must develop and implement an exposure control plan to limit vibration hazards.

Surface Hazards

Surface hazards include common slips, trips, and falls. If you are an authorized entrant, ensure that the confined space is devoid of slippery floors or anything that may cause you to lose your footing. A fall protection system may be needed if there is a danger of falling from a height.

Engulfment Hazards

Engulfment hazards happen when a worker is entrapped by the contents of a confined space, such as flowable solids or liquids. Some materials that pose an engulfment hazard include oil, water, fly ash, grain, coal, and gravel. As an attendant, if you see a potential engulfment hazard warn your entrant to evacuate immediately.

Temperature Hazards

Extreme temperatures can contribute to dangerous conditions for workers inside a confined space. High temperatures can cause hyperthermia, or heat stress, which can range from heat exhaustion to heat stroke and can be fatal. Symptoms of hyperthermia include hot skin, incoherent speech, convulsions, staggering gait, and unconsciousness.

Low temperatures can cause hypothermia, a condition in which internal body temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and bodily functions to work properly. Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, mental confusion, paleness, bluing of the extremities, decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, difficulty walking, and system shut-down.

As an authorized entrant, check temperature levels before entering a confined space. As an attendant, if you see the entrant displaying symptoms of temperature hazard exposure, advise the entrant to evacuate immediately. Maintain constant communication at all times.

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