Assessing Confined Spaces in a School District

RGA recently received an RFP from a School District for a confined space assessment of District structures and awareness training for their engineering and maintenance staff.  Though most major repair and construction work at the District is contracted to licensed specialists, some inspections and minor repairs required District staff to enter confined spaces having a limited means of access and “subject to the accumulation of toxic or flammable contaminants or has an oxygen deficient atmosphere” (OSHA Construction Standard 1926.21) including excavations, elevator shafts, manholes, sumps, utility vaults and tunnels, storm drains, crawl spaces, and ducting. 

According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program, fatal injuries in confined spaces averaged 92 fatalities per year between 1998 and 2000. Inadequate ventilation contributes to the most common confined space hazards such as when 1) deadly gases are trapped inside or along the bottom of a trench; 2) lack of air movement in and out of the space creates an atmosphere much different than the ambient air; 3) oxygen deficiency occurs  due to the presence of other gases or chemical reactions; 4) conditions worsen due to work activities like welding, cutting, use of bonding agents, cleaning w/ solvents, use of other chemicals, or the use of gas-powered equipment; 5) inhalation biohazards are present such as animal fecal material, sewage, or decaying plant matter (mold).

 If confined spaces are present in a facility, OSHA generally requires the employer to 1) Develop and oversee a Confined Space Entry program; 2) identify all confined spaces within the facility; 3) ensure that employees are trained and properly equipped to safely enter.  RGA project managers and trainers are available to assist clients developing an OCHA compliant program to assess and/or minimize employee exposure to confined space hazards.

Marlin Bryant, CAC, CDPH Lead, CIEC, REA-I
Project Manager  – Emeryville, CA

Tags: colleges, confined space assessment, confined space hazards, confined space training, confined spaces, crawl spaces, ducting, educational facilities, elevator shafts, excavations, fatal injuries, manholes, oxygen deficient atmosphere, schools, storm drains, sumps, tunnels, universities, utility vaults