Posted on: 21 October 2020
Confined spaces are
one of the most deceptive of all lurking dangers at the workplace. Especially when
the worker is so familiar with the confined space as he has to go to work in
the same confined space every single day. It becomes a routine and one starts
to feel comfortable. Confined spaces may not have the usual things that
constitute danger like heavy equipment, heights, big machinery, fast-moving
objects etc. Working in a confined space is just working in a small work area
with one narrow entry and exit. So the dangers lurking tend to be forgotten as
the area gets familiar.
One of the confined space work areas is for
Miners. United States Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health The administration reported (note1) that between 2017 and 2020 3 miners
were fatally injured after entering confined spaces to clear material and
obstructions. All 3 miners were engulfed by falling material. It was then that
they issued a Confined Space Safety Alert. Best practiced informed include:
1.
Operators should identify
and eliminate or control all hazards before miners begin work and when
clearing blocked material. Train miners in these practices
2.
Lock-out, tag-out. Never
enter a confined space until the supply and discharge equipment is locked
out.
3. Never lock-out using the
start and stop controls. These do
not disconnect power conductors.
4. Assign a safety harness
and lanyard to each miner who may work
at material supply and discharge areas or any areas where an engulfment
hazard exists. Do not use lanyards that depend on free-fall speed to lock.
5. Place warning signs at
all hopper, bin, and chute access points reading:
a. "Fall Protection
Required Here"
b. "Confined Spaces -
Engulfment Hazard"
There are many such instances where confined
space can cause harm and lead to injuries. One of the many things that are
required in confined space is ATEX Lighting, to ensure that workers can see,
read the signs, and perform functions in a well-lighted workplace. At the same the time it is important that the lighting is for confined space or hazardous
lights. One of the must-have feature is ATEX Explosion-proof lighting. Other
features include rechargeable, ATEX zone 1 and zone 2 lights, flood lights,
fire fighting lights, flash lights, hand lights, head lamps, temporary
luminaries, temporary floodlights, and various other types of lightings as
required by the confined space or hazardous areas.
There are several brands available that carry
specialised ATEX lighting and these include Wolf, Atexor, Raytec, Chalmit, Stahl, Adalit, NightSearcher
and many more. Depending on the needs of the companies, HSE officers and
Procurement officers look for appropriate brands for confined space ex
lighting, hazardous area ex lighting, ATEX Explosion-proof lighting, portable
lighting, rechargeable lighting, and other suitable products for their needs.
Safety is not
only our business, it is our passion. We strive to help create workplaces that
are 100% injury-free. We get inspired when the companies we service Do Not make
it to the news channel for disasters. We rejoice
when every worker goes home to his family. Safety is not our job, it is our
goal.
Be FSE Safe!
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