Best Practices: Protecting Water Treatment Workers in Confined Spaces

Water technicians and other workers are exposed to hazards in both their work on-site and out in the field, including regularly entering confined spaces. Water technician safety in all work environments requires full compliance with safety regulations and a thorough understanding of the water treatment safety guidelines they present.

What Are Confined Spaces in the Water Treatment Industry?

Whether you operate under the jurisdiction of OSHA in the USA or Canada Occupational Health & Safety in Canada, the definition of a confined space is more or less consistent. To be considered a confined space, the area must:

• Not be intended for continuous human habitation.
• Have limited entry and exit points.

On top of these conditions, a confined space can also pose a risk to workers due to air quality issues, the material inside the space, and the work and processes being undertaken within it.

Best Practices for Water Technician Safety

While it's certainly helpful to have a general understanding of the types of confined spaces your employees could encounter, it's not enough. You need a solid water treatment safety plan in place that defines the hazards of these spaces and the actions to be taken to minimize or eliminate them.

Identify Confined Space Hazards

In order for you to provide a safe workplace for your people, you have to have an intimate knowledge of the real and potential threats in your facility and on the worksite. To identify these threats, perform a thorough safety audit with a qualified individual, noting hazards, deficiencies, and inadequacies. Some examples of confined spaces in the water treatment industry include:

• Culverts
• Lift stations
• Storage tanks
• Tunnels
• Sump pits, valve pits or vaults more than 4' deep
• And more….

Define the Hazards Within Confined Spaces

The lack of room in a confined space, and the challenges that they present to entering, exiting, and movement, confronts a water technician with a variety of safety issues. Although limited mobility in tight spaces can be a factor in water treatment safety, there are three broad categories of hazards that pose a greater threat to workers in confined spaces, including:

• Atmospheric Hazards - Gas and other contaminants can build up within a confined space, causing oxygen levels to rise or fall, flammable substances to build up, or toxic chemicals to accumulate.

• Physical Hazards - In the water treatment industry, water filling a confined space while it's occupied is a serious concern. In addition, slippery conditions make it difficult to move around safely.

• Psychological Hazards - Claustrophobia, or the fear of confined spaces, is a big issue for anyone working in the water treatment industry. Individuals with a history of panic in these conditions shouldn't enter the space, and anyone feeling or displaying anxiety should exit the space to avoid problems. 

Develop a Confined Space Safety Plan

Protecting workers when they’re in confined spaces isn't something you have a choice to do or not to do – it's the law. If your workers are going to be entering and working in such spaces, you need a plan in place to keep them safe. Your confined space safety plan must be in writing and must be provided to employees before entering the space. It should include:

• Identification of the confined space hazards.
• Steps to prevent unauthorized entry to the confined space.
• Procedures, practices and rules for safe entry.
• Identifying the proper confined space safety equipment.
• Supervisor and attendant procedures and communication protocols.

Determine What Confined Space Safety Equipment You Need

No matter how much evaluating and documenting you do with regards to confined spaces, taking action is the only thing that will protect workers. You need to ensure workers have adequate safety equipment to enter and exit the confined space, or to be rescued if need be.

Regulations do not always specify particular products or equipment you must use, so complying with these guidelines requires you to make choices based on your judgment and the advice of safety experts.

Some equipment you need includes:

• Temporary anchor points like a tripod should be used to move workers and equipment into spaces that are rarely accessed, or where anchoring around the opening of a shaft is impossible.

• A permanent anchor point and fall arrest system may be installed near the entry of a confined space accessed frequently.

• A winch, whether manual or motorized, is a safe and efficient way to move equipment and materials into and out of the confined space. Properly certified devices can also be used to raise and lower workers, rescuers, and any injured.

• Safety harnesses, lanyards, and lifelines may also be used in a confined space situation to protect workers from falls, to aid in work positioning, and to enable safe, effective rescue.

• Besides providing fall protection and other safety equipment workers should be issued helmets, goggles, gloves, and other personal protective equipment. 

Assemble and Train Your Water Technician Team

Confined space water technician safety training is of the utmost importance for your entire organization, including those who don't actually enter the space. Due to the potential dangers of confined spaces, everyone on the team has to be extra-diligent to avoid accidents and injuries. You team should consist of:

• Competent Person with Safety Expertise
• Confined Space Entry Supervisor
• Confined Space Attendant(s)
• Confined Space Authorized Entrant(s)
• Atmospheric Monitoring Personnel 
• Rescue Team (as needed)

Keep in mind that some individuals will require specific training and certification to be qualified to perform their duties. But this extra effort put into properly training every individual will pay off in a safer workplace for everyone.

Experts in Confined Space Safety Equipment and Regulatory Compliance

Both OSHA and Canada Occupational Health and Safety have stringent confined space safety guidelines, and non-compliant work environments are always dangerous for your workers.  To ensure that your on-site and off-site work is performed as smoothly and safely as possible, you need a trusted partner with expertise in all aspects of water treatment safety and specialized equipment. From ladder safety systems, winches, tripods, and anchor points to personal protective equipment, Tractel is your confined safety provider. We understand the unique challenges you face and we're here to help you get the confined space safety equipment, training, and support you need. Contact us today to learn more about confined space safety from one of our specialists or visit our confined space page.

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