What is a confined space death in the workplace?

Today's post accident is probably not a true workplace accident but it may very well be. Whatever it is the safety issues lend themselves to the workplace. It's the work that's the focus and that's what we will concentrate on today. Here is a quote from the OSHA rules that you should read before going on to read about this young man's death.

REMINDER: A confined space is characterized by restricted means of entry/exit, size sufficient to contain a worker, and not specifically designed for worker occupancy. A permit-required space is a confined space that has a hazard to health or life associated with it. Hazards may be the result of atmosphere or materials in the space or the result of the shape of the space.

Boating 101 News Item - A dry-docked pontoon boat was being moved from dry-docking to the water and during the process it collapsed pinning a 16-year-old boy underneath. The accident occurred on Saturday several weeks ago and he died this the Thursday following the accident. A memorial fund or scholarship fund is set up at the First State Bank in Britt, Iowa. The details of how this accident occurred are sketchy so understanding how it happened and how it could have been avoided can't be discussed. Being somewhat claustrophobic I would find it difficult to crawl into a confined space. It certainly doesn't appear that this young man was doing what killed him as a part of his work, although it could have been; I just don't see anything in either article that indicates he was. Workers involved with confined spaces will know what I'm talking about and where this blog post is going. Confined space work is regulated by OSHA and IOSH. Specifically to avoid injury or death of workers involved. KCCI has a story of similar depth.

Technically was this a "confined space" that trapped this young man? I'm not sure and without asking an OSHA investigator I wouldn't be able to say equivocally. But it's worth discussing because it appears, at least to me, that his life could have been saved had someone thought before he slid underneath the pontoon boat. And if not his life workers can use a fresh reminder about working in confined spaces.

Any workers involved with confined space work should be aware of the rules and regulations that provide a measure of safety to avoid injury and death. Here is what is stated about confined spaces under safety and health topics on the OSHA site.  And remember just because you aren't working doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of safety rules; working or not in this instance it may have saved this young man's life. For a summary of OSHA permit-required confined spaces rules follow the linked text.

Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered "confined" because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. A confined space has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines. OSHA uses the term "permit-required confined space" (permit space) to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

For additional information follow these links and read how to stay alive when working in or around confined spaces.

Confined Spaces in Construction; Proposed Rule. OSHA Federal Register Proposed Rules 72:67351-67425, (2007, November 28). OSHA is proposing a rule to protect employees from the hazards resulting from exposure to confined spaces in the construction industry and proposing four classifications: Isolated-Hazard Confined Space, Controlled-Atmosphere Confined Space, Permit-Required Confined Space, and Continuous System-Permit-Required Confined Space. The proposed requirements for each type of confined space are tailored to control the different types of hazards.

We've plenty more to read on the Lombardi Law Firm site if you're interested in confined spaces, just do a search on our site and you'll find these entries.

Chemical Safety - Handling or Cleaning up Sodium Hydroxide ... - Jan 25, 2010 ... This accident may include issues of chemical handling, hazardous spills/containment and confined spaces along with other safety issues. ... www.lombardilaw.com/.../chemical-safety-handling-or-cleaning-up-sodium-hydroxide.cfm - Cached - Similar

Chemical Handling - Sodium Hydroxide in the work place | Lombardi ... - Jan 25, 2010 ... This accident may include issues of chemical handling, hazardous spills/containment and confined spaces along with other safety issues. ... www.lombardilaw.com/.../chemical-handling-sodium-hydroxide-in-the-work-place20100125.cfm - Cached - Similar

News | Lombardi Law Firm - Jun 23, 2010 ... This accident may include issues of chemical handling, hazardous spills/containment and confined spaces along with other safety issues. ...
www.lombardilaw.com/news.cfm?page=16&catid=-1 - Cached

News | Lombardi Law Firm - This accident may include issues of chemical handling, hazardous spills/containment and confined spaces along with other safety issues. ... www.lombardilaw.com/news.cfm?catid=858 - Cached

News | Lombardi Law Firm - This accident may include issues of chemical handling, hazardous spills/containment and confined spaces along with other safety issues. ...
www.lombardilaw.com/news.cfm?page=1&catid=858 - Cached

The Lombardi Law Firm Blog | Lombardi Law Firm - Jun 9, 2010 ... Labels: attorney confined spaces containment death handling injury Lombardi respirator safety safety training sodium hydroxide spill worker ... www.lombardilaw.com/blog/index.cfm?page=3&keywordid... - Cached

The Lombardi Law Firm Blog | Lombardi Law Firm - Labels: attorney confined spaces containment death handling injury Lombardi respirator safety safety training sodium hydroxide spill worker ... www.lombardilaw.com/blog/?keywordid=16118

The Lombardi Law Firm Blog | Lombardi Law Firm - Labels: attorney confined spaces containment death handling injury Lombardi respirator safety safety training sodium hydroxide spill worker ... www.lombardilaw.com/blog/?keywordid=9266

The Lombardi Law Firm Blog | Lombardi Law Firm - Labels: attorney confined spaces containment death handling injury Lombardi respirator safety safety training sodium hydroxide spill worker ... www.lombardilaw.com/blog/index.cfm?page=