confined space dangers

Confined Spaces and Their Dangers Since Roman times the danger of confined spaces has been written about. In 1556, Agricola noted that stagnant air in mines caused breathing difficulties and that fires in mines caused many workers to die inside them. In 1925, Alice Hamilton observed that decomposing organic material in vats, tanks, and manholes emitted hydrogen sulfide and noted how it had caused death by asphyxiation (4). So in 1993, OSHA published a standard for permit required confined …

…pipelines, utility manholes, pits, degreasers, tunnels, crawl spaces, scrubbers, air exhaust plenums, and rooms or areas with restricted openings or no natural or mechanical ventilation. These spaces must be entered occasionally to clean, repair, and maintain the space; inspect and test equipment and materials; and rescue injured or disabled workers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** 4. Petit, Ted. (1996). Worker deaths in confined spaces. Professional Safety, 41. 22-24. 1. Derocher, Robert. (1997). Confined spaces: the only constant is change. Safety and Health, 155. 46-50.