WHEN DOES OSHA REQUIRE A CONFINED SPACE RESCUE TEAM?
If you have a Permit Required Confined Space at your facility, OSHA may require you to have a Confined Space Rescue Team. How do you know whether you need one? The simplest way is to ask yourself this question: “If the person inside the space were to become unconscious, could I remove them safely without entering the space?” If the answer is no, you’re required to have a Confined Space Rescue Team either on-site or on standby.
BREAKING DOWN CONFINED SPACE RESCUE
WHAT IS A CONFINED SPACE RESCUE TEAM?
A Confined Space Rescue Team is a team of trained personnel that provides rescue services and rescue equipment during a planned entry into a permit required confined space such as a boiler, sewer, tunnel, chemical tank, or process vessel. They provide emergency retrieval systems, supplied air units, personal protection equipment, and medical trauma kits for a potential rescue in IDHL atmospheres. The team also monitors all activities inside and outside the confined space to ensure safe entry. Many facilities find it more cost-effective to outsource these services as opposed to having an in-house team on the rare occasion an employee may need to enter a permit required confined space.
FIRE DEPARTMENT vs STANDBY CONFINED SPACE RESCUE?
A Confined Space Rescue Team can be hired on-site during a planned confined space entry or on standby and able to respond in a timely manner. A Confined Space Rescue Team must be on-site at the facility for Permit Required Confined Spaces that have a hazardous IDHL atmosphere that can’t be removed with forced air ventilation. A Confined Space Rescue Team must be at the space or on standby for Permit Required Confined Spaces that have the potential for entrapment or engulfment, or spaces where you’d be unable to safely remove an entrant should they become unconscious. Standby rescue teams must be close enough to your facility to respond in a timely manner, generally less than 5 minutes away.
OUR TEAM WILL HELP YOU IDENTIFY WHICH CONFINED SPACE RESCUE SERVICE YOU NEED
Firefighter Safe offers Confined Space Rescue Standby and Confined Space Rescue Training for your employees. We can help you identify which Confined Space Rescue Service you need for your facility and provide you with a quote. We can also provide you with an estimate for the Confined Space Training and Equipment requirements for an in-house team to compare to hiring a Confined Space Rescue Team.