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SAFETY MOMENT, JUNE 14

Know a confined space when you see one

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, June 14

Know a confined space when you see one

Confined spaces can look harmless from the outside. The air inside can be short on oxygen or hold toxic or flammable gas you may not see or smell, and loose material like sand or grain can bury a worker. When someone goes down, the natural reaction is to rush in and help, and that can turn one victim into two.

SAFETY MOMENT

June 14

The hazard

Confined spaces can look harmless from the outside. The air inside can be short on oxygen or hold toxic or flammable gas you may not see or smell, and loose material like sand or grain can bury a worker. When someone goes down, the natural reaction is to rush in and help, and that can turn one victim into two.

The action

Tanks, vaults, pits, manholes, silos and crawl spaces have a few things in common. You can get inside, the ways in and out are limited, and they are not built for people to stay in. On a construction site, a competent person must identify every confined space the crew may work in before work starts, and flag which ones are permit spaces. (29 CFR 1926.1203(a))

ASK THE CREW

Which spaces on this job could be confined spaces, and which ones are marked as permit spaces?

From the talk: Confined spaces. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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