This confined space course will cover the new standard that is now longer than the two paragraphs at 29CFR1926.21 b which referenced enclosed spaces but did not give guidance on procedures to follow for construction.
The new standard provides rules for Construction, multi-employer worksites and further defines work for the Owner (Host Employer) versus the Contractor (Controlling Contractor) who may have employees performing activities within confined spaces.
The previous standard did not address work activities outside the space which may impact those areas within the enclosed or confined space. Examples include generators producing exhaust or flooding potential to the worksite.
The standard can be found at 29CFR1926.1201 and in the newest subpart for OSHA Construction Standards Subpart AA.
Provisions new to the regulation include aspects of competent person evaluation, continuous monitoring, non-entry rescue, rescue personnel training and requires a qualified person.
This training is targeted to contractors, construction personnel, maintenance employees, plumbers, electricians, sewer and vault entry personnel, and others.
From OSHA: 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. The overall objective of this training is to portect those entering or working around a confined space. In this course you will learn the physical, chemical, and biological princiles related to safe working with confined spaces.
