There are few things that upset me more than people dying by not following safety protocols. 

It can be very tempting when out in the field to jump in a manhole or to not properly shore a trench. The important thing to remember is, even though 95.786% of the time you’ll be totally fine, it just isn’t worth your life or life of your employees.

A utility worker in Key Largo, FL climbed into a manhole on January 18, 2016 without the proper personal protection equipment (PPE) to investigate a problem. The noxious fumes quickly rendered him unconscious. A fellow worker climbed in to save his life. The noxious fumes also rendered him unconscious. A third worker then entered the manhole to save his unconscious co-workers. It shouldn’t be a stretch to assume how that ended for him. A firefighter tried to save the three men and was quickly rendered unconscious and is in critical condition.

Three people are dead. A painful road to recovery, at best, awaits a fourth. Their families will forever be impacted by one decision.

This is why it is so critical to constantly reinforce to your employees that safety is more important than “getting things done” and confined space protocols must always be followed. The manhole was claimed to be 15 feet deep, but it doesn’t have to be to rob you of your life. A cloud of toxic gas will steal your consciousness before you know what hit you.

Tips

  1. Always perform a confined space entry following an established set of protocols with the proper PPE.
  2. Never enter a confined space to recover an unconscious co-worker without the proper PPE, and there must be a plan for rescue and emergency response activities in place prior to any confined space entry.
  3. Value your life and the lives of your co-workers by not letting anyone pressure you into compromising your safety.

We at WRM are constantly reinforcing safety with our employees because their lives are more important than productivity or profits. Safety, safety, safety. It can’t be stressed enough.

Stay safe,

Dan

 

The news source

Confined Space Entry Training