Addendum to the Confined Spaces Guideline
On a multiple employer entry, can there be only one entry permit/attendant if identified that way in the coordination document?
Yes, on a multiple employer entry there can be one entry permit/attendant if identified that way in the coordination document.
An employer has made a decision to treat certain spaces that do not meet the confined space definition in the same way as required for confined spaces. Will the MOL enforce the on-site rescue requirements in this situation?
Ministry inspectors enforce the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations, not company policies. If a space does not meet the definition of a confined space as per the regulations, it would not be subject to the confined space requirements in the regulations, including the on-site rescue provisions.
What does “immediate implementation” of on-site rescue procedures mean?
The employer or constructor is responsible for developing a plan before a worker enters a confined space. The plan, including the on-site rescue procedures, is based on the nature of the hazards identified during the assessment of that confined space and must adequately protect the health and safety of all workers who work in confined spaces or perform related work. The plan will indicate whether the on-site team should be assembled at the point of entry of the confined space or whether team members may be located elsewhere on the premise or project. In either case the team must be immediately available, meaning that it is ready and available to respond to an emergency situation at a confined space.
If there are multiple confined space entries in progress and the on-site rescue team is called into one of the confined spaces, all workers in all of the other confined spaces must be pulled out unless another on-site rescue team is available. This is because if the team were in the process of a rescue, it would no longer be “immediately available” to effect a rescue from the other confined spaces.
What is an “adequate warning system” to signal failure of mechanical ventilation?
The warning system must be adequate, which is defined in the regulations as “sufficient for both its intended and its actual use, and sufficient to protect a worker from occupational illness or occupational injury”. The warning system may signal ventilation failure through audible or visual means. The type of warning system employed must be outlined in the plan and could be as simple as constant visual observation of flow by the attendant.
Electronic or electrical warning systems for ventilation failure, if employed, should be activated by the loss of airflow and be located in the air stream. This is so that the alarm would be activated both when there is ventilation failure due to motor failure, and when there is ventilation failure without motor failure (for example, if the fan belt fails or if the airflow is somehow blocked).
