These incidents occur predictably, both disturbing and indicative of a lack of knowledge about confined spaces. An individual enters a confined space. Something goes wrong for them. A second individual enters the space to assist their coworker. That individual also becomes a casualty of the incident. On occasion, a third individual will enter the space to assist. As a result, what was intended to be an incident involving only one person has led to the loss of several people. Also, investigations into these incidents reveal that most of the decisions made on the day of the incident were based upon incorrect assumptions regarding confined spaces. For Confined Space Rescue, visit https://www.agofirerescue.com/confined-space-rescue
“It’s only a small space for a quick job.” The duration of exposure to the atmosphere of a particular location, as well as the size of that space, is irrelevant to determining if that atmosphere is dangerous to an organism. For example, a space can be entered for thirty seconds and kill an organism. A small space can contain a lethal concentration of gas that would be diluted in a larger space.
“We’ve been in there before without a problem.” Previous safe entry tells you nothing about conditions on a subsequent occasion. Gas can accumulate between visits and oxygen can be depleted by biological activity. The space that was safe yesterday is not guaranteed to be safe today.
Another reason why the myths persist is that most of these confined spaces are actually safe for those who enter them – until the day they become unsafe for one or more of their occupants.
By the time that the myth has been proven to be incorrect, it is already too late for those people who believed in its validity.
