September, 2011
LOHP technical paper on confined space fatalities accepted for publication by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
"The LOHP technical paper, "Confined Space Emergency Response: Assessing Employer and Fire Department Practices" was accepted for publication in September by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Among the paper's findings are the following:
- 1) We identified in the U.S. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries database 535 fatal injuries in confined spaces that resulted from toxic or oxygen-deficient atmospheres and occurred between 1992 and 2005; of these, the highest number of fatalities (20%) were in the construction industry, in which there is no Federal Confined Space OSHA standard.
- 2) 57% of 21 large employers that we surveyed in collaboration with industry consultant groups reported that their emergency response plan relied on the fire department in the event of an emergency during a permit-required confined space entry.
- 3) A survey of San Francisco Fire Dept and San Diego Fire Dept response time data showed that a first-responding engine and technical rescue unit would likely arrive on scene in less than 10 minutes from the time of dispatch. Survey responses from 10 senior fire department technical rescue officers, however, showed that it would take between 48 and 170 minutes for firefighters to rescue a worker from a confined space, depending on the presence or absence of hazardous materials.
The paper proposes what we believe is an appropriate role for fire departments during a permit-required confined space entry; that is, to provide back-up rescue support to a properly trained and equipped on-site rescue team, and to provide advanced life support (ALS) services following extrication and during ambulance transportation. We point out that on-site rescue services are necessary and legally required if there is the possibility of a hazardous condition being present or developing during the entry."
For more information about the project, contact Pam Tau Lee at LOHP. Phone (510) 642-5507 or e-mail ptlee@berkeley.edu.
Adapted from Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) Newsletter