All hazards found in a regular workspace can also be found in a confined space. However, they can be even more hazardous in a confined space than in a regular work site.
Hazards in confined spaces can include the following, for example:
- Poor air quality: There may be an insufficient amount of oxygen for the worker to breathe. The atmosphere might contain a poisonous substance that could make the worker ill or even cause the worker to lose consciousness. Natural ventilation alone will often not be sufficient to maintain breathable quality air
- Chemical exposures due to skin contact or ingestion as well as inhalation of ’bad’ air
- Fire Hazard: There may be an explosive/inflammable atmosphere due to inflammable liquids and gases and combustible dust which, if ignited, would lead to fire or explosion
- Process-related hazards such as residual chemicals, release of contents of a supply line
- Noise
- Safety hazards such as moving parts of equipment, structural hazards, entanglement, slips, falls, etc.
- Radiation
- Temperature extremes including atmospheric and surface
- Shifting or collapse of bulk material
- Barrier failure resulting in a flood or release of free-flowing solid
- Uncontrolled energy including electrical shock
- Visibility
- Biological hazards
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