Approved code of practice
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will publish guidance on working in confined spaces on 17 February 2009.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will publish guidance on working in confined spaces on 17 February 2009.
The revised and updated publication, containing an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance on the duties in the Confined Spaces Regulations will offer guidance and reference points to a range of industries and businesses that deal with confined spaces.
The HSE said that Agriculture, Brewery, Construction, Maritime, Waste & Water were industries that all contained examples of confined spaces. The health and safety regulator added that whilst potential problems with sewers were recognised, more could be done to manage the risks associated with:
- Grain silos, storage tanks & slurry pits
- Brewery cellars and;
- Ships e.g. holds where shoreside workers are involved
Commenting on the forthcoming publication, Bob Daunton of the HSE, said: "Over the years a simple failure to recognise what is a confined space and not to think about the risks involved in enclosed areas such as ships or offshore structures has led to a number of fatalities ".
The health and safety regulator added that in recent years, there has been 3 fatalities offshore, three on a North Sea standby vessel, one in a ship in a dock, and two in a submersible pontoon.
Mr Daunton concluded: "This guidance will hopefully clarify and highlight the responsibilities that employers have to their employees when they are working in a confined space."
