Worker in Confined SpacesThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces. Effective August 3, 2015, the rule will provide construction workers in confined spaces with protections similar to those manufacturing and general industry workers have had for more than two decades, with some differences tailored to the construction industry.

The new final rule includes specific requirements to ensure that multiple employers on construction worksites share vital safety information and continuously monitor hazards.  By isolating and eliminating hazards in confined spaces, the new standard will significantly improve the safety of construction workers who enter confined spaces. OSHA estimates that the new final rule will prevent about 780 serious injuries every year.

Construction workers often perform tasks in confined spaces, which are large enough to enter but have limited means of entry or exit and are not designed for continuous occupancy. Working in confined spaces, such as manholes, crawl spaces and tanks, can present serious hazards, including toxic substances, electrocutions, explosions and asphyxiation. In order to eliminate or isolate these life-threatening hazards on construction sites, where confined spaces can continually change as work progresses, the new rule emphasizes training, continuous worksite evaluation and communication requirements to further protect workers’ safety and health.

Compliance assistance material and additional information is available on OSHA’s Confined Spaces in Construction webpage.

Upcoming OSHA Training Center open enrollment courses that address OSHA’s confined spaces requirements include:

OSHA 7300 – Permit Required Confined Space Standard

  • July 13 | Bakersfield, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada

OSHA 2264 – Permit Required Confined Space Entry

  • July 13-15 | Carson, California
  • October 26-28 | San Lorenzo, California

OTC 403 – Trainer Course in Permit-Required Confined Space Entry

  • October 29-30 | San Lorenzo, California

Private group classes can also be scheduled at your convenience.

About the OSHA Training Center

The OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District offers high quality Occupational Safety & Health Administration standards-based training for construction, maritime and general industry in Dublin, California, conveniently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as locations throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Programs offered include OSHA safety standards, Outreach Trainer courses, Cal/OSHA standards curriculum, environmental courses and customized on-site safety training. For more information, including a complete course schedule, visit the OSHA Training Center website or call (866) 936-OSHA (6742).