A confined space subject to authorization is a dangerous area with limited access for workers. A clearance confined space has dangerous gases, water, or fire, and requires permits and safety precautions. Rescue efforts for workers are difficult, and robots are recommended to minimize danger.
A confined space subject to authorization is an area with limited access that is potentially dangerous for workers. This type of space is considered especially dangerous because the worker is more likely to be injured, and certain conditions exist that would make a rescue effort for the worker dangerous even for rescue teams. Typically, a confined space that is simply inaccessible is simply called a confined space, but a space that could also fill with dangerous gases, water, or fire or could otherwise kill a worker is called a clearance confined space. The process of obtaining permission to place a worker in such a space is usually defined by a regulatory agency such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the United States of America.
Sometimes a worker must enter a confined space recognized as more dangerous than normal working conditions. The conditions that define what constitutes a hazardous confined space vary by industry. Some regulations protect workers who must enter these spaces in order to minimize the risk of injury or death. In a confined space with clearance, safety precautions must be taken before the worker enters the space. These precautions include testing the space for possible dangers, developing a rescue plan, and obtaining permits to enter the space.
The difference between a confined space and a permit-required confined space is generally considered to be a matter of danger. If the space could fill with a dangerous gas or other substance, a permit is required. Gases that poison or asphyxiate humans are considered particularly dangerous. Spaces that could fill with water or fire also require special permits and precautions.
A confined space requiring a permit could also be considered hazardous if it has the potential to entrap a worker, even if no other hazardous conditions are present. Even if the space cannot close, conditions that could cause a worker to become stuck or displaced in a confined space are considered dangerous. Given the precautions taken, the worker is unlikely to be trapped without contact with the safety crew, but a rescue may not even be possible.
One of the most difficult parts of preparing to work in a permit-driven confined space is setting up safety precautions. While workers are often in extreme danger in these spaces, rescue personnel are often in just as much danger as the worker, making rescue efforts less likely to be successful. Often the rescuers succumb to the same hazards that happened to the original worker and additional rescue efforts must be made. The optimal way to maintain safety under these conditions is to use technologies such as robots to minimize the danger to human workers.
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