How can you ensure confined space hazards are prevented with hazard analysis?

A professional of any craft must have a core skill set that encapsulates the essence of that craft. For safety, a professional must develop that core skill around the hazard recognition. In the Confined Space arena, that professional skill set must be advanced enough to, not just understand the complexity of these exposures, but to ensure others have enough of that hazard analysis information to participate in their own safety while performing tasks in that environment. This means learning to look at the conditions and look at the proposed processes simultaneously. Break them down in a way that isolates each potential hazard so safety controls can be evaluated against that hazard, then disseminate those risks to people in the space.

When I have an opportunity to speak to a larger group of safety professionals, one comment I make gets them scratching their heads. I say, "the biggest problem with our profession is we allow HOT signs in our buildings." I let the room stop rolling their eyes and then I explain. The problem with a HOT sign is it doesn't describe the magnitude of the hot. I would do very different things for 130F and 700F, yet both would be labeled as hot. My advice is don't let your hazard analysis look like a hot sign. If you do your homework, identify all of the relevant hazards ALONG with their magnitudes of harm and only then can you accurately evaluate your safety controls for effectiveness. Regardless of the tool you use, magnitude is required.

In my experience, safety isn't rooted in the sentiment surrounding how much we care for one another. It is rooted in the professionalism each organization fosters while developing critical skills, setting standards to execute those skills and the engagement management uses to sustain that level of professionalism. Maintaining a high level of professionalism earned through engaged demonstrated competencies is the best way to optimize a positive workplace culture. Here is a litmus test for your professionalism. Does your management demand that we "keep it simple" in critical areas impacting safety? If yes, ask them if they would make that same statement about critical areas impacting quality or production if it meant losing a customer?