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Confined space accidents often result in death according to WCB
Supporting documents
- Backgrounder (PDF 130kb)
- Backgrounder: Confined space entry (PDF 116kb)
- Hazards of confined spaces (PDF 443kb)
- Hazards of confined spaces for food and beverage industries (PDF 432kb)
- Hazards of confined spaces for municipalities and the construction industry (PDF 439kb)
- Hazards of confined spaces for shipping and transportation industries(PDF 835kb)
September 21, 2004, Richmond, B.C. — Confined spaces can too often be dangerous spaces to workers in B.C. according to the Workers' Compensation Board. Workers entering silos, vats, ship holds, sewers, tunnels, large pipelines, and other such spaces are often unaware of potential problems and can lose consciousness in as little as four minutes if there is a lack of oxygen, or there is poisonous gas or another hazard present.
"Since 1989, 18 workers involved in confined space accidents have died," said David Anderson, President and CEO of the Workers' Compensation Board, while speaking at Vancouver Shipyards where a demonstration of a confined space rescue was being conducted. "The sad but tragically heroic part is that five of these workers died while trying to rescue their co-workers. Today's demonstration shows us the value of planning prior to entry into any confined space."
The demonstration, hosted jointly by the Washington Marine Group at its Vancouver Shipyard and the WCB, was viewed by representatives of wineries, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, and manufacturing plants — industries that commonly have confined spaces at their worksites. At the event the WCB released industry-specific booklets that will assist employers and workers to better understand what confined space are and the hazards they present.
"Thankfully, we have never had a confined space incident at Vancouver Shipyards," said Steve Frasher, CEO of the Washington Marine Group. "We have strict procedures in place that our workers understand, practice and are ready to use if necessary. We are very pleased to partner with the WCB to demonstrate our system to other industries."
A confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed area that is big enough for a worker to enter, but is not designed or intended for continuous human occupancy. Although a confined space is large enough for a worker to enter to perform assigned tasks such as cleaning, maintenance or repair, the small opening used for entry can make escape difficult and can complicate evacuation or rescue procedures. Poor ventilation can result in low levels of oxygen or hazardous atmospheres that include poisonous substances or vapours.
In recent years two workers died inside a deaerator in a pulp mill, one worker and one rescuer died after entering a wine vat, and one worker and three rescuers died in a barge accident.
Confined space information and resources including awareness booklets, bulletins, brochures and statistical data can be found on the WCB web site — www.WorkSafebc.com.
Serving nearly two million workers and more than 173,000 employers, the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. is a provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors and funded by employers. The WCB is committed to a safe and healthy workplace, to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits to workers injured as a result of their employment, and to being responsible, accountable and financially sustainable.
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Gladys Johnsen |
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