Emergency and Rescue Procedures

Confined space accidents are rare, but when accidents happen in a confined space they are usually fatal. Two major factors that lead to fatal injuries in confined spaces are:

1) Failure to recognize and control the hazards associated with confined spaces.

2) Inadequate or incorrect emergency response. When the emergency response is usually a spontaneous reaction to an emergency situation, this can lead to multiple fatalities.

For employees at the University, the golden rule of confined space rescue is: "NEVER ENTER A CONFINED SPACE TO RESUCE SOMEONE". Attempts to rescue a person from a confined space should only be made from outside the confined area. Acceptable methods of rescue include the use of retrieval equipment, such as lifelines, tripods, etc. and calling 7-9111 to reach campus public safety.

There have been many documented cases of multiple fatalities due to improper entry procedure and rescue attempts. Let's look at one specific example: