Although confined spaces can be found in a variety of situations, identifying them can be a challenge. Richard Millar, Working at Heights Association, offers an essentials guide to designing and implementing an effective confined space program and rescue plan.

By nature confined spaces constitute a variety of hazards that include: atmospheric (in that certain gases will displace breathable air), toxic (with the accumulation of the flammable materials) and physical (in that confined spaces limit the ability to avoid contact with electricity, moving mechanical components or unstable substances). Guidance on defining what is or is not a confined space is in itself open to individual interpretation, yet what is not open to interpretation is that they are high-risk work environments and require competent persons able to bring first-hand knowledge of the possible hazards that may be encountered, and who are able to present a safe work method statement (SWMS) for the work to be carried out.

Identifying a confined space

SWMSs are required for high-risk work as defined by the Australian work health and safety (WHS) regulation and should be designed to outline the risk in the activity to be carried out at the workplace, providing: an overview of the work activities, the hazards that may arise from these activities and the control measures to be put in place to reduce the risks. A sound confined space program normally begins with knowledgeable/competent persons taking a thorough look at the employer’s workplace and conservatively identifying every area or space that is big enough to get into, not easy to get into and not intended as a designated workspace. Often the area has another purpose, such as: housing equipment or storing product; shielding hazardous areas; or being a pathway for liquid, gases or solids to flow through.

Once all confined spaces have been identified, the employer has the responsibility of clearly marking all associated entry points with signage that prohibits personnel from going into them without taking specific precautions and control measures. Securing the access points against unauthorised entry is also highly recommended and can be achieved by locking hatchways, bolting or welding covers in place, or securing obvious barrier protections. Before work inside these potentially dangerous areas is authorised by the employer, a detailed hazard assessment needs to be performed for each identified confined space. If, after a thorough evaluation, some of these confined spaces are determined to have no possible dangers associated with work performed inside, entry restrictions can be removed and full access can be restored. But this circumstance is uncommon.

Implementing a confined space program

In most cases, dangers cannot be fully removed or work being done inside these areas may introduce new hazards within the confined space. Routinely, the employer has an obligation to put into effect a full confined space entry program that requires permits to be issued to authorised personnel whenever entry must take place. Safe Work Australia WHS Regulation 76 Confined Space provides guidelines and information on training and instruction for workers. Employers must train their personnel to conduct confined space entry procedures or hire qualified contractors who can protect them with a permit entry system. This involves working from the guidance provided in the hazard assessments, continuously monitoring working conditions and having all necessary safety equipment to prevent accidents from occurring.

If, despite the precautions, an accident does occur, employers must have in place an effective rescue capability to quickly get entrants out without jeopardising the safety of participating rescuers. Preventing these kinds of accidents starts with the identification and securing of all confined spaces and prohibiting unauthorised entry. Employers should be sure a complete hazard assessment is performed for each space on their premises and use the completed assessments to fully prepare their employees or contractors for safe entry operations.

Designing a confined space rescue plan

If an employer allows entry into permit-required confined spaces, then it is critically important to have a rescue plan for each of those spaces. The old adage “proper planning prevents poor performance” is especially true when lives are at stake, and permit-required confined space entry rescue certainly fits that description. It does not matter if the rescue will be performed as non-entry retrieval or if rescuers need to enter the space to perform rescue — the need to have a clear and comprehensive rescue plan goes a long way in ensuring a successful outcome for workers. There are many reasons to have rescue plans completed for all permit-required confined spaces. First, the regulators require that the employer make those spaces available to the rescue service for the purposes of rescue planning. But more importantly, a number of confined space fatalities in multifractality confined space incidents involve the would-be rescuer.

By preplanning the strategies and requirements for a potential future rescue, the rescue team is able to perform a thorough evaluation without the pressure of having to make quick decisions, as would be the case in an actual emergency. The level of detail in a rescue plan varies depending on several factors and should be determined by the rescue service that completes the plan. Some, but not all, of those factors include: configuration of the space, immediate surroundings, location of the space, position/dimensions of entry portals, hazards of the space, personal protective equipment required, number of authorised entrants, experience of the rescue team and available rescue equipment.

Types of rescue

When preparing rescue plans the configuration of the space will determine if non-entry rescue is feasible. It is important to get an idea of what opportunities and limitations are included in the immediate surroundings of the entry portals. What are the anchor opportunities? Is there room to operate the rescue systems or to stage breathing air equipment? Is there enough headroom to complete a vertical lift of a litter? Will an elevated rescue be required to get the victim to the ground once clear of the space? Where possible rescue should be performed as non-entry retrieval, or if rescuers need to enter the space to perform rescue, having a clear and comprehensive rescue plan goes a long way in ensuring a successful outcome. Once the rescue plans have been completed, they should become part of the confined space program and be updated and/or reviewed as conditions, team members or any other factor that may affect the plan change. But what about those spaces that are not clearly marked as confined spaces? Storage tanks, sewers, boilers, manholes, ship voids, tunnels, silos, vats and wells are locations that we commonly consider confined spaces. But there are also some areas, such as trenches (that have their own code) on a worksite and pits used to house control valves, which contain many hidden dangers.

Just because it is not marked as a confined space does not mean that workers should not exercise caution prior to entering. When you have identified a confined space or even an area you believe has the potential to be a confined space, you want to test the area appropriately before you or your workers go in, and make sure that you perform continuous monitoring to keep those who enter safe. Always remember that the gases within confined spaces will have their own molecular weight and will be found at different levels. That is why it is important to test the top, middle and bottom before entry is made. Also, do not get tunnel vision to get the job done quickly, it is more critical that the job gets done safely. After reading this, I hope that the next time you walk down the street and take a look around, you see a few confined spaces you might not have noticed before.

Richard Millar is Chief Executive Officer of the Working at Height Association, which has had confined space as an area of focus since 2016.

Source: NSCA Foundation & Working at Height Association

A collaboration between industry and government has been urged to address the growing and looming issue of disruption to construction projects, primarily due to a decrease of building products from China due to the coronavirus, and its effect on industrial activity in China.

Various travel restrictions internationally as a result of the coronavirus may also affect the migration of skilled labour and professionals needed for the industry.

Further, if the Australian workforce is affected by the coronavirus with many people infected or staying away from workplaces due to fear of infection, this will also have a major impact on the construction industry.

The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) says planning and collaboration for the industry is urgently needed to mitigate these very real possibilities that threaten the construction industry, a major driver of the Australian economy.

ACIF Executive Director James Cameron said with more than 60 per cent of the $6 billion worth of construction-related materials sourced from China, this represents a massive challenge for the industry if supplies continue to be affected.

“Some builders and contractors are putting in requests for extensions of time for delays to their projects. This is contractually not always easy as many contracts do not provide illness as a reason for a claim.”

“Where there are large components of structure, facades, and fit out in contracts, these usually require visits to suppliers’ factories in China.”

“Most major developers and builders are looking for alternative sources for Chinese building products, looking at alternatives to sending staff to China, and looking to find quality assurance specialists in China who can do inspections for them,” Mr Cameron stated.

“The construction labour force in Australia may also be affected due to the disruption to the migration of certain trades and professions needed for the industry.”

“If the coronavirus takes hold in Australia, construction projects may be further affected with sick staff and others staying home due to fear of infection. The construction industry labour force is highly integrated, and one missing link can mean that projects cannot continue.”

ACIF is now calling on industry and governments in Australia to collaborate to address all of these current and looming challenges.

“Let’s act proactively and be on the front foot to minimise the impact of this tragic outbreak of COVID-19 on the construction industry,” Mr Cameron added.

Article originally posted in Build Australia.

Rivalea (Australia) Pty Limited recently entered into an enforceable undertaking with a total expenditure of $334,136 following an incident in which a subcontractor conducting work on a roof stood on a sheet of mini-orb ceiling material and fell through the roof onto the concrete floor below, suffering serious injuries.

SafeWork NSW said there were a number of reasons for accepting the undertaking:

• the alleged contravention does not appear to be a section 31 Reckless conduct category 1 offence, which if it was the case, would preclude the proposed undertaking from being accepted
• the nature of the alleged contravention and the actions taken by Rivalea (Australia) Pty Limited in response to the incident are assessed as being appropriate for consideration of an undertaking
• the strategies proposed in the undertaking have been assessed as likely to deliver long term sustainable safety improvements in the workplace, industry and community
• the undertaking addresses the requirements contained within the “SafeWork NSW Enforceable Undertakings Guidelines”.

As part of the enforceable undertaking, Rivalea (Australia) Pty Limited will undertake the following activities:

• up to 30 contractors or community members to undertake the nationally accredited “Work Safely at Heights” training course;
• up to 90 Rivalea leaders to undertake two units of the nationally accredited "Risk Management for Supervisors and Managers” training course;
• engage an external WHS consultant to undertake a working at heights audit;
• deliver industry presentations including ‘Lessons Learnt’ and ‘Learning from Success’ at two industry events; and
• coordinate and hold a community Farm Safety Day.

Original article from AIHS

SafeWork SA’s inspectors will be undertaking compliance audits on Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high-risk construction work (HRCW) from February 2020 onwards.

Construction continues to be one of the most hazardous industries, exposing workers to a variety of hazards and risks, resulting in unacceptably high levels of injuries and fatalities.

Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for high-risk construction work (HRCW) are a key strategy relied upon to reduce this toll, according to SafeWork SA.

HRCW involves 18 activities identified in the WHS Regulations as having significant potential for serious harm from historical national data.

The principle purpose of an SWMS is to assist supervisors, workers and other parties at a workplace to understand the requirements that have been established, through consultation, to work in a safe way.

SafeWork SA inspectors will have a focus on compliance to ensure SWMS for HRCW are site-specific and easily understood by workers including those from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Pictures or diagrams, for example, can be a more effective way of communicating information.

This compliance focus is also in recognition of the construction industry being identified as a priority industry in the 2012-22 national work health and safety strategy.

Original article from the AIHS news.

This advice is for businesses and other PCBUs who are not directly involved in firefighting, but might have workers affected by the smoke caused by the current bushfire emergency.

Workers who are not directly involved in firefighting activities may be exposed to smoke while working indoors or outdoors during periods of significant bushfire activity.

While you can’t control the movement of bushfire smoke, you can control where, how and when your workers undertake their duties.

Businesses and other PCBUs have obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017 to ensure you provide and maintain a safe working environment for your workers in so as far as is reasonably practicable.

Indoor working environments

Ensure indoor environments are safe and without risks to health for workers during periods of elevated smoke.

You must:

• work with your property management (such as building landlords) to monitor the air quality of their buildings or workplaces
• act if the air quality is not within the acceptable levels
• keep staff informed of the measures taken
• have provisions within your emergency plan that outline what you will do if indoor bushfire smoke becomes excessive

Outdoor working environments

Ensure that outdoor or field work is rescheduled, if possible, until conditions (e.g. visibility and air quality) improve.

If work needs to go ahead you should:

• take appropriate risk assessments prior to work commencing.
• provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, to workers with instructions on its correct use and fitting.
• ensure workers always have an effective means of communication if working alone, remotely or in an isolated place.
• remain aware of any bushfires near the proposed work area(s) and advise workers accordingly, including to follow instructions and advice from emergency services and evacuate the area if needed.
• monitor outdoor air quality levels via Air Quality Alerts NSW
• access health information on bushfire smoke via NSW Health.

Important health advice

Businesses and other PCBUs should also advise workers that if they have concerns about their health, they should seek medical advice from their doctor.

Anyone experiencing wheezing, chest tightness or difficulty breathing should seek urgent medical attention.

People who are sensitive to smoke and air pollution can be more vulnerable to heat related illness as well, so staying hydrated and cool is important.

Worker advice

As a worker, you have obligations under WHS legislation. You should raise your concerns about bushfire smoke with your manager or WHS representative as soon as possible.

If you are not satisfied with the response you may contact SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50 or raise your concerns via their Speak Up platform.

Publications

Property hazards following a bushfire: fact sheet

Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities.

A cross-industry strategy lead by SafeWork NSW has significantly increased awareness of silicosis and standardised practices of exposure prevention.

SafeWork NSW has visited every stone manufacturing business in the state and in addition has had 448 interactions with businesses in the tunnelling, domestic and civil construction, foundries, and building products industries.

SafeWork NSW is just two years into a five-year strategy and is on course to drive down future cases of silicosis, said the regulator’s executive director specialist services, Andrew Gavrielatos.

“The strategy is comprehensive and involves four key components - awareness, interaction, research, and legislation,” Gavrielatos said.

“We’re approaching silica exposure from all angles, for example, in addition to a media campaign ‘Which Mask will you Wear?’, we’ve trained 184 inspectors to deliver education and compliance initiatives, we’ve held 48 industry forums, presentations and workshops, and we’ve instigated partnerships and research into better exposure prevention techniques.

“We’re also working with icare to improve knowledge of and access to health monitoring.”

Last financial year a total of 3,563 workers exposed to silica underwent health monitoring provided by icare’s Dust Diseases Care.

During inspector visits SafeWork NSW issued a total of 617 improvement and prohibition notices to ensure businesses comply with their work health and safety obligations around silica exposure.

Eighty per cent have been fully complied with, with the majority of the remaining relating to workers having a health monitoring test where SafeWork NSW is awaiting confirmation from icare.

“As the number of notices complied with shows, silica exposure can be controlled by following simple steps,” said Gavrielatos.

“Cut silica containing products with water, use ventilation and dust capture systems, wear a mask, and clean up with water or a H or M class vacuum.”

Originally posted in AIHS Dec 2019

WorkSafe Victoria recently issued a safety alert regarding correct footwear in mines, following an incident in which an employee suffered a serious wound from a piece of steel mesh which punctured their footwear.

Whilst applicable to the mining industry this incident is relevant to the Formwork Industry and WHS compliance re footwear.

The incident highlighted the importance for mine operators to ensure that any safety footwear in use on-site is appropriately rated for the risks identified.

The incident involved an underground mine employee sustaining a serious puncture wound to the foot when a piece of galvanised reinforcing mesh penetrated the sole of a rubber gumboot.

The safety alert said hazards that may pose a risk to employee health and safety in relation to footwear at a mine can include:

• sharp and abrasive rocks
• exposed reinforcing
• slippery or low traction surfaces
• hot or cold surfaces
• chemical exposure
• electrically charged objects

The alert said mine operators should ensure that the safety footwear required on-site is appropriate for the work being undertaken and is rated to provide the maximum protection for employees.

The ratings and markings that are applicable to safety footwear can be found in AS/NZS 2210.3:2019 - Personal Protective Equipment – Safety Footwear

Originally posted in AIHS Jan 2020

Three industries have been responsible for 69 per cent of worker fatalities last year, according to Safe Work Australia research: transport, postal and warehousing (38 fatalities), agriculture, forestry and fishing (37 fatalities) and construction (24 fatalities).

The research also found the most common causes of worker fatalities in 2018 were vehicle collisions (44 fatalities), being hit by a moving object (24 fatalities) and falls from a height (18 fatalities).

The Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities Australia 2018 report found that the fatality rate was 1.1 per 100,000 workers (144 workers fatally injured) last year – a reduction of 62 per cent from a peak of 3.0 per 100,000 (310 fatalities) in 2007.

The large share of fatalities in the agriculture, road transport and construction industries are not due to industry size, but due to disproportionately high fatality rates for these industries.

The five-year average fatality rates for agriculture (13.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers), road transport (13.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers) and construction (2.9 fatalities per 100,000 workers) sit well above the rates for the remaining priority industries, as well as the fatality rate across all industries (1.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers).

Over the period 2014-2018, there were 188 worker fatalities in the agriculture industry (20 per cent of all worker fatalities over the period) and within the agriculture industry, the sheep, beef cattle and grain farming industry group accounted for 57 per cent of fatalities.

Workers aged 65 and over accounted for 31 per cent of fatalities in the agriculture industry, which is double the proportion of fatalities across all industries (15 per cent) over the same period and age group.

Over the five-year period to 2018, the majority of fatalities (69 per cent or 129 fatalities) in the agriculture industry involved a vehicle, and the most common vehicles involved were tractors (23 per cent or 44 fatalities) and quad bikes (15 per cent or 29 fatalities).

In line with these statistics, Safe Work Australia said it focuses on several priority industries:

Agriculture

Road transport

Manufacturing

Construction

Accommodation and food services

Public administration and safety, and

Health care and social assistance.

Industries such as manufacturing, accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance and public administration and safety have low fatality rates but are included as priority industries due to high non-fatal injury rates (according to the latest Australian Workers’ Compensation Statistics report)

The report and data are drawn from a range of sources, including initial reporting of fatalities in the media, notifications from jurisdictional authorities, and the National Coronial Information System.

“While the downward trend in work-related fatalities is encouraging, it is not a cause for celebration,” said Michelle Baxter, CEO of Safe Work Australia.

“Every work-related fatality is a tragedy, and there’s a lot more work to be done.”

Originally posted in AIHS Nov 2019.

Companies with mental health programs in place for one year had a median annual ROI of $1.62 for every dollar invested, while companies with programs in place for three or more years have a median annual ROI of $2.18 for every dollar spent, according to international research.

Conducted by Deloitte, the research report found that wellness programs are more likely to achieve positive ROI when they support employees along the entire spectrum of mental health—from the promotion of well-being to intervention and care.

Furthermore, employers could achieve greater program ROI by prioritising investment in higher-impact areas such as leadership training and preventive interventions, including psychological care benefits.

In addition, if employers measure their baseline data and take stock of existing initiatives, many organisations would realise they have already started to use the right tools to strengthen workplace mental health.

Putting in place mechanisms to measure performance can also enable organisations to achieve desired program impact, improve adoption rates, and enhance decision-making.

The report, The ROI in workplace mental health programs: Good for people, good for business, explores historical investment and savings data from seven large companies in Canada at various stages of rolling out mental health programs.

“The findings from this report provide a business case that is impossible to ignore,” said Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada.

“Organisations committed to delivering and measuring impactful employee wellness programs are creating healthier workplaces and seeing investments in their people’s mental health pay off.”

The report observed that organisations beginning to explore investments in mental health programs struggle with where to start, and once the process has begun, they may also encounter common roadblocks.

While many companies are in the early stages of considering investments in workplace mental health, the report said there are a number of steps organisations can take:

1. Many organisations do not realize they already have numerous initiatives in place and can benefit from linking their existing programs, policies, and initiatives to workplace mental health factors. Exploring available data points (through insurance carriers, program reviews, health and safety, and HR data points) is also key to establishing a baseline understanding of the current state of employee mental health and well-being and influencing factors within the organisation.

2. After completing a current state and gap analysis, and taking into account current business drivers, organisations may opt to carry out the following activities concurrently, or sequentially: enhance existing programs; deploy new programs; followed by deploying pilots to test out, learn, and adapt and enhance programming for a larger rollout.

3. Identify and formalise meaningful KPIs, goals, objectives, and targets: Building upon the baseline/current state analysis of existing data points, companies can develop KPIs that aim to measure the desired outcomes and impacts of programming. Measuring short-term progress against goals is also necessary.

4. Measure KPIs and ROI on an ongoing basis to sustain progress and achieve desired outcomes:

“The case for investing in workplace mental health is clear,” said the report.

“What is needed now, regardless of organisations’ sector and size is for business leaders to recognise the importance of and commit to investing in the mental health of their employees.”

Originally posted in AIHS Nov 2019

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