1. As a safety manager and instructor with Beacon Energy Services in Signal Hill, California, Jeff Davis
of nearby Long Beach helps employees to understand the risks of working directly with energy sources.
Jeff Davis works regularly with employees that inspect and repair storage tanks, pipelines, and other
confined spaces in and around Long Beach.
Defined as a fully or partially enclosed area with restricted entrance that is not designed for human
occupancy, the confined space presents risks that other work areas do not. To begin, limited access to
the space makes it difficult to escape in the event of a collapse, flood, or other unexpected event.
Furthermore, the closed nature of the space may put the air quality at risk, particularly in the case of
gas storage tanks and other holding spaces for toxic substances.
In addition, confined space are difficult to enter, it can make rescue both difficult and dangerous.
California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has determined that the safe window for a rescue
is four minutes or less, which is extremely difficult to achieve in a confined space. The DIR
recommends a targeted rescue plan for confined spaces into which a company must send its employees.
Employers can find more details at www.dir.ca.gov.