Posted: 31 Oct '17

OSSA Confined Space Training: Understanding the Hazards of Confined Spaces

A confined space is described as an area - including any container, chamber, tank, or vessel - that, due to its enclosed nature, may increase the likelihood of harm or injury to workers due to accidents. Because these confined spaces are not designed for human occupancy, working in these environments are extremely dangerous. In fact, confined spaces are over 150 times more hazardous than regular working environments. In response, MI Safety has designed a OSSA Confined Space Training to ensure that employees in the construction and oil and gas industries are protected.

What is a Confined Space?

• Confined spaces are often enclosed, save for a small and often solitary entrance


• The risk of serious injury is often due to or exacerbated by the confined nature of the space


• The risk of injury must be serious enough to warrant immediate emergency rescue to the person involved.

What are the Dangers of a Confined Space?

MI Safety's OSSA confined space training course will assist you in identifying the hazards of working in a confined space including:

• Toxic Atmosphere: A toxic atmosphere poses hazards to workers in confined spaces, including impaired judgment, unconsciousness, and death. Toxic atmospheres may occur in confined spaces involving sludge, the presence of fire or a flame, or as a result of the work process being carried out in the confined space. The OSSA confined space training course allows students to use instruments to test mock environments for toxic atmospheres.


• Flammable or Explosive Hazards: A confined space is the perfect environment for combustible airborne, flammable liquids or gasses to pool and condense. As a result, a small spark may be the only ignition source necessary for an explosion to occur and destabilize the structure.


• Excess or Lack of Oxygen: An excess amount of oxygen increases the risk of a fire or an explosion while a lack of oxygen may result in unconsciousness or even asphyxiation. Oxygen-rich environments present unique and unexpected hazards; for example, materials that do not burn in normal oxygen environments may burn out of control or even spontaneously combust.

MI Safety: OSSA Confined Space Training in Edmonton

Mi Safety's OSSA Confined Space Training course will allow students to identify, assess, and monitor confined spaces as well as familiarize themselves with rescue equipment, rescue training, and ERP planning. While the course has a classroom component, the practical component of the OSSA Confined Space Training course will allow students to use gas detection monitors to test hazardous atmospheres, participate in mock entry, evacuation, and rescue from confined spaces as well as rescue drills. For more information on OSSA confined space training in Edmonton, contact MI Safety today!