May Chapter Meeting: Get Out Alive – What’s the Big Deal with Confined Space Entries?

Confined space hazards continue to be among the leading scenarios causing workplace fatalities.  Looking back over the decades, there have been several OSHA regulations on confined spaces to help reduce these tragedies.  Did you know that Minnesota’s original Confined Space Standard dates back to 1988, and Federal OSHA implemented their Permit-Required Confined Space Standard (29 CFR 1910.146) in 1993?  The Confined Spaces in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1200) came along in 2015.  Even though these rules have been around in one form or another for a long time, the deaths and serious injuries continue.

Our May Program features Janet Keyes, CIH, FAIHA, a Principal of C.H.E.S.S., Inc. – a Twin Cities firm specializing in providing safety and health consulting services to small and medium sized businesses.  Janet’s work includes developing confined space programs, training employees on how to safely enter confined spaces, and helping clients identify hazards in those spaces.  Despite years of experience, Janet would be the first to tell you that the more she learns about confined spaces, the more there is to learn.  She knows that confined spaces are a big deal!

During her presentation, Janet will help us understand what constitutes a confined space and what constitutes a permit-required confined space.  We will learn to identify some of the factors contributing to fatalities in confined spaces.  She will explain the forms of monitoring that are required for confined space entry and list the most important steps we need to follow to safely enter confined spaces.  With her “real world” experience, this program will help you understand the bug deal of confined spaces and gain a greater appreciation for confined space hazards.  Don’t settle for mere “compliance”; learn how to achieve actual hazard mitigation.  You don’t want to miss this message!

A link for the virtual option will be sent out by 11 AM CDT on 5/14/2024