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5.0 out of 5 stars
Safety and Health in Confined Spaces, Jul 2 2000
Confined spaces represent an often-unrecognized source of potentially serious injuries in workplaces throughout the world. The mere fact that a work area is restricted in some fashion (difficult entry, small volume or filled with obstacles) can turn a more commonplace event, such as a slip, trip or fall, into a serious injury or fatality. In a confined space, even the atmosphere can be deadly to workers.Although many countries have recently developed or updated health and safety regulations and the general recognition of the hazards of these spaces has improved, over the years, very few good references have been published on the subject. "Safety and Health in Confined Spaces" is one of these. Mr. McManus has obviously put a tremendous amount of time and effort into a book which, although targeted more towards professional Industrial Hygienists than laypersons, still provides a valuable reference to anyone managing or developing confined space programs. The first few chapters of the book describe some of the typical (as well as atypical) hazards that workers might encounter in confined spaces, including toxic, flammable and explosive atmospheres, engulfment, entrapment and confined energy (i.e.: mechanical and electrical systems and radiation). Later topics include the use of atmospheric testing devices, personal protective equipment, ventilation requirements and emergency rescue. The addition of good photographs of testing and communications equipment, as well as lockout devices and ventilation fans, is a plus. Both Mr. McManus and myself agree that there is a need for more professional practice in this aspect of our industry. In recognition of this fact, an entire Appendix of this book has been devoted to a discussion of "Qualified Persons" - individuals with the appropriate qualifications and training specific to the recognition of hazards in confined spaces. To address this issue, Mr. McManus has provided a great deal of information on hazard management in confined spaces, including examples of hazard assessments and a model confined space program. What I have found particularly useful is that much of this information has been included in individual Appendices, for easier reference (one of these, "Appendix A: Standards, Guidelines and Regulations" even discusses the development of standards and guidelines in a number of countries, including Canada). As an Industrial Hygienist who has routinely been involved in the preparation of hazard assessments and the development of procedures for work in confined spaces, I have found the book to be extremely valuable reference and recommend it to all Industrial Hygiene and Safety professionals.
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