[Opinion] How to Escape the Invisible 'Death Trap' of Asphyxiation Accidents in Confined Spaces

One day, a regular worker entered a confined space such as a tank or storage tank and never came out. A colleague who witnessed this scene entered the space to rescue them, resulting in an accident involving both. Although such news is occasionally reported, people who come across these reports do not seem to fully understand the causes and severity of the incidents.

Confined spaces, due to their characteristics of limited entrances and insufficient ventilation, are places where oxygen is deficient or harmful gases are generated. Examples include tanks, storage tanks, sumps, septic tanks, manholes, and other poorly ventilated spaces. These places can be easily accessed by general workers without any preparation for work, which can lead to oxygen deficiency and toxic gas poisoning accidents during work. On average, 34 deaths occur annually, indicating that more attention is required for managing the working environment in confined spaces.

Oxygen deficiency disasters can occur when the oxygen concentration in the air inside a confined space drops abnormally below 18%. When the concentration of harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide rises, it becomes difficult for workers to immediately detect danger, and poisoning from these gases can threaten workers' lives. Additionally, insufficient ventilation can lead to the accumulation of flammable gases, causing explosion accidents. Thus, these environments become extremely dangerous, setting invisible death traps.

Therefore, to safely enter and work in confined spaces, it is necessary to assess the working environment in advance. Oxygen and harmful gas concentrations must be measured, and to eliminate hazards beforehand, ventilation inside the confined space should be sufficiently performed using blowers. Oxygen and harmful gas levels should be monitored throughout the working period. Furthermore, entry permits for confined spaces should be issued to enforce access restrictions, conduct hazard and safety rule education, and workers should wear supplied-air respirators and positive pressure air respirators during work. In case of possible accidents, workers should wear safety belts and ropes to enable rapid rescue at any time.

Recently, with the development of sensor and wireless communication technologies, real-time remote continuous monitoring systems for confined spaces have been developed, allowing real-time monitoring of air quality and significantly reducing work hazards. Specifically, devices equipped with chemical sensors detecting oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and communication functions are installed in confined spaces, and data is provided in real time to workers via mobile phones or PCs through wireless communication such as LTE and Bluetooth.

Additionally, devices with ultra-low power technology that can be installed for about two years without separate charging and provide real-time monitoring are also being introduced. The adoption of such Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can maximize the effectiveness of asphyxiation disaster prevention projects.

Along with this, as with traditional methods, compliance with pre-work prevention rules for confined space work, safety education for entering workers, oxygen concentration measurement using appropriate equipment, and ventilation should be conducted. All confined spaces present on-site should be quantitatively assessed for risk, and for high-risk spaces, systems that allow immediate ventilation before work must be operated continuously. Moreover, it is necessary to advance management methods by introducing real-time monitoring systems targeting confined spaces within the workplace to strengthen continuous on-site management functionality.

Confined spaces are often unavoidable workplaces for workers engaged in the relevant tasks. These are tasks that cannot be replaced by others. Creating an environment where work can be safely performed in such places and protecting workers' lives must be the top priority for all field organizations. Thorough implementation of preventive measures and raising safety awareness among all employees are important, and applying sustainable continuous management systems through the advancement of on-site management methods is the direction for promoting prevention of asphyxiation disasters in confined spaces.

In the future, the goal should not simply be managing the risks of confined spaces but ensuring that all workers return home safely every day. This is the core of safety culture and an obvious obligation for workers that must be pursued in all industrial sites.

/ Kim Younggyo, Head of Industrial Health Center, Busan Regional Headquarters, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency

Kim Young-gyo, Head of the Industrial Health Center, Busan Regional Headquarters, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.