Village Approves Confined Space Program
Ten months after two local deaths in a south-end manhole, the Village now has a confined space program.
On Monday, the Village of Tarrytown approved their final confined space program, more than ten months after a Labor Day manhole accident killed John Kelly and Anthony Ruggiero.
The 65-page document and supporting materials is part of a program that has been reviewed by the New York State Department of Labor and the CSEA union which represents employees in the Village's Department of Public Works.
The establishment of a confined space program has been in the works since it was discovered the Village of Tarrytown had let their confined space training and protocols lapse. Previously, the Department of Labor's Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) division found that the Village failed to provide training, programs and policies that "the Village knew were required by law."
The approved confined space program applies to anyone in the Village having confined space duties or responsibilities. It also forbids anyone who is not trained in confined space to enter those specifically defined areas.
The document defines the roles of those who are allowed to enter spaces, those who are required to supervise and document entries, and attendants who are supposed to standby and monitor entries. The Village has expressed their interest in having eight people eligible to enter confined spaces, two from the Water Department and six from the Department of Public Works.
During those entries, confined spaces are to be monitored constantly. Attendants are supposed to watch for suspect levels of oxygen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. There are specified guidelines about the levels of each gas that are deemed safe. The deaths on Labor Day were a result of high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas.
The Village has also interviewed and evaluated the Town of Greenburgh’s Technical Rescue Team and reached an agreement with them to serve as the primary confined space rescue team. The team will respond in a timely manner to any confined space emergencies, and will be notified prior to each entry that occurs in the Village.
Each confined space entry must be thoroughly documented and kept on file for at least five years; documentation prior to the Labor Day accident was almost non-existent.
The full confined space program is attached in this document.
Walter Ferguson
7:58 am on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Just to set the record stright once and for all--confined space--is a speciality course- but all firefighters that take a County or State Firefighter one get as part of their training a segment concerning confined space. This meets the requirement of New York State. Part of the annual O.S.H.A. training ( eight hours)confined space is a segment of that training. The Fire and Local Officials should know have known this.
As I have said before and will continut to say--good well trainied firefighters will make good well trained fire officers--and that will make good knowledgeable fire chiefs.