Double fatality in confined space

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Police are reminding all those working in the Aquaculture industry of the dangers of working in confined spaces, which can often be found in a variety of the workplaces used in fish farming.

The warning follows an incident on Monday 11 May 2009, in which two workers died and another was rendered unconscious in a confined space on a barge at a fish farm near Oban.

The investigation is at an early stage. The HSE and the Police are working together to identify what happened.

Employers need to identify confined spaces in the workplace and should avoid the need for anyone to enter them where possible. Where entry is required a system of work must be in place that ensures that the space is safe for people to enter and remains safe for the duration of the work.

This would include identifying the risks and eliminating or properly controlling them, providing the right equipment, including rescue equipment and making sure all who enter into a confined space are properly trained.

The amount of information, instruction and training required to ensure competence will obviously depend on the responsibilities and tasks assigned to workers. However all employees should have sufficient information to identify a potential confined space and adequate instructions on what actions to take.

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