Importance Of Attendants Outside A Confined Space

• Attendants must remain outside the space during operations until relieved by another attendant
• Must be in constant communication with the authorized entrants

NEVER LEAVES THE OUTSIDE OF A CONFINED SPACE WITHOUT A QUALIFIED ATTENDANT REPLACEMENT!!!

The primary duty for personnel on both fire watch or hole watch is to sound the alarm in case of an emergency. Although the fire watch is watching for sparks after a welder or burner finishes cutting or welding metal, their primary duty is to give the alarm, so firefighters can be brought into play. Hole watchers aren’t supposed to try and enter the confined space to perform a rescue; they sound the alarm so rescue professionals can attend to the matter.

A lot of the facilities and contractors seem to have the attitude that anyone can be the “hole-watch.” This can be the major ingredient in a recipe for disaster. When OSHA created the Confined Space Regulation OSHA CFR 1910.252 they included a list of the “roles and responsibilities” of the Entrant, Attendant, and Entry Supervisor.

Fire and hole watch personnel are mandated by the OSHA CFR 1910.146  of the Code of Federal Regulations. Part of a welding team, workers on fire watch ensure no smoldering fires result from cutting or welding metal. Workers on the hole watch ensure the safety of the person working in a confined space, as defined by the OSHA CFR 1910.146. Both are an essential part of construction and industrial maintenance safety programs.