When do I have to have a Confined Space rescue team?
I get this question almost monthly, and it worries me that so many facilities struggle with such a critical analysis. It is not easy, but it could be a matter of life or death and deserves some explanation. In this post, I will walk us through the rationale of entry-style rescue vs. non-entry-style rescue and when each one would be REQUIRED. I am using 29 CFR 1910.146(k) as the foundation for my analysis. Remember that 1910.146 is the very least we have to do and there is MUCH ROOM for improvement within 1910.146, so let’s not look at this post as the absolute, but rather as the minimum we have to do.
Here is the flow for PRCS Rescue requirements:
