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Re: Installer dies in attic

Safety soap box
As stated earlier, we have all broken a safety rule at one time or another. This time it was a fatal misjudgement. Lets go back to basics here. An attic or a basement crawl space is usually considered by OSHA (Section 1910.146(b) and 1926.21(b)(6) as a "confined space". You know, one entry point, limited access or room to move about, not designed for human habitation or work, may or may not have bad air or fumes, may or may not have harmful dust particles or animals (fiber glass insulation, spiders, snakes and rodents) or their droppings. We are supposed to have someone with us when we do this type of job to act as a safety person. We are supposed to wear a harness and rope so that we can be pulled out. Could you make money complying with the safety regulations under the present work rules? Not likely. However you can reschedule that part of the job for a early morning appoiintment. You can take a small fan and an extension cord into the attic. You can take a small bottle of water with you. You can wear coveralls and a mask.
True it is a hassle, most customers would rather have you do it safely than have a dead body in their attic.
OSHA calls some confined spaces outright hazards and requires you to get a permit from the employer and or owner before you enter those. I hope our industry does not get to that point. The telephone industries manholes have fallen under this procedure for many years. You have seen them blow out the manhole with surface air then test the air before they enter.
This is CABL.com posting #132786. Tiny Link: cabl.co/mIHS
Posted in reply to: Re: Installer dies in attic by hotcalimomma
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