Most recently we sent three engineers to Speedy Services in Brentwood to go on the ‘Working in High Risk Confined Spaces’ Level 2 qualification from the awarding body of City and Guilds. Personally, I wasn’t aware of what a qualification like this entailed. I have to admit when I first heard about this qualification my first, and unfortunately only, thought about what this qualification could be about was, ‘erm, being crushed? Claustrophobia?’ I just couldn’t seem to come up with what the potential dangers could be. I guess this means I am not destined for a career in Health and Safety.

Anyway, so would you believe, it is way more complex than I first thought. The reason that training like this exists is for employees who will be working in areas such as sewers, vessels and tanks. Due to the enclosed space people are in they are more at risk of noxious fumes or if excess water materialised they would have less time to react and resolve the problem before it became deadly. So, people who are working in high risk confined spaces need to be trained about how to use, inspect and maintain confined areas safely and will also need to know how to use the equipment necessary effectively. 

Matt, one of our employees who went on the course, told me how important training such as this was for him, ‘going on the high risk confined spaces course has helped me gain the knowledge and understanding of the hazards that could occur while working in a confined space. I can now say with confidence that any work I have to carry out in these conditions will be as safe as I can make it for me and my colleagues.’ Our other team member Joe, who also went on the course, has praised the work done by the course leaders, ‘going on the high risk confined spaces course provided me with a vast amount of information and taught me how dangerous a confined space can be. But thanks to the guys on the course I can now identify any potential danger and put necessary precautions in place to prevent anything bad from occurring.’