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The Difference Effective Confined Space Rescue Services Makes

Confined space work is high-risk in nature and rescues in those environments are even more complex. When you factor in restrictive movement, potential environmental hazards, and potential oxygen deficiency, it’s no wonder why confined space rescue teams are always in demand. 

These rescue teams are trained in specialized skills that make them a must on any jobsite that includes confined spaces. Whenever there is the potential for dangers in these difficult environments, effective confined space rescue services can make a big difference. Let’s look at the challenges that confined spaces bring and why an expert team, like those at SITEX, is the way to go.

The Dangers In Confined Spaces

By OSHA’s definition a confined space is any location, such as a tank or container, that is enclosed and creates conditions that increase the risk of injury. These environments come with numerous potential dangers to be considerate of at all times. Working with a confined space rescue team means you’re working with a team that is trained to identify and operate around these hazards.  

Common examples of these hazards include toxic atmospheres, oxygen deficiency or enrichment, excessive heat, and flammable atmospheres. Confined spaces with these dangers present have the potential to impair judgment and lead to unconsciousness or death. These situations are often caused due to the presence of hazardous substances that could be seeping in due to disturbance caused by the work being done.

These dangers are ones that workers face in confined spaces but their risks can be minimized with proper training and on-site services. Even so, accidents do happen and emergencies can come out of nowhere. In the event of an emergency, confined space rescue services are your best bet to keep workers safe.

What Are Confined Space Rescue Services

Confined space rescue services include the people and equipment used to rescue workers from dangerous situations in confined spaces. The members of a confined space rescue team are highly trained individuals who can work on-site or respond to emergency situations. 

Every member of the SITEX confined space rescue team is trained to assess potential hazards of a confined space and create a plan of action to minimize risk at the start of any work. They can also properly enter confined spaces, distribute equipment as needed, extract entrapped individuals, begin emergency medical services, and provide standby rescue operations as needed. 

SITEX offers trained and certified rescuers, rescue attendants, and entrant supervisors depending on the nature of the confined space work. 

  • Rescuers—These team members are authorized to enter confined spaces to perform the rescue procedure. They know the hazards associated with the job and are able to recognize signs of exposure and can properly exit spaces when needed. 


  • Rescue Attendants—Attendants have the most responsibility on any confined space rescue effort. They have in-depth knowledge of any hazards, are responsible for monitoring air in the space, and identify authorized attendants to ensure proper protocol is being followed around the confined space.


  • Entrant SupervisorsSupervisors represent the employer at the confined space. They are trained in the same ways as a rescuer or rescue attendant so they know the hazards involved. They are also responsible for validating safe entry conditions and verifying emergency plans.

Each of these roles are crucial to a proper confined space rescue and each role must learn their requirements and responsibilities. At SITEX, our team members go through advanced training to learn these protocols and ensure safety at every jobsite they work on. They also spend time understanding the equipment used during confined space rescues such as gas monitors, air systems, tripods, and winches. Customers can even rent confined space equipment to meet their specific needs on any given site.

Benefits of Confined Space Rescue Services

Confined space rescue services offer customers a variety of benefits from convenience to flexibility. Chief among those benefits is the ability for customers to focus on the work they are paid to complete and not the safety parts of every task. 

A jobsite with multiple confined spaces, for example, requires a rescue plan and assessment for each site. The time it takes to figure out these plans and fill out required paperwork takes away from the time workers and supervisors can spend on other tasks. Instead of using that time to plan, a confined space rescue team can develop these plans and create a more efficient workflow on the site. 

Another benefit to consider is the level of training experienced confined space rescue teams have. While it’s possible to use emergency services as confined space rescue teams, the level of training can be different. SITEX continually trains its employees with the latest confined space rescue thinking and best practices. This keeps our employees up-to-date on the best ways to keep your employees safe. 

While safety has no price, it’s true that confined space rescue services can help decrease costs around equipment. That’s because our teams already own the equipment they use on-site, meaning customers don’t have to buy that equipment themselves or take the time to properly maintain it. 

Finally, there is no value that can be placed on the safety of your workers. Having a trained confined space rescue team on-site offers workers the best possible chance of completing their jobs safely and efficiently.

Contact us today to discuss your confined space rescue service needs and see what SITEX can do to keep your workers safe.

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