BUSINESS NEWS
Being trapped in a tight, restricted area is a harrowing, if not dangerous or lethal, scenario that leads to an estimated 100 worker deaths nationally each year. To help prevent these sorts of incidents locally, Fuller Industries Inc. last Wednesday held its federally mandated annual confined space training.
“This training is essential to ensure that employees can identify potential hazards, understand the necessary safety precautions and know how to respond in an emergency,” said Bree Husted, Fuller’s environmental health and safety assistant who taught the one-hour sessions. “By following best practices and maintaining accurate training records, we can minimize the risk of accidents and injuries in confined spaces and ensure compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.”
Utilizing a video and demonstrations, Husted explained the dangers and how to avoid them. According to OSHA mandates, employers must annually provide adequate training to all employees who work in or around confined spaces.
OSHA notes that a confined space is large enough for an employee to enter and has limited means of entry or exit. Examples of confined spaces include tanks, silos, storage bins, vaults and pits, many of which exist in Fuller’s commercial cleaning product manufacturing facility west of Great Bend.
“Such spaces may contain hazardous atmospheres like toxic gases, oxygen deficiency or engulfing hazards,” Husted said. There are also threats such as falling, being crushed or buried, or drowning.
According to OSHA, the training serves multiple purposes: It reinforces essential safety skills, helps employees retain critical knowledge and skills, and reduces the likelihood of accidents or injuries. Additionally, the training provides an opportunity to inform employees about changes in confined space regulations or recommended safety procedures, identify skill gaps, and foster a strong safety culture.
“Whether it’s confined space or other safety-related training, Fuller is committed to making sure our team has the knowledge it needs,” Husted said. “This is part of our ongoing effort to make this the safest place it can be.”