Presentation: Confined Space Entry for
Workers in the On-Site Industry
We are seeing
a change in the liability exposure to small business owners in our industry. Do
you have a safety program? Is it doing what you think it is? Companies are
being hit with fines from OSHA and State programs, but recent court findings
and state and county prosecuting attorneys are expanding OSHA fines to allow
financial compensation to victim/workers with civil suits and criminal homicide
charges for owners who willfully ignore the rules that result in workplace
fatality accidents!
If you've
ever rationalized your responsibility of safety as a business owner or worker
with some version of "it won't happen to me," you should come to this
presentation and learn some simple steps about what you should do and how to
get ahead of the curve when it comes to Confined Space Entry. Discuss the rule requirements as they apply
to CSE in the OSSF industry. Discuss the roles of: Entrant, Attendant and
Supervisor. Review Examples of OSSF Confined Spaces: Septic and Pump Tanks,
Pump Trucks and Sewer lines. Application of Confined Space rules to Excavations
and Trenches: Tank Excavations, Trenches and Soil Log Test Pits. Review
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Selection, Fit for use and Maintenance.
Chuck Ahrens - Executive Director, Washington On-Site Sewage Association - where he has worked for 9 years. He is also a trainer and the Training Director for the OSS education program in Washington. Chuck has developed training programs and delivered instruction for 7 safety grants produced through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. These programs include; Pathogen Exposures to OSSF Workers, Confined Space Entry for OSSF, Trenching/Excavation in OSSF, OSHA Construction Focus Four and currently Vehicle Safety for OSSF. WOSSA has delivered safety training to 1,000’s of on-site professionals not only in Washington State, but throughout the country.
Prior to becoming the WOSSA Executive Director, Mr. Ahrens was the architectural designer and project manager for numerous industrial and fleet-based City and County public building projects throughout the State of Washington. Also serving as the construction administrator for many of these projects, Mr. Ahrens was responsible for observing, documenting and reporting adherence to the WISHA and OSHA Rules and Standards.
Education: North Dakota State University - Bachelor of Architecture 1998, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design and Sociology 1997.
