Confined Space Entry Safety | Confined Space Gas Monitor

Confined Space Safety: Ensuring Worker Protection

Oxygen deficiency, toxic and explosive gases, poor lighting, extreme temperatures—these are all potential working conditions in confined spaces.

See how our cloud-connected solutions enable real-time visibility during incidents, ongoing safety awareness and informed emergency response to protect your vulnerable workers.

REQUEST A DEMO

In the US alone, 2.1 million workers perform risky work in permit-required confined spaces (Occupational Health and Safety) with an average of 129 CSE deaths/year (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Know What You're Getting Into

According to OSHA, a confined space is defined as an area:

With limited or restricted means for entry or exit.
Large enough for workers to enter and conduct specific tasks.
Not designed for continuous occupancy.

Due to the nature of confined spaces, one or more of the following hazards can be present:

Oxygen deficiency—which is responsible for the majority of confined space fatalities.
Toxic gases—a build-up of airborne contaminants like hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that may cause impairment or loss of consciousness.
Combustible gases—the presence of flammable airborne contaminants, like methane (CH4) that may cause fire or explosions.
Poor ventilation—that may lead to an oxygen (O2) deficiency.
Poor lighting – darkness increases the likelihood of slips, trips and falls.
Extreme temperatures—like heat stress caused by limited room and airflow resulting in fatigue, exhaustion and potential falls.

Of the 1030 confined space deaths recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2011-2018 , none of the confined spaces atmospheres were tested prior to entry.

Connected Safety Devices Reduce Risk

Blackline’s cloud-connected safety devices—the EXO area monitor and/or G7 multi-gas pump gas detector ensure confined spaces are safe prior to entry and during work.

Harness peace of mind and boost safety with these capabilities:

Pre-Entry and Continuous Gas Detection

Conduct pre-entry checks with the ability to simultaneously detect multiple gases with a G7 Multi-Gas or EXO.
Label data to distinguish between gas readings taken during pre-entry sampling or while work is conducted within the confined space.
Harness continuous monitoring at the entry point with a pumped gas detector.

With extended battery life, the EXO in pump mode can run for 30+ days for CSEs (100+ days in diffusion mode).

Personal Gas Detection

Access location information and gas readings from anywhere, from any Internet-connected device with direct-to-cloud data streaming.
Know if conditions change while work is being conducted with instant notifications and audible alarms.
Detect up to five (wearables) or eight gases (area monitors) simultaneously.

Over half (56%) of confined space deaths are from atmospheric hazards.

Greater Protection for First Responders

A G7 or EXO 8 located at the entry point can inform responders of the conditions within the confined space.
Make informed decisions by leveraging the data to ensure responders have the necessary equipment to conduct a rescue.
Geotagged data from Blackline Live confirms the precise location of the entry location for faster response time.

More than 60% of confined space deaths are would-be rescuers.

Layers of Communication

Communicate directly to the hole watch worker with text or Push-to-Talk (functionality like a walkie-talkie).
Data from EXO 8 integrates smoothly with industry-leading confined space monitoring technology to optimize safety and productivity.
Share real-time data and data history with multiple teams within your organization to improve safety today and in the future.

Stay connected with the safety of each confined space through alerts and notifications from devices at the entry point(s).

Connected Platform Improves Incident Response

The Blackline Live software portal delivers the real-time information you need to monitor and communicate with your fleet, respond to confined space alerts and save lives.

24/7 Live Monitoring

Device(s) at the entry point give remote visibility into the conditions within a confined space from any Internet-connected device.

Informed Action

Geo-stamped alert types (fall, toxic or combustible gas exposure, O2 deficiency, etc.) means you can know who had an incident, the type and where it occurred so your team can respond quickly and appropriately.

Know Who Else Is at Risk

GPS location technology means you can know who else is in the vicinity should an incident happen, or if an evacuation is required.

Robust Reporting

Automated analytics save time, eliminate manual errors, and help you see the historical and ongoing conditions within each confined space to ensure continuous compliance and safety.

Power of Data

Gas readings in Blackline Live are continuously updated, offering crucial information for permit writers.

Confined Space Monitoring

Further increase safety and reduce costs with remote (also known as digital) confined space monitoring. By integrating real-time gas monitoring, cameras, access control, ventilation equipment, and two-way communication, a remote confined system offers a complete solution to remotely monitor a greater number of confined spaces simultaneously with fewer operators.

Additional Resources

Making Confined Spaces Safe Spaces

Watch our webinar from November 6, 2024 to hear from a leading North American company in confined space management, Proveo —together with connected safety expert Blackline Safety—about the growing adoption of cloud-connected smart technology.

WATCH ON DEMAND

4 Advancements Shaping Confined Space Safety

This eBook explores how companies are using smart technology that enables cloud-connectivity, deep risk assessments, centralized monitoring, and robust analytics to keep their people safe in these dangerous places.

Read the Whitepaper

Critical Steps for Confined Space Entries with a Pumped Gas Monitor

In this episode of Safety Moment, learn the critical steps for ensuring accurate gas readings during confined space entries with a pumped gas monitor, by safety expert Justin Denson.

WATCH VIDEO

Pre-Entry Checks for Confined Space Entries Save Lives

In this episode of Safety Moment, Michelle Smith (Harris), Blackline Regional Sales Manager, explains the dangers of entering confined spaces without proper safety measures.

WATCH VIDEO

Safer and More Efficient Shutdowns and Turnarounds

Digital Confined Space Management (DCSM) system brings new levels of safety and efficiency.

Discover how Blackline Safety and InfoSignal’s integrated Digital Confined Space Management (DCSM) system brings new levels of safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness to industrial worksites.

Read the Case Study

CONNECTED SAFETY FOR CONFINED SPACE ENTRIES

In this episode of SafetyPod, Blackline's Todd Connelly explores the critical aspects of confined space safety, from understanding the risks to implementing connected safety solutions that protect workers. Join us as we discuss best practices and how innovative technology like Proveo's Remote Confined Space Monitoring system can ensure safer work environments.

Listen on Demand

Unquestionable safety

Never rely on historical data to know if your fleet is compliant and that your teams’ safety is accounted for. All alert and situational data stream directly from your devices to Blackline Live in real time where it fuels professional emergency responses and intelligent efficiency studies. Access full visibility of your fleet from anywhere and trust that your teams are always covered.

Intelligent analytics

Blackline Analytics Essentials deliver a complete view of your fleet's operations. Easily identify how equipment is being used, where hazards are being encountered and even determine which devices are performing well and which can be leveraged better.

Every bump test, calibration, gas exposure and usage session is automatically recorded for hassle-free reporting. By leveraging out-of-the-box integrated connectivity and automated device log collection, your devices build a body of data today, providing measurable performance for tomorrow.

And that’s not where it ends. When you’re ready, premium analytics, powered by Blackline Vision , help you reveal efficiency opportunities on your worksite, proactively find gas leaks and more.

Ready when you are

Quickly assign shared devices between workers. Using a barcode scanner, on-the-fly device assignments are easy, changing from one user in a few seconds, making shift-changes a seamless operation.

Help is always on the line

Rest easy knowing the safety of your teams in the field is covered. Blackline’s Safety Operations Center (SOC) is the critical link between your employees and the help they need during an emergency, health event, dangerous situation and more.

With Blackline's optional 24/7 Live Monitoring service, 99% of calls for help are answered in under 60 seconds. From receipt through to resolution, responses are executed according to your custom emergency response protocol. The SOC team is even Five-Diamond Certified , meaning they are empowered to escalate responses to dispatch local emergency services to the employee’s exact location.

Always ahead of the curve

Blackline futureproofs your connected safety system, protecting your investment. Your G7 device is completely customizable and can be configured to accommodate diverse gas detection and safety monitoring needs, including no-gas lone worker, single-gas, multi-gas and multi-gas pump options. G7 can start life as a connected single-gas detector and be updated over time to support multiple gas sensors, walkie-talkie functionality and advanced lone worker monitoring. And because each unit connects directly to the Blackline Live, there’s no limit on the number of devices in your network.

Connected Confidence in Confined Spaces

Get in and out safely—every time.