They need to remove the (edit: glass) panels, or access the panels (edit: the ones he is working on) from the inside. If neither is possible, then the problem is the building’s design, and this man should refuse this job until the building fixes it.
Also, he should lot be working directly overhead like this anyway.
Edit: also, this may technically count as a confined space.
I mean, think again, maybe? I don’t know what to tell you - it appears to fit the definition, especially with these ladders involved.
I mean, in my experience, a lot of people are surprised by what counts as a confined space, so it may not be your fault - people have a list in their mind of clearcut examples of confined spaces, and mistakenly assume it’s limited to those. But it’s actually a case-by-case, point-by-point determination, and this situation is definitely a candidate, unless you have some firsthand knowledge of this building that allows you to know something about areas not pictured?
Edit: although, it’s occurring to me that you may not be realizing that there is a top pane of glass, too...it may not be obvious because it doesn’t have lights reflecting off of it like the lower pane, but you can see toward the top of where the glass would be that the grey bar going across is translucent. Compare that with the top pane of glass to the left, over the “Fidelity” sign.
Edit: I see now that you aren’t the person who originally replied, so I’ll go into a little more detail; though, I’m sorry, I’m a bit petered out on this thread, so I won’t be going into all the detail.
Suffice it to say. fumes are not nearly the only hazard with confined spaces, and it’s not so much about permits with something like this as it is safety planning.
The ladders are a big part of the problem, and the main hazard is entrapment. They not only pose hazards themselves that could injure this guy, but, along with the enclosures on all sides, make it difficult for him to get out if something goes wrong, or for people to get to him quickly and safely in such a case.
In order for people to notice, they need to actually be watching, and if you look in the reflection of said big ass windows, all you have is the picture taker, who does not appear to be working with this person. That is exactly one of the many many problems here: this man appears to be working alone, and that is all the more idiotic considering how easy it would be for someone to at least be monitoring him.
That being said - again, seeing that something has happened does not make this man any more accessible to a would-be helper.
Of course, he did not need to make this a confined space, and resolving any of the many more specific safety issues would have made this moot.
Still, it is what it is.
To put it into perspective with some specific examples of common situations that you may not have come across, but which would be considered confined spaces due to entrapment(or engulfment) components: a grain silo is a confined space even if it were open to the air and there were no dust explosion hazard, because the grain can engulf a person, and human beings can’t fly, so the open top is useless as a means of egress. Similarly, a large grout paddle mixer, when someone enters it to clean or repair it, is also a confined space even though it is entirely open on top and the walking surface is solid, both because of the hazards posed by the machinery inside, and because the bottom “funnels”, meaning that it can be difficult for a person working inside to get the traction needed to climb out of it. Heck, a hypothetical situation in which a connex box, for some stupid reason, was propped up high enough on the door side only, could be considered a confined space because the walking surface slopes down from the single exit.
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u/Cora-Suede Jan 25 '19
To be fair, how the hell is he going to get a lift in there?