Rank: New forum user 
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Im confronted with working in a confined space
Control measures in place to protect from a fall while entering and exiting the excavation:
Fall arrest winch connected to scaffolding
Which will prevent falling further as standard.
Howeve, if I needed to rescue a person injured using the winch it would mean the injured person been dragged up the excavation wall.
I'm sure that installing a davet arm that reached out, would prevent this from happening and ensure the injured person wouldn't be dragged up against the wall.
This I think would be standard practise ?
Should this be a minimum as standard ?
Regards
Tom
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Rank: Super forum user
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Morning Tom I was hoping that someone regularly dealiing with such matters would have answered by now, but since not, I will have a go. As a parallel guidance adopted by most UK water companies is at Microsoft Word - Water UK Confined Spaces OGN Third Revision.docx You mention both entering and exiting the excavation which suggests that this winch is being used instead of e.g. a ladder, as well as being the intended method of rescue. Which is often the preferred method for routine access to confined spaces in the water sector as there is a history of fixed ladders failing due to corrosion etc. Hence reliance of temporary equipment for both routine access AND rescue. If so then surely the person going in and coming out is going to bump against the sides of excavation several times a day, not only when there is an emergency?!?! Whereas if you, as you suggest, you use a davit, this shouldn't happen. Difficult to say what should be "minimum as standard" as the legislation is couched in goal setting terms, but common sense says that bumping someone against the side of an excavation whilst hauling them out is far from satisfactory.
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Rank: New forum user
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Hello Peter
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to respond, it is much appreciated.
This is in fact a water company site! and ill say no more on that
Correct, the winch has been installed as a means of safe access, as the scaffold ladders installed are at a steep angle, 14ft down into the excavation, the winch is also acting as a means of rescue!! Agreed, it's difficult to say what should be a minimum standard, but in this particular case, there are risks associated with working in a confined space, such as grinding, lifting in heavy vessels, tightening /loosening joints etc. As such an appropriate means of rescue should be in place, using the installed winch, which due to its siting would involve an injured person being dragged up against a brick wall and would only delay the rescue and cause further harm. Since my last post, the organisation has agreed to install a Davet arm which will eliminate the likelihood of a failed rescue.
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