Five minutes can seem like an eternity when you're waiting for something good. But it's only a moment when you or one of your employees faces certain brain death. That's why OSHA is very specific about confined space rescue. Your rescue team must reach the space and be ready to operate in four to five minutes. In California, it's three minutes.
Is your facility prepared for such an event? Can you count on your local fire department to be on site and ready in five minutes? Are they always available? Increasingly, facilities with confined spaces are turning to outside contractors for help, either to train on-site team members or to provide rescue.