According to a five-year study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, confined space accidents result in an average of 92 deaths each year. The good news is that this average has improved drastically since 1991, when OSHA estimated that 174 fatalities a year were caused by confined space accidents. However, there is still much work to be done to reduce the fatality rate of confined space entry.
The risks of confined space entry can be greatly reduced by following proper protocol and general confined space awareness. In fact, most fatalities in confined spaces are a result of personnel entering the space without a permit, proper ventilation or proper atmospheric monitoring, to expedite work or for rescue purposes.