Confined Space Competent Personnel

Standby Person is an employee who is appointed by the employer to station outside a confined space who monitors the Authorised Entrants. He or she will perform all Standby Person’s duties assigned in the employer’s confined space program and have attended a training course on safe working in confined space for Authorised Entrant and Standby Person and must have trained and passed the test or examination conducted by NIOSH or any other training provider recognized by DOSH.

Standby Person shall;

• have the knowledge of the hazards that may be faced during entry, including information on the mode, signs and symptoms, and consequences of the exposure;
• be aware of possible behavioural effects to authorised entrants due to exposure to hazard;
• continuously maintain an accurate count of authorised entrants in confined spaces and also ensure that the means used to identify authorised entrants accurately identifies who is in the confined space;
• make sure that the number of authorised entrant tally to the permit to work;
• remain within his assigned work area outside the confined space during entry operations until relieved by another stand-by person;
• communicate with authorised entrants and/or fire watch if available regularly to monitor entrant status and to alert entrants of the need to evacuate their space;
• monitor activities outside and inside of every confined space to determine if it is safe for entrants to remain in the confined space and orders the authorised entrants to evacuate a confined space immediately under any of the following circumstances –

1. if the stand-by person detects a prohibited condition;
2. if the stand-by person detects the behavioural effects to any authorised entrant due to exposure to hazard;

• if the stand-by person detects a situation outside the space that could endanger the authorised entrants;

1. if the stand-by person cannot effectively and safely perform all the duties; or
2. if any alarm is activated.

• summons rescue and other emergency services as soon as he determines that authorised entrants may need assistance to escape from confined space;
• takes the following actions when unauthorised persons approach or enter a confined space while the entry is in progress –

1. warn the unauthorised persons to stay away/out from the confined space; and
2. inform the authorised entrants and entry supervisor if unauthorised persons have entered the confined space;

• perform non-entry rescue as specified by the employer’s rescue procedures;
• not perform any duties that might interfere with the stand-by person’s primary duties to monitor and protect the authorised entrants; and
• monitor the condition of equipment required for safe entry work such as lighting and ventilation.