Practicing Safety Before the Field: Confined Space Training in the Mid-Atlantic

Austin Markley and Teo Soto recently led a confined space training session for our Mid-Atlantic field employees, combining classroom instruction with hands-on training in our mock confined space area. It was a full walk-through of the skills these crews rely on, taught in a setting where they could practice safely and ask questions before facing the real thing.

The practical portion put the classroom lessons to work. Employees ran through harness fitting and inspection, atmospheric monitoring, permit requirements, and a simulated confined space rescue, covering the core of what a confined space entry demands from start to finish.

Training topics included:

• Confined space hazards and controls

• Confined space permit requirements

• Proper harness installation and use

• Gas monitoring

• Emergency and rescue procedures

Sessions like this reflect the direction we are continuing to take with safety training. We are moving beyond classroom instruction and giving employees real opportunities to practice critical skills in realistic, controlled conditions, before they ever need to use them in the field. That is what safety-first looks like in practice: not a briefing, but a rehearsal.