A major healthcare facility required specialist support to safely complete maintenance works involving confined spaces within service ducts, culverts and other restricted-access areas. The project involved multiple contractors, complex site logistics and the need to maintain safe operations within a live healthcare environment.

Breathe Safety was engaged to provide a complete confined space safety solution, including rescue provision, consultancy, equipment and training. Working closely with the client and contractors from the earliest planning stages, our team helped identify potential risks and ensure the project was set up for success before work began on site.

A dedicated confined space rescue team was deployed to oversee entry operations and provide emergency response capability throughout the project. To provide a clear line of responsibility for the safety-critical aspects of the work, Breathe Safety also fulfilled the role of principal contractor for the confined space scope.

Early engagement proved particularly valuable during the planning phase. A specialist consultant worked alongside both the client and contractors to review the proposed work activities, identify potential challenges and ensure the correct controls were in place from day one.

During this process, a skills gap relating to confined space competence was identified among members of the contractor workforce. Breathe Safety responded by providing the necessary equipment, training and support before work commenced, preventing what could otherwise have become a project delay once the shutdown period began.

The planning process also identified a potential conflict between nearby excavation activities and a confined space culvert requiring access. By working collaboratively with all parties involved, work schedules were adjusted to remove the conflict and allow both activities to proceed safely without compromising productivity.

By combining consultancy, rescue provision, training and project coordination, Breathe Safety helped create a safer working environment while allowing critical maintenance works to be completed efficiently within a complex operational setting.

Outcomes

• Dedicated confined space rescue team provided throughout the project.
• Principal contractor responsibility undertaken for the confined space scope of work.
• Early-stage consultancy helped identify and address risks before mobilisation. 
• Contractor competency gaps identified and resolved before project commencement.
• Equipment, training and operational support supplied through a single provider.
• Potential conflicts between concurrent work activities identified and mitigated during planning.
• Safe completion of confined space activities within a live healthcare environment.
• Reduced project risk through proactive planning and coordination.

The Breathe Difference

The best safety outcomes are achieved long before work starts.

For this project, Breathe Safety combined consultancy, training, rescue provision and project coordination to identify and resolve potential issues before they impacted the programme. By working closely with both the client and contractors from the planning stage, we helped create a solution that balanced safety, productivity and practical delivery.

The result was a safer, more coordinated project where risks were addressed early, work progressed efficiently and everyone had greater confidence in the controls in place.