What is essential for ensuring safety in confined spaces?

Continuous monitoring of air quality is vital for ensuring safety in confined spaces because these areas often have limited ventilation, which can lead to the accumulation of harmful gases or a reduction in oxygen levels. Monitoring the air quality helps identify any hazardous conditions in real-time, enabling workers to respond quickly to any dangerous changes in the environment, such as the presence of toxic gases, flammable vapors, or insufficient oxygen. This proactive approach to safety helps prevent accidents and health risks associated with confined spaces.

High visibility clothing, regular breaks, and flashlights serve important roles in overall safety practices, but they do not address the specific risks posed by the environment in confined spaces as directly as air quality monitoring does. High visibility clothing is more about preventing accidents from outside sources, while regular breaks are important for worker fatigue management. Flashlights provide illumination but do not mitigate the dangers associated with poor air conditions.