Who should I train to quote confined-space cleaning jobs before I retire?

Quoting confined-space work is as much about spotting risk as adding up hours. The right person asks questions on site: how the space is entered, what was in it, how it will be ventilated, what rescue arrangements exist and how long cleanup will really take. Look first inside the company, at a crew lead or supervisor who has done the work and who speaks up when something looks wrong. A strong salesperson with no field experience is a poorer fit.

Train in stages. Bring your candidate to site walkthroughs and let them take notes before you explain your own. Have them write a draft quote, then compare it with yours and talk about each difference. Review old quotes against final job costs, including ones that ran badly. Put your checklist for hazards and assumptions on paper.

Then set limits on authority. Decide which quotes the successor can send alone and which you or a safety adviser must review. Ask your insurer and lawyer whether they have views about who signs these quotes. Keep reviewing for a while after you step back. Consider a second person as well, so the knowledge does not rest on one successor, and let them check each other’s assumptions.

Key takeaways

• Pick someone with field experience who raises concerns instead of hiding them.
• Train through site walkthroughs and reviewed draft quotes.
• Set clear limits on which quotes the successor may send alone.