Confined Spaces

Rescuers Account
for Over 60% of
Confined Space
Fatalities

Confined Space Tragedies

o Two workers died from

asphyxiation trying to shut off

water flow to damaged pipe due to
extremely low oxygen levels.

o Five farmers died trying to save

one another in a manure pit.

Purpose of Training

o Ensure that employees are

familiar with safety precautions

and procedures associated with
confined spaces

Frequency of Training
o Upon initial assignment
o Change in assigned duties or a

change in permit space conditions

o Inadequacies in the employee's
knowledge or use of confined
space entry procedures

Training Outline
Introduction
General Requirements
Equipment Requirements
The Entry Permit
Duties of Authorized Entrants, Attendants
and Entry Supervisor
o Rescue and Emergency Services
o Contractors
o Safe Entry Procedures
o
o
o
o
o

Introduction
o OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146: Permit-

Required Confined Spaces

o Ensure that employees can

safely enter into and work within

permit-required confined spaces

Definition
A Confined space:
o Is large enough that an
employee can enter and
perform assigned work
o Has limited or restricted
means for entry or exit
o Is not designed for
continuous employee
occupancy

Examples
Examples:
o tanks
o pits
o tunnels
o vaults
o boilers
o sewers
o shafts
o ventilation ducts
o crawl spaces

Introduction
A permit-required confined space:
o Contains or has the potential to contain
a hazardous atmosphere
o Contains a material that has the
potential for engulfing an entrant
o Internal configuration that might cause
entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by
inwardly converging walls or floor that
slopes downward and tapers to a
smaller cross section
o Contains any other recognized serious
safety or health hazard

Atmospheric Hazards
o Oxygen Levels - below 19.5 % or
above 23.5%
o Flammable/Explosive exceeds
10% of Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)
o Toxic Substances exceed
Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL)

Engulfment
o Liquid or loose materials trap a

worker.

o Typically associated with loose

materials in bins, silos, and

hoppers.

o Death can occur by asphyxiation,

aspiration, or constriction.

Introduction
o "Entry" is when a

person passes through

an opening into a
permit-required
confined space
o Any part of the
entrant's body breaks
the plane of an opening
into the space

General Requirements
o Identify confined spaces and classify

them as permit or non-permit

o A permit-required confined space may
be reclassified
o Identify and evaluate the hazards of the
permit spaces before employees enter
o Inform exposed employees of the
existence and location of and the
danger posed by the permit spaces

Confined Spaces Flow Chart

General Requirements
o Measures to prevent entry
o Develop and implement practices and

procedures necessary for safe entry

o Provide and maintain all required
equipment
o Educate employees on safe entry
procedures and equipment operation

Equipment Requirements
o Testing and monitoring
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

equipment
Ventilating equipment
Communications equipment
Personal protective equipment
Lighting equipment
Barriers and shields
Equipment needed for safe
ingress and egress
Emergency equipment
Other equipment for safe entry

The Entry Permit

o Permit must be completed

before entry is authorized

o Entry supervisor must sign
the permit
o Permit must be made
available at the time of entry
so entrants can confirm that
pre-entry preparations have
been completed

The Entry Permit

o Duration may not exceed the time

identified on the permit

o Retain each canceled entry permit
for at least 1 year to facilitate review
of the program
o Problems encountered during entry
shall be noted on the permit so that
appropriate revisions can be made to
the program

Contents of The Entry Permit

1. Permit space to be entered
2. Purpose of the entry
3. Date and the authorized duration of
the entry permit
4. Authorized entrants
5. Attendants
6. Entry supervisor with a space for
the signature

Contents of The Entry Permit

7. Hazards of the permit space
8. Measures used to isolate the permit
space and to eliminate or control
permit space hazards before entry
9. Acceptable entry conditions
10. Results of initial and periodic tests,
names or initials of the testers and
when the tests were performed

Contents of The Entry Permit

11. Rescue and emergency services
12. Communication procedures
13. Equipment (personal protective
equipment, testing equipment,
communications equipment, alarm
systems, rescue equipment, etc.)
14. Any other information necessary in
order to ensure employee safety

Duties of Authorized Entrants

o Understand potential hazards
o Use equipment properly
o Communicate with attendant regularly
o If the unexpected occurs alert the

attendant
o Exit immediately if hazard develops

Duties of Authorized Entrants

Alert the attendant
whenever:
o Entrant recognizes
any warning sign or
symptom of exposure
to a dangerous
situation
o The entrant detects a
prohibited condition

Duties of Authorized Entrants

Evacuate the confined space when:
o Order to evacuate is given by the
attendant or the entry supervisor
o Entrant recognizes any warning sign
or symptom of exposure to a
dangerous situation
o Entrant detects a prohibited condition
o Evacuation alarm is activated

Duties of Attendants
o "Attendant" - stationed outside permit

space; monitors entrants

o Knows the hazards including signs,
symptoms and consequences of exposure
o Continuously maintains accurate count of
entrants in permit space
o Remains outside the permit space during
entry until relieved by another attendant

Duties of Attendants
o Communicates with entrants to

monitor entrant status and to alert

entrants of the need to evacuate
o Monitors activities inside & outside
the space to determine if
- it is safe for entrants to
- remain in the space

Duties of Attendants
Orders evacuation immediately if:
o Detects a prohibited condition
o Detects the behavioral effects of
hazard exposure in entrant
o Detects a situation outside the space
that could endanger the entrants
o If the attendant cannot effectively
and safely perform all the duties

Duties of Attendants
o Summon emergency services
o Keep unauthorized persons away
o Inform entrants and entry supervisor if

unauthorized persons have entered the

permit space
o Performs non-entry rescues when applicable
and they have training
o Performs no duties that might interfere with
primary duty to monitor and protect entrants

Duties of Entry Supervisor

o "Entry supervisor" - person

responsible for determining if

acceptable entry conditions are
present, for authorizing entry,
overseeing entry operations, and for
terminating entry as required
o An entry supervisor also may serve
as an attendant or as an entrant, as
long as that person is trained and
equipped to do so

Duties of Entry Supervisor

o Knows the hazards including signs,

symptoms, and consequences of the

exposure
o Verifies that the entry permit is
complete, all tests have been conducted
and all procedures and equipment are in
place before allowing entry to begin
o Verifies that rescue services are
available and that the means for
summoning them are operable

Duties of Entry Supervisor

o Removes unauthorized individuals who

enter or attempt to enter the space

o Ensures that acceptable entry
conditions are maintained throughout
the entry
o Terminates entry and cancels the entry
permit when the operations have been
completed or a condition that is not
allowed under the permit arises

Rescue and Emergency Services

o Self-Rescue
o Non-entry Rescue
o Only trained

workers can enter

space and only
when there is
another attendant
o Call 911

Rescue and Emergency

Services
o Responds in a timely manner
o Rescue provider must be proficient with

confined space rescue-related tasks and

equipment
o Inform rescue provider of the hazards they
may encounter on site
o Provide the rescue provider with access to
all permit spaces so they can develop
rescue plans and practice rescue
operations

Rescue and Emergency

Services
o Retrieval systems shall be used unless they

increase the overall risk of entry or would not

contribute to the rescue
o Each entrant shall use a full body harness and
a retrieval line if feasible
o The other end of the retrieval line shall be
attached to a mechanical device or fixed point
outside the permit space
o A mechanical retrieval device shall be available
for vertical type permit spaces more than 5
feet deep

Contractors
o Inform contractor that workplace contains

permit spaces and entry is allowed only in

compliance with permit space program
o Apprise contractor of the hazards that
make the space a permit space
o Apprise contractor of precautions for the
protection of employees in or near permit
spaces where contractor will be working

Contractors
o Coordinate with employer

when both host personnel

and contractor personnel will
be working in or near spaces
o Debrief employer at the
conclusion of entry
o Contractor shall inform the
employer of the permit
program that they will follow
and of any hazards
confronted or created

Safe Entry Procedures

o Perform work outside of space if possible
o Designate entrants, attendants, entry

supervisors and atmospheric monitors,

identify the duties of each, and assure
training has been provided
o Notify all departments affected by entry
o Post signs and put up barriers to protect
entrants from traffic and pedestrians
o Specify acceptable entry conditions

Safe Entry Procedures

o Ventilate, eliminate, or

control the spaces

atmospheric hazards before
entry into the space
o Blind or disconnect and cap
all input lines so that no
hazardous materials can
enter the space
o Lockout/Tagout
o When entrance covers are
removed, guard the opening
immediately

Safe Entry Procedures

o Test permit space before entry

begins
o Monitor permit space to
determine if entry conditions
are maintained
o Test for oxygen, combustible
gases/vapors, and toxic
gases/vapors in that order
o Observe status of other
existing hazards and those
created during entry
operations

Safe Entry Procedures

o Authorized entrants can enter a permit

space only after its been tested and

found safe for entry
o The entrant must know what equipment
to use & how to use it
o Provide at least one attendant outside
the permit space for the duration of
entry

Safe Entry Procedures

o Maintain acceptable

conditions for duration

of entry
o Implement rescue and
emergency procedures
if necessary
o Implement procedures
necessary for
concluding the entry

Safe Entry Procedures

o Review entry operations when there

is reason to believe that measures

taken may not protect employees
and revise the program before
subsequent entries
o Review the permit space program
within 1 year after each entry and
revise the program as necessary to
ensure that employees participating
in entry operations are protected

QUESTIONS?

Quiz
1. T / F Rescuers account for over 60 %
of confined space fatalities?
True
2. T / F A confined space is an area large
enough that employee may enter
has a limited means of entry or
exit?
True

Quiz
3. Name at least 3 examples of a confined
space. tanks
o Pits, tunnels
o Vaults, boilers
o sewers , shafts
o ventilation ducts,crawl spaces
4. T / F A permit required confined space is an area that
contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous
atmosphere?
True

Quiz
5. Is an atmosphere containing less than 19.5%, and
above 23.5% oxygen dangerous?
Yes, below 19.5% O2 deficient
above 23.6% exsplosive
6. T / F Entry into a confined space is when any part of
the entrants body breaks the plane of the an
opening into a confined space.
True

Quiz
7. How can a space that is classified as a
permit required confined space be
reclassified?
Remove hazards
8. If the hazard or hazardous atmosphere
cannot be removed, what must be done
before entering the space? Issue permit entry

Quiz
9. T / F The attendant may leave the space
entrance go to the bathroom?
False, Attendant can never leave unless
replaced
10. Who is responsible for determining if
acceptable conditions for entry are present?
Entry Supervisor

Quiz
11. May the entry supervisor also serve
as the attendant?
Yes
12. What must an entrant to a permit
required confined space wear?
Appropriate PPE, lanyard system

Quiz
13. Can the attendant enter the confined
space?
No
14. Who may enter the confined space for
rescue?
certified personnel only