NR 33—SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATION STANDARD FOR CONFINED

SPACE WORK

33.1 – Objective and Definition

33.1.1 – This Standard establishes the minimum requirements for identification of

confined spaces and survey, assessment, monitoring and control of existing risks,
in order to permanently assure the safety and health of the workers interacting
directly or indirectly in these spaces.

33.1.2 - Confined space is any area or environment not designed for continuous
human occupation, with limited ingress and exit means, existing ventilation not
sufficient to remove contaminants or with possible deficiency or enrichment of
oxygen.

33.2 – Responsibilities

33.2.1 The Employer Shall

a) Formally indicate the technical responsible for the compliance of this standard;
b) Identify the existing confined spaces in the facilities or under his responsibility;
c) Identify the specific risks of each confined space;
d) Implement the safety and health management for work in confined spaces, with
control measures for engineering, administration, personal and emergency and
saving, in order to permanently assure environments with appropriate work
conditions;
e) Assure the continuous capacitating of the workers about the risks, control
measures, emergency and salving in confined spaces;
f) assure that the access to the confined space occur only after the issue, in
written, of the Permission for Ingress and Work, according to the model included in
annex II of this NR;
g) Provide to contractor companies the information about the risks in the areas
where they will develop their activities and demand the capacitating of their
workers;
h) Follow up the implementation of the safety and health measures for the workers
of the contractor companies providing the means and conditions so that they may
act in accordance with this NR;
i) Interrupt all and any type of work in case of suspected serious and imminent risk
condition, proceeding with the immediate abandonment of the site;
j) Assure updated information about the risks e control measures before every
access to confined spaces.

33.2.2 – The Workers Shall:

a) Collaborate with the company for compliance of this NR;

b) Appropriately use the means and equipment provided by the company;
c) Inform the known risk situations to the Watchstander and Ingress Supervisor for
his own safety and health and also of third parties;
d) Comply with the procedures and guidelines received during training regarding
confined spaces.

33.3 – Safety and health management for work in confined spaces

33.3.1 Safety and health management shall be planned, programmed,

implemented and assessed, including engineering, management and personal
measures and capacitating for work in confined spaces.

33.3.2 Engineering measures

a) Identify, isolate and signal the confined spaces in order to avoid ingress of non
authorized persons;
b) Anticipate and acknowledge the risks in the confined spaces;
c) Assess and control physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and mechanical
risks;
d) Provide for the implementation of locks, blocking, relief, sealing and tagging;
e) Implement the necessary measures to eliminate or control atmospheric risks in
confined spaces;
f) Assess the atmosphere in confined spaces to check for safe ingress conditions;
g) Maintain acceptable atmospheric conditions at ingress and during all the works,
monitoring, ventilating, purging, washing or inertizing the confined space;
h) Continuously monitor the atmosphere of the confined spaces in areas where the
authorized workers are performing their tasks, in order to check if the access and
permanence conditions are safe;
i) Forbid ventilation with pure oxygen;
j) Test the measuring equipment before every use;
k) Use direct reading equipment, intrinsically safe, provided with alarm, calibrated
and protected against electromagnetic emissions or radio-frequency interferences;
l) Fixed and portable equipment, including those for communication and vertical
and horizontal movement, shall be appropriate for the risks of the confined spaces;
m) The equipment for classified areas shall be certified or provided with document
considered in the scope of the Sistema Brasileiro de Avaliação da Conformidade –
INMETRO (Brazilian System for Conforming Assessment).

33.3.2.1 The initial atmospheric assessments shall be conducted out of the

confined space.

33.3.2.2 Adopt measures to eliminate or control the risks of fire or explosion in hot
works, such as welding, heating, grinding, cutting or other that may have open
flame, sparks or heat.

33.3.2.3 Adopt measures to eliminate or control the risks of flooding, burying,

drowning, fire, electric chocks, static electricity, burning, falling, slipping, impacts,
crushing, amputation and others that may affect the safety and health of the
workers.

33.3.3 Management measures

a) Maintain an updated record of all the confined spaces, including deactivated

ones, and respective risks;
b) Define measures to isolate, signal, eliminate or control the risks of the confined
space;
c) Maintain permanent signaling at the entrance of the confined space, according
to Annex I of this standard;
d) Implement procedure for work in confined space;
e) Adapt the model of Permission for Ingress and Work, provided in Annex II of
this NR, to the peculiars of the company and its confined spaces;
f) Complete, sign and date, in three copies, the Permission for Ingress and Work
before the ingress of workers in confined spaces;
g) Have a control system to allow tracking the Permission for Ingress and Work;
h) Deliver a copy of the Permission for Ingress and Work to one of the authorized
workers and to the Watchstander;
i) Close the Permission for Ingress and Work when the operations are finished,
when occurring an unpredicted condition or in case of a break or interruption of the
works;
j) Maintain in file the procedures and Permissions for Ingress and Work for five
years;
k) Make the procedures and Permission for Ingress and Work available to the
authorized workers, their representatives and work inspection;
l) Assign the persons who will participate in the ingress operations, identifying the
duties of each worker and providing the required capacitating;
m) Establish supervision procedures for the works outside and inside the confined
spaces;
n) Assure that the access to the confined space is started only with follow up and
authorization of qualified supervision;
o) Assure that all the workers are informed about the risks and control measures
existing at the work site;
p) Implement a Program for Respiratory Protection in accordance with the risk
analysis, considering the site, complexity and type of work to be performed.

33.3.3.1 The Permission for Ingress and Work is valid for a single ingress.

33.3.3.2 The facilities with confined spaces shall comply, complementing this NR;
the NBR 14606 – Service Stations – Confined Space Ingress; NBR 14787 –
Confined Space – Accident Prevention, Protection Procedures and Measures, as
well as the posterior changes.

33.3.3.3 The work procedure shall consider, as a minimum: objective, application

field, technical base, responsibilities, competences, preparation, issue, use and
canceling of the Permission for Ingress and Work, capacitating the workers, risk
analysis and control measures.

33.3.3.4 The procedures for work in confined spaces and the Permission for
Ingress and Work shall be assessed, minimum, once a year and revised whenever
there are any changes in the risks, with the participation of SESMT and CIPA.

33.3.3.5 The procedures for ingress in confined spaces shall be revised at the
occurrence of any one of the circumstances below:
a) Non authorized ingress into a confined space;
b) Identification of risks not described in the Permission for Ingress and Work;
c) Accident, incident or condition not forecasted during the access;
d) Any changes in the performed activity or in the configuration of the confined
space;
e) Request from SESMT or CIPA;
f) Identification of safer work condition.

33.3.4 Personal measures

33.3.4.1 Every worker assigned for work in confined spaces shall be submitted to
specific medical examinations for the function to the performed, as provided for in
the NRs 07 and 31, including the psychosocial risk factors with the issue of the
respective Certificate of Occupational Health (ASO).

33.3.4.2 Capacitating all the workers directly or indirectly involved with the
confined spaces, about their rights, duties, risks and control measures, as
provided for in item 33.3.5.

33.3.4.3 The number of workers involved in performing the works in confined

spaces shall be determined according to the risk analysis.

33.3.4.4 The conduction of individual or isolated work in confined spaces is

forbidden.

33.3.4.5 The Ingress Supervisor shall perform the following functions:

a) Issue the Permission for Ingress and Work before starting the activities;
b) Conduct the tests; check the equipment and procedures included in the
Permission for Ingress and Work;
c) Assure that the emergency and saving services are available and that the
means to call them are operating;
d) Cancel the procedures for ingress and work whenever necessary;
e) Close the Permission for Ingress and Work after finishing the services.

33.3.4.6 The Ingress Supervisor may perform the function of Watchstander.

33.3.4.7 The Watchstander shall perform the following functions:

a) Continuously maintain the accurate counting of the number of authorized
workers in the confined space and assure that they all have left at the end of the
activity;
b) Remain out of the confined space, next to the access, in permanent contact
with the authorized workers;
c) Activate the emergency procedures, calling the public or private saving team,
whenever necessary;
d) Operate the person movers;
e) Not perform other tasks that may compromise the main duty that is monitoring
and protecting the authorized workers;
f) Order the abandonment of the confined space whenever recognizing any signs
of alarm, danger, symptoms, complaints, forbidden condition, accident, not
forecasted situation or whenever he is not able to perform his duties, nor being
replaced by another Watchstander.
33.3.4.8 The employer shall provide and assure that all the workers accessing
confined spaces are provided with the equipment for risk control as forecasted in
the Permission for Ingress and Work.

33.3.4.9 In case of requirement of atmosphere IPVS – Immediately Hazardous to

Life or Health, the confined space may be accessed only using autonomous
breathing mask with positive pressure demand or compressed line respirator with
auxiliary escape cylinder.

33.3.5 – Capacitating for works in confined spaces

33.3.5.1 The assignment for works confined spaces without previously

capacitating the worker is forbidden.

33.3.5.2 The employer shall develop and implement programs for capacitating
whenever any of the following situations occurs:
a) Changes in work procedures, conditions or operations;
b) Any event that indicates the need for new training;
c) Whenever there is any reason to believe that there are deviations in the use or
in the procedures for ingress in confined spaces or that the knowledge is not
appropriate.

33.3.5.3 All the authorized workers and Watchstanders shall receiver periodic
capacitating, at least every twelve months.

33.3.5.4 The capacitating shall have a minimum duration of sixteen hours, to be

conducted during the work shift, with programmed contents of:
a) definitions;
b) acknowledgement, assessment and control of risks;
c) operation of used equipment;
d) procedures and use of Permission for Ingress and Work;
e) information about rescue and first aid.

33.3.5.5 The capacitating of Ingress Supervisors shall be conducted during the

work shift, with program contents as informed in subitem 33.3.5.4, added with:
a) identification of confined spaces;
b) criteria for indication and use of equipment for risk control;
c) knowledge about safe practices in confined spaces;
d) laws for work safety and health;
e) respiratory protection program;
f) classified area;
g) saving operations.

33.3.5.6 All the Ingress Supervisors shall receive specific capacitating, with
minimum duration of forty hours.

33.3.5.7 The instructors assigned by the technical responsible shall have attested
proficiency in the issue.

33.3.5.8 At the end of training shall be issued a certificate with the worker name,
program contents, training hours, specification of type of work and confined space,
date and location of the training, with the signatures of the instructors and
technical responsible.

33.3.5.8.1 One copy of the certificate shall be forwarded to the worker and another
copy shall be filed at the company.

33.4 Emergency and Saving

33.4.1 – The employer shall prepare and implement appropriate procedures for
emergency and rescue for the confined spaces including, as a minimum:
a) description of the possible accident scenarios obtained from the Risk Analysis;
b) description of the measures for saving and first aid to the performed in case of
emergency;
c) selection and techniques for using the equipment for communication,
emergency lighting, search, rescue, first aid and transporting of victims;
d) calling the responsible team, public or private, for performing the measures for
rescue and first aid for each service to be conducted;
e) yearly simulated drill for saving in the possible accident scenarios in confined
spaces.

33.4.2 The personnel responsible for performing the saving measures shall be
physically and mentally qualified in accordance with the activity they shall perform.

33.4.3 The capacitating of the saving team shall consider all the possible accident
scenarios identified in the risk analysis.

33.5 General Provisions

33.5.1 The employer shall assure that all the workers may interrupt their activities
and abandon the work site, whenever suspecting of any serious and imminent risk
for their safety and health or of any third parties.

33.5.2 The contracting and contracted parties are solidarily responsible for the
compliance of this NR.

33.5.3 The access and performance of any work in confined spaces is forbidden
without the issue of the Permission for Ingress and Work.
ANNEX I - SIGNALING

Signaling for identification of confined space

ANNEX II - Permission for Ingress and Work (PET)
Information Model for preparing the Permission for Ingress and Work in
Confined space

Name of the company:____________________________________________________________________

Location of confined space:__________________________________ Confined space n:______________
Date and time of issue: ___________________________ Date and time of closing:________________
Work to be performed:___________________________________________________________________
Authorized workers:_________________________________________________________________
Watchstander:____________________________ Rescue Team:___________________________________
Ingress Supervisor: ____________________________________________________________________

Procedures to be completed before the ingress

1. Insulation ______________________________________________________________ Y ( ) N ( )
2. Initial atmosphere test: time_________
Oxygen ___________________________________________________________________________% O2
Flammable _________________________________________________________________________%LIE
Toxic Gases/vapors ________________________________________________________________ ppm
Toxic dusts/fumes/fogs_________________________________________________________ mg/m3
Legible Name / signature of test Supervisor:______________________________________________
3. Blocking, locking and tagging _____________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
4. Purge and/or washing___________________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
5. Ventilation/exhaustion – type, equipment and time ____________________________N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
6. Test after ventilation and insulation: time
Oxygen ________________________________________________________% O2 > 19.5% or < 23.0 %
Flammable _________________________________________________________________ %LIE < 10%
Toxic Gases/vapors _______________________________________________________________ ppm
3
Toxic dusts/fumes/fogs________________________________________________________ mg/m
Legible Name / signature of test Supervisor:______________________________________________
7. general lighting ______________________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
8. Procedures for communication:_________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
9. Procedures for rescue: _____________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
10. Procedures and protection for vertical moving: ________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
11. Training of all workers? current?__________________________________ Y ( ) N ( )
12. Equipment:
13. Equipment for continuous monitoring of gases approved and certified by a Certification Organization
Qualified (OCC) by INMETRO for work in potentially explosive areas with direct reading with alarms in
conditions:_________________________________________ Y ( ) N ( )
flashlights________________________________________________________________N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
protection clothes ________________________________________________________N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
fire Extinguishers ______________________________________________________N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
hard hats, boots, gloves ____________________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Equipment for respiratory protection/autonomous or air system with escape cylinder
___________________________________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Safety harness and lifelines for authorized workers __________________ Y ( ) N ( )
safety harness and lifelines for rescue team ___________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Stairs _________________________________________________________________N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Equipment for vertical moving/external supports ________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Equipment for electronic communication approved and certified by a Certification Organization Qualified
(OCC) by INMETRO for work in potentially explosive areas__ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )
Equipment for respiratory protection/autonomous or air system with escape cylinder for rescue team?
______________________________________________________________ Y ( ) N ( )
Electric and electronic equipment approved and certified by a Certification Organization Qualified (OCC) by
INMETRO for work in potentially explosive areas ________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )

Procedures to be conducted during the performance of the works

14. Permission for hot works _________________________________________ N/A ( ) Y ( ) N ( )

Procedures for Emergency and Rescue:

Telephones and contacts: Ambulance:_______ Fire Department:_________ Safety:_________
Legend: N/A – “not applicable”; N – “no”; Y – “yes”.
• The ingress shall not be allowed when any field is not completes or is checked in “no” column.
• The lack of continuous monitoring of the atmosphere inside the confined space, alarm, order from
Watchstander or any risk situation for worker safety shall imply in immediate abandonment of the area
• Any exit of all the team due to any reason implies in issuing a new ingress permission. This permission
shall be affixed visible at the work site until the end. After the work, this permission shall be filed.
ANNEX III – Glossary

Line opening: intentional opening of a duct, pipe, line, piping that is being used or
was used for conveying toxic, flammable, corrosive materials, gas, or any fluid
under pressure or temperature that may cause material damages or personal
injuries aiming to eliminate hazardous energies for the safe work in confined
spaces.

Relief: same as line opening.

Preliminary Risk Analysis (APR): initial assessment of the potential risks, their
causes, consequences and control measures.

Classified Area: area potentially explosive or with explosion risk.

Atmosphere IPVS - Atmosphere Immediately Hazardous to Life or Health:

any atmosphere that presents immediate hazard to life or producing immediate
debilitating effects to the health.

Initial assessment of the atmosphere: set of preliminary measurement

conducted in the atmosphere of the confined space.

Technical Base: set of standards, articles, books, work safety procedures and
other technical documents used for implementing the System of Permission for
Ingress and Work in confined spaces.

Blocking: device to avoid the release of hazardous energy such as: pressure,
steam, fluids, fuels, water and other aiming to contain the hazardous energy for
safe work in confined spaces.

Open flame: mix of incandescent gases emitting energy, also known as flame or
fire.

IPVS condition: any condition presenting immediate risk of death or that may
result in irreversible health effects or immediately serious or that may result in eye
damage, irritation or other conditions that may difficult the exit from a confined
space.

Contaminants: gases, steams, fogs, fumes and dusts present in the atmosphere
of the confined space.

Oxygen Deficiency: atmosphere containing less than 20.9 % of oxygen at normal

atmospheric volume and pressure, except when the percentage reduction is duly
monitored and controlled.

Drowning: this is the involvement and capture of a person by liquids or finely

divided solids.

Oxygen Enrichment: atmosphere containing more than 23% of oxygen in

volume.
Tagging: placing a tag in a energy insulation device to indicate that the device
and the equipment to be controlled may not be used until the tag is removed.

Spark: falling particle generated in the process of grinding, polishing, cutting or

welding.

Safety and health management for works in confined spaces: set of

management, personal and collective measures necessary to assure safe work in
confined spaces.

Inertizing: displacement of the atmosphere existing in a confined space by an

inert gas, resulting in a non combustible atmosphere and with oxygen deficiency.

Intrinsically Safe: situation where the equipment may not release sufficient
electric or thermal energy for, under normal or abnormal conditions, causing the
ignition of a certain explosive atmosphere, as stated in the conforming certificate
of the equipment.

Seal: clamp or other device that has to be broken to open an equipment.

Direct reading: device or equipment that allow reading contaminants in real time.

Special control measures: additional control measures necessary to allow

ingress and work in confined spaces at peculiar situations, such as hot work, IPVS
atmospheres or others.

Blocking order: order for suspending the normal operation of the confined space.

Release order: order for reactivation of normal operation of the confined space.

Pure oxygen: atmosphere containing only oxygen (100 %).

Permission for Ingress and Work (PET): written document including the set of
control measures for ingress and performance of safe work, besides measures for
emergency and rescue in confined spaces.

Proficiency: competence, qualification, capacitating and abilities allied to

experience.

Program for Respiratory Protection: set of practical and management measures

necessary for protecting the worker health with appropriate selection and correct
use of respirators.

Purge: cleaning method to make the atmosphere inside the confined space free of
gases, steams and other undesirable impurities by ventilation or washing with
water or steam.

Near-miss: any non programmed event that may indicate the possibility of
accident occurrence.
Technical Responsible: professional qualified for identifying the confined spaces
existing in the company and preparing the measures for engineering,
management, personal and emergency and rescue.

Psychosocial risks: influence in the mental health of workers, caused by the

daily life stresses, work pressure and other adverse factors.

Saving: standard operation procedure, conducted by the team with specialized

technical knowledge, for rescuing and providing first aid to workers in case of
emergency.

System of Permission for Ingress into Confined spaces: written procedure for
preparing a Permission for Ingress and Work (PET).

Ingress Supervisor: person qualified to operate the ingress permission with

responsibility for completing and signing the Permission for Ingress and Work
(PET) for performing the safe access and work inside the confined spaces.

Authorized worker: worker qualified for ingress into the confined space, aware of
his rights and duties and knowing the existing risks and control measures.

Lock: device (such as a key or padlock) used to assure the insulation of devices
that may accidentally release electrical or mechanical energy.

Watchstander: worker assigned to remain outside the confined space and who is
responsible for the follow up, communication and abandonment order for the
workers.