What Are The Requirements For Working In A Confined Space?
Posted by Premier Safety on Mar 27th 2024
The speed at which a job gets done should never take precedence over safety when working in and around confined spaces. It’s critical to recognize that these are considered some of the most dangerous spaces to work in. When an employee (or employer) gets complacent with confined space work, it can lead to an injury at best and a fatality at worst.
As with any workplace hazard, confined spaces should be treated with a high level of respect. We at Premiere Safety are here to give you the information and products you need to keep your job sites compliant and your workers safe. In this article, we’re covering the OSHA regulations, safety training, and emergency preparedness you must know when working in areas defined as a confined space.
What Is a Confined Space?
The OSHA definition of confined space is; “a space that has limited means of entry or exit is large enough for a worker to enter it, and is not intended for regular or continuous occupancy.” For those without experience, self-contained work environments like these can get dangerous fast, and proper training is vital. Examples of confined spaces include sewers, pits, crawl spaces, attics, boilers, silos, manholes, and more.
What is an Enclosed Space?
Like confined spaces, enclosed spaces are not designed for continuous occupancy, but they require an even greater level of precaution. The enclosed space standard was developed for workers who specifically work underground or in areas with poor ventilation. Workers entering these spaces are at risk of exposure to toxic gases and may need to carry oxygen on their person.
What Is a Permit Required Confined Space
A PRCS is the most hazardous type of confined space that has restricted means of entry. These require rigorous planning with qualified and trained team members who must know the hazards of a confined space. A permit-required confined space might have floors that slope downward, walls that converge inward, or other structural characteristics where workers could become engulfed and asphyxiate. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between permit vs non-permit confined spaces.
Permit vs. Non-Permit Confined Spaces
| Permit-Required Confined Spaces | Non-Permit Required Confined Spaces |
| Must complete a written safety checklist before entry. | Does not require a safety checklist completion before entry. |
| Has a hazardous atmosphere or could contain one or has materials that have the potential to engulf the entrant. | Does not contain foreseeable hazards that could engulf or injure. |
| Has other serious health and safety hazards-temperature extremes, electrocution, radiation, and toxic vapors. | Does not contain or have the potential to contain hazards capable of causing death or serious physical harm. |
| Examples include ship compartments, storage tanks, storage bins, pipelines, boilers, tunnels, vaults, and reaction vessels. | Examples include utility closets, storage rooms, machinery cabinets, and drop ceilings. |
Requirements For Working In A Confined Space
The reality is, that many current confined space entry requirements were created after the loss of life. This is a harsh reminder that regulations that may seem trivial were implemented for a reason. Anywhere considered a confined space must meet the requirements for safe work. Now, let’s look at confined space requirements in detail.
Understanding OSHA's Confined Space Regulations
OSHA’s standards for working in confined spaces were designed to control hazards before they become a problem effectively It’s not a question of if, but when something goes wrong-confined space permits and ventilation requirements help ensure that hazards are either eliminated from the start or mitigated quickly. When entering a confined space, team members must adhere to these regulations to ensure safety and avoid violations.
Training and Certification
It is the employer’s responsibility to provide all employees with safety training that is certified and documented with the employee’s name, trainer’s signature, and date of completion. This training must occur before any employee is to enter and perform work within a confined space. Employers must ensure their employees have acquired the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary to safely perform their duties.
Entry and Exit Procedures for Safety
Confined space entry requirements include flushing or ventilating the permit space if necessary to eliminate or control atmospheric hazards. After ventilation, a competent individual should use approved equipment to verify that the confined space is adequate for entry. Entry points should remain unblocked by equipment or vehicles.
Our integrated access systems provide both access to and escape from confined spaces. Check that walkie-talkies or intercoms are working to maintain constant communication with outside personnel. Lighting equipment shouldn’t be overlooked, as workers must be able to see exits and leave quickly in an emergency.
Hazard Analysis for Safety
OSHA confined space requirements involve evaluating all the potential hazards present. Deaths in confined spaces often occur because the atmosphere is oxygen-deficient, toxic, or combustible. Other risks include the potential for engulfment or suffocation. Even seemingly harmless materials like gravel, sand, or grain may temporarily support one’s weight and then act like quicksand. Use the buddy system at all times and ensure that all platforms and safety ladders are in working condition.
Air Quality and Ventilation Standards
Before workers enter the space, they must test the internal atmosphere with a reading instrument for oxygen content, flammable gas and vapor, and other potential toxic air contaminants in that order. Continuous air ventilation from a clean source can eliminate risky air quality. Atmospheric conditions within the space should be periodically tested to ensure that forced air ventilation is doing its job. If hazardous conditions are detected during entry, employees must immediately leave the premises.
Effective Communication Systems
Effective communication all comes down to the ability of your team members to follow protocol. Permit-required spaces should have an authorized entrant who knows the warning signs of exposure, entry supervisors who know the hazards of OSHA confined spaces, and attendants who remain outside to summon rescue services if necessary. Safety attendants often use radio equipment to maintain contact with their base outside. Voice and hand signals can be used depending on conditions. When possible, hard-line intercom systems are the most reliable.
Emergency Response and Rescue Plans
Per OSHA, permit-required confined spaces must have rescue personnel outside and ready to jump into action if something goes wrong. Rescue team members require training in CPR and first aid, and employers must certify that said training has been provided. Ladders, harnesses, and lifelines for safe ingress and egress should be on the premises at all times.
Equipment Inspection and Maintenance
When equipment fails, disaster can strike in the blink of an eye Luckily, you can drastically reduce the risk of harm by regularly inspecting all equipment used in confined spaces. Signs, radios, helmets and more complex equipment like gas monitors, manhole pumps, and retrieval gear should always be visible, usable, and up to date.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
While requirements will vary according to each confined space, basic PPE consists of the following: safety glasses, closed-toed shoes, gloves, and protective helmets or hard hats. Additional PPE may include fall protection like harnesses and lifelines, and respiratory protection like gas meters and respirators. For permit-required confined spaces, OSHA states that workers should be medically cleared to wear respirators. Some masks are heavy, restrict breathing, and can induce claustrophobia, so it’s critical to ensure a proper fit so workers have peace of mind.
Coordination with External Emergency Services
OSHA requirements for confined space include coordinating with rescue service personnel in the event of an emergency. Employers must ensure that responders can respond promptly and equip them with PPE, including respirators. At a minimum, one team member must be actively certified in first aid and CPR. Practice rescue safety exercises must be performed yearly, with ongoing worksite risk assessment.
Contractor and Visitor Safety Protocols
As the employer or supervisor, it's your responsibility to ensure that contractors and visitors who enter confined spaces recognize the hazards, wear appropriate PPE, and comply with all safety protocols. If they aren’t given basic training before entry or don’t take the risks seriously, a visit could end up turning into a rescue mission. Contractors and visitors should be accompanied by trained personnel within the space at all times.
What are OSHA Regulations and Requirements?
When it comes to working in confined spaces, one must truly “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”. Those working in these spaces face life-threatening hazards including toxic gases, electrocutions, explosions, and asphyxiation. OSHA requirements for confined spaces are in place to prevent workplace accidents and ensure worker safety. Many of these hazards can be prevented if addressed before entry.
OSHA Regulations for Confined Space
Specific confined space requirements are separated into General Industry, Maritime, and Construction categories. These industries all involve areas with limited or restricted means of entry or exit. Be sure to read the section specific to your industry and job type when formulating your workplace safety and emergency rescue plans.
How to Select the Right Confined Space Equipment
Selecting the right equipment depends on the type of confined space you’re working in. A hazard assessment should be completed by a qualified person who might suggest the type of equipment needed. The risks that workers in confined spaces face can be separated into two broad categories, environmental, or physical, hazards and atmospheric hazards.
Physical hazards include extreme temperatures, limited visibility, electricity, mechanical equipment, and stored energy that can lead to explosions. Atmospheric hazards can be difficult to recognize and in many cases, harder to control. These hazards include oxygen deficiency, fumes, exhaust, toxic or flammable atmospheres, or particulates like silica or cement dust.
Select your confined space equipment based on the specific hazards of a given location. Whether it’s gas detectors for air monitoring, ventilation for improving air quality, or harnesses and lifelines for entry and exit, our products are made with the high-grade materials necessary to safeguard your workers in risky conditions.
Best Practices for Working in Confined Spaces
When engaging in confined space work, remain alert to potential hazards and always err on the side of caution. Inadequate training or lack of knowledge can turn minor emergencies into fatal accidents. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when working in what is considered a confined space.
Pre-Entry Checks
A competent person should assess the risks and ensure that all safety measures are in place before workers are allowed entry.
Continuous Monitoring
Keep an eye on air quality, temperature, and ventilation numbers with designated equipment, like gas detectors and confined space oxygen monitors.
Constant Communication
Workers inside a confined space should maintain regular contact with personnel outside via walkie-talkies or an intercom system in case there is an emergency.
Emergency Preparedness
Properly trained rescue personnel should be present on-site should workers need to be quickly evacuated from the confined space.
Training
Anyone who steps foot in a confined space must first receive safety training that is certified and documented.
Reduce the Risk with Products Built for Safety
Confined space equipment is used in a range of industries, including oil and gas, mining, maritime, and construction. If you’re ever in doubt about whether a space is confined, just don’t go in. Knowledge is power in these scenarios, which is why it's crucial to partner with professionals with the training necessary to keep your employees safe. For the past seventy years, we’ve been making reliable products that help workers in life-or-death situations reduce the risks and prioritize safety. Check out our product catalog and do your part to keep health and safety central to your operations.