Confined Space Safety - General Industry
Every year workers die in confined spaces. These deaths typically occur for two reasons:
- Employers and workers fail to recognize and control the hazards associated with confined spaces, and
- Inadequate or incorrect emergency response results in the death of the initial entrant, the would-be rescuer, or both.
Atmospheric hazards and physical hazards may be present in confined spaces. Atmospheric hazards include oxygen deficiency or enrichment, flammable atmospheres, and toxic air contaminants. Examples of physical hazards include moving parts in mechanical systems, release of stored energy in hydraulic or pneumatic lines, electrical energy, engulfment by loose materials, and drowning.
Cal/OSHA has regulations to protect workers and rescuers who enter confined spaces. For general industry, these regulations can be found in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 5157, Permit-Required Confined Spaces. Regulations covering most other industries can be found in Section 5158, Other Confined Space Operations. Section 5156 outlines exactly which industries are covered by Section 5158. Below is a summary of Section 5157.
A confined space is a space with all of the following characteristics:
- It is large enough that a person can enter and perform the assigned work.
- The means of entry or exit are limited or restricted.
- It is not designed for continuous human occupancy.
Tanks, pits, silos, and sewers are just a few examples of confined spaces.
A permit-required confined space is a confined space with one or more of the following characteristics:
- It contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere (i.e., an atmosphere that may expose employees to the risk of injury or death, ability to self-rescue, or acute illness).
- It contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant.
- An entrant could become trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section.
- It contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
Employers must evaluate the workplace to determine if there are any permit-required confined spaces (or permit spaces) within the workplace. Employers must inform employees of the existence of any permit spaces through signs or other equally effective means and prevent unauthorized entry.
A permit system and a written permit-required confined space program must be developed if employees are to enter permit spaces. The permit system, which authorizes entry into a permit space, must include:
- Identification of the space.
- Purpose of the entry.
- Date and duration of the permit.
- Names of authorized entrants within the space, current attendants, and current entry supervisor.
- Hazards of the permit space.
- Measures to isolate the space and eliminate or control hazards.
- Acceptable entry conditions.
- Results of initial and periodic atmospheric testing.
- Onsite rescue and emergency services and additional services that can be summoned.
- Communication procedures between entrants and attendants.
- Equipment provided, such as PPE, testing equipment, communications equipment, alarm systems, and rescue equipment.
- Any other necessary information to ensure employee safety.
- Any additional permits, such as for hot work.
The permit must be signed by the entry supervisor to authorize entry. The permit is made available to all entrants prior to entry by posting at the entry portal or other means. The permit is canceled when the task is completed or when unacceptable conditions arise.
Authorized entrants must properly use any required equipment and communicate with the attendant during entry. The entrants must alert the attendant and exit as quickly as possible when there are any signs or symptoms of a dangerous condition or when a prohibited condition exists. They must also exit as quickly as possible when ordered to by the entry supervisor or attendant.
An attendant is required to monitor entrant status along with activities inside and outside the space. There must be an attendant outside the space at all times during the entry. The attendant takes action to prevent unauthorized entry, orders evacuation of the space if necessary, summons rescuers, and performs non-entry rescues or other rescue services as part of the employer’s on-site rescue procedure.
Entry supervisors review the permit to ensure that all tests have been conducted and all procedures and equipment are in place before signing the permit. They also terminate entry and cancel permits, verify that rescue services are available, and that the means for summoning additional services are operable, remove unauthorized individuals who enter the space, and determine that acceptable conditions continue when entry supervisors or shifts change and as needed.
Rescue and emergency services must be provided. At least one standby person must be immediately available at the site to perform rescue and emergency services. This standby person must be able to perform both non-entry and entry rescue as needed. The employer may also arrange for additional, offsite rescue services to be summoned. To facilitate non-entry rescue, retrieval systems must be used during all entries unless such equipment would increase the overall risk of entry or would not aid in rescue.
Training must be provided to ensure that entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors know the hazards that may be faced during entry and that they are proficient in their duties. In addition to initial training, refresher training is conducted as needed. The employer must certify that the training has occurred.
Members of the rescue service must receive the same training required by entrants plus additional training. They must also practice simulated permit space rescues from the actual permit spaces or comparable spaces at least every 12 months. Outside rescue services must be made aware of hazards and receive access to all permit spaces so they can develop rescue plans and practice rescues operations.
Alternate procedures can be used for entering permit spaces where the only hazards are atmospheric and ventilation alone can control the hazards. To qualify for alternate procedures, certain conditions must be met and certain procedures must be followed. The use of alternate procedures eliminates the need for a permit system, attendants, an entry supervisor, and rescue and emergency services.
A permit space may be reclassified as a non-permit space if the permit space poses no actual or potential atmospheric hazards and if all hazards with the space are eliminated. If entry must be made to eliminate the hazards, this entry must be done using the permit system. The elimination of hazards must be documented and certified by the employer. The space may be reclassified only for as long as the hazards remain eliminated.
If contractors are hired to enter a space, the host employer must inform the contractor of the hazards of the space and that a permit-required confined space program is required for entry into the space. The contractor must be debriefed at the conclusion of entry operations. Joint entries must be coordinated.
For the complete Cal/OSHA requirements, visit the Department of Industrial Relations Web site. Federal OSHA has compliance assistance available on its Web site. Note that Cal/OSHA has more stringent requirements regarding rescue and emergency services.
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The above evaluations and/or recommendations are for general guidance only and should not be relied
upon for legal compliance purposes. They are based solely on the information provided to us and relate
only to those conditions specifically discussed. We do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or healthful or that it complies with all laws, regulations or standards.
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