Confined spaces are a necessary evil for many industries. They present extremely unique challenges to employers and safety teams, and are aggressively scrutinized by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA created Standard 1910.146 to help employers understand the definition of, and requirements for, confined spaces.

This standard explains that a confined space is any space which meets the following 3 criteria: it is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry.); and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. But the standard also discusses permit entry systems, which are what really matter if you have a confined space.

Unfortunately, determining whether or not your confined space requires a permit entry system can be complicated. If, after reviewing the standard, you feel you might need to establish a permit entry system, it is best to have the facility audited by a professional safety consulting firm to help you determine what kind of permit entry system is required for your facility.

If you would like more information on determining whether or not a space in your facility qualifies as a confined space, or if you feel you need to establish a permit entry system, please contact us. If you have anything to add about confined spaces and the importance of a proper permit entry system, please leave a comment.

If your facility has confined spaces and you have not reviewed OSHA Standard 1910.146, you have done yourself a disservice. This standard is mandatory reading for anyone with a confined space to contend with. It explains when a permit entry system is and is not required for the confined space, who may and may not enter the confined space, and how you should monitor who is and is not entering the space.

First, it is important to understand what a confined space is. As per Standard 1910.146, a confined space is any space which meets the following 3 criteria: it is large  enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry.); and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

Next, you need to determine if your facility requires a permit entry system and an attendant. This determination can be tricky based upon the space (or spaces) in your facility, and for that reason it is usually advisable to hire a qualified auditing firm to assist in the process.

Should you determine your facility does, in fact, need a permit entry system, establishing one is actually not too difficult. You need to start by determining who will and will not have access to the space, and under what circumstances those individuals will have access. You then need to create procedures and make them known to employees. Finally, you need to create appropriate signage and properly display the signage near the confined space.

If you have any questions about a space in your facility, or would like help in developing your permit entry system, please contact us. If you have anything to add about how to properly establish a permit entry system for a confined space, please leave a comment.

Any facility with a confined space must ensure a permit entry system is not required before allowing open access of the space to employees. The requirements surrounding the need for a permit entry system can be found in OSHA Standard 1910.146. This standard regulates confined spaces in general, but also sets specific requirements as to when a permit entry system is required and how to properly monitor and maintain the permit entry system.

The most important part of a confined space permit entry system is the written procedures. These procedures state who may access the confined space, when and under what circumstances those individuals may enter the confined spaces, and how those people may enter the confined space. These procedures must have printed instructions available at every entrance to the confined space, and the space itself must be properly labeled with the correct signage.

In addition, if there are any additional requirements, they must be listed in the procedures. This can include the need for an attendant. If an attendant is required as per the standard, then it must be clear who the attendant is, when the attendant is there, how the attendant will keep track of individuals entering and exiting the space, and how the attendant can contact those inside the confined space. Similarly, personal protective equipment is often an important part of confined space procedures. If any equipment needs to be worn by those accessing the space, it is important that equipment is readily available and clearly marked on the instruction cards.

Should you have any questions about a confined space permit entry system at your work place, please contact us so that we can help you ensure you are up to code. If you have anything to add about confined space permit entry systems, please leave a comment.

Confined spaces, a topic we have covered before, are a difficult hazard for most companies to handle. Even though the first regulation on confined spaces was enacted in 1935, they accounted for 96 fatalities and over 5,000 injuries in 2012.  The breakdown of the fatalities includes 61 from oxygen deficiency and 26 from the inhalation to toxic substances.

So what can be done to protect your employees who work in these dangerous environments? First, employers must identify all workplace hazards. Whether done internally or with the help of an auditor, you can’t prevent what you don’t know exists. Once you have identified all potential confined space hazards, you need to determine if they are permit required and if they have a potentially hazardous atmosphere. There are a number of factors which need to be considered as you make these determinations, and it is imperative you fully understand OSHA’s requirements per standard 1910.146.

Once you have taken care of the identification, it is time to implement a system for monitoring and tracking entry into the permit required confined spaces and a safety plan which covers personal protective equipment use, training, and the permit verification process. In addition, you need to specify the procedures which will be in effect for employees in the confined space. After you have decided upon all of this, you will need to put the plan into action by updating your signage, personal protective equipment, and staff training. Finally, you need to ensure constant compliance, so that you can ensure you will not be one of the 96 employers who put their employees in perilous risk.

If you have any questions about this difficult topic, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about confined spaces, please leave a comment.

OSHA standard 1910.146 governs confined spaces and their permit entry systems. We have discussed confined spaces before, talking about the entire standard and what is required of you when writing the safety plan for it. But in order to write a reasonable safety plan, you need to understand the mechanics of the permit entry system.

Confined space permit entry systems need to have written procedures with printed instructions at every entrance. At the core of the procedure is the permit entry system, which establishes who has access to the confined space, in what circumstances those individuals have access to the confined space, how those individuals are granted access to that space, and, if an attendant is required, how and when that attendant may enter the confined space.

To set adequate standards, it is prudent to analyze and understand all hazards associated with your confined space. This includes hazards created by the space, the atmosphere in the space, any substances stored there, or the nature of the business performed in the confined space. Taken together, these hazards form the foundation of your confined space permit entry system, as they can help shape who should have access to the space and in why they will need access. They can also help you determine what personal protective equipment is required in the confined space, which will affect your permit entry system.

Once you have determined the hazards, the people who will have a need to enter the space, and the personal protective equipment they should be wearing, you need to determine what the frequency is that people will need to enter the space, and what you will require them to present to enter the space. Finally, you need to establish who the attendant is, and what their responsibility is as compared to the individuals entering.

With all of this worked out, all that is left is actually putting this plan to paper and writing up instruction cards. If you have any questions about the process of establishing a permit entry system for confined statements, or if you need any help in establishing your plan, please contact us. If you have anything else to add to the conversation, please leave a comment.

Confined spaces are an audit nightmare for many companies. There are complicated regulatory requirements as well as complicated practical issues surrounding them. OSHA created standard 1910.146 to help create a safe work environment for employees, and to guide business owners in what should, and should not, be done in the work place.

This standard specifically discusses permit-required confined spaces, helping you to determine if you have any permit-required confined spaces, and if so, what signage is required, what entry conditions are required, how often you need to audit them, and if an attendant is required. It further outlines how you designate access to different people who will be entering this space, and the procedures for required rescue personnel.

This standard also goes into the specifics of what authorized personnel within the confined space must do while in there. It explains the communication requirements, equipment requirements, and notification requirements of both employee and employer. In addition, it discusses the requirements surrounding the physical permit, including the information that should and should not be present on said permit.

Finally, the standard also discusses the role of the attendant. The standard discusses how many spaces an individual attendant can watch, how the attendant is to remain in contact with the entrants, how the attendant is to order an evacuation, what training and knowledge is required of the attendant, and a host of other responsibilities of the attendant.

There is a lot to know when it comes to confined spaces, and it is no wonder that they present such issues to so many businesses. If you have any questions about your confined spaces, check out our confined spaces services. Then, if you are ready to make sure you are up to code, contact us.