What is a confined space?

A confined space is any area not This booklet is not a

intended for human occupancy substitute for special
and that also has the potential for training on confined
containing or accumulating a space entry. However, it
dangerous atmosphere. A gives both entrants and
Confined space: attendants an overview
 Is large enough for a worker to of how to protect
enter and perform assigned themselves while working
work. in confined spaces.
 Has limited or restricted entries Read it carefully, then
and exist. follow the suggestion
 Contains a hazardous you'll find here.
atmosphere, such as chemicals,
sludge or sewage.
 Contains a material (such as
sawdust or grain) that could
engulf anyone who enters.
 Is laid out so that anyone who
enters could be trapped or
asphyxiated by walls that
coverage or a floor that slopes
down and tapers to a small
cross-section, such as hopper.
 Contains any other recognized
serious safety or health hazard. A confined space has the
potential for containing or
Examples of a confined space
accumulating a dangerous
include a tank, vessel, vat, silo, bin, atmosphere
vault, trench or pit.
Confined Space Safety
Countless workers area injured or
killed each year in confined
spaces, If you must work in
confined spaces, you need special
protection
Confined space hazards
Hazard Causes
Lack of Oxygen or Fire, rusting, air-using bacteria,
Oxygen Enrichment accumulation of other gases

Toxic gases or Vapors Carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide,

sulfur dioxide, other toxic gases

Combustible Gases Includes some fuels and solvents

Or Vapors
Chemicals Solvents, residue, scale in tanks, silos,
etc.

Physical Hazards
Heat High temperatures
Noise Sound reverberation
Mechanical equipment Motors, other moving parts
Falling Obstacles, insecure footing,
inadequate room to work
Radiation Ionizing forms such as alpha, beta
and gamma radiation, and x-
radiation. Nonionizing forms such as
radio, microwaves, infrared, and
ultraviolet radiation.
Effects Details
Workers can collapse almost Normal air holds 21% oxygen;
Instantly. Anything below 19.5% oxygen is
hazardous.
Can irritate skin, eye, nose, throat. Some toxic gases have no odor
Can injure or kill. Workers can be and can't be detected.
Overcome and collapse.
May cause fires and explosions Some combustible gases and vapors
are also toxic.
Skin problems, eye irritation, etc.,
Systemic toxicity.

Heat exhaustion, cramps, Effects can be accelerated due to

Dizziness, etc. poor ventilation and/or inadequate
protective equipment or clothing.
Can interfere with Effects depend on intensity,
communication; can cause frequency and duration of
hearing loss exposure
Can cause sparks or physical Should be locked out/tagged out
injury before entering
Workers can fall and be trapped Rungs and railings may not be
sound; shape of space may cause
falls
Risk of cancer from ionizing Time, distance and shielding are
Forms; various effects from primary controls for ionizing
Nonionizing forms radiation
Preparing to enter
Your Company's Responsibility
You should assume that every confined space is dangerous. This
includes confined spaces that are above ground, as well as those that
are below ground. Your company is responsible for:
 Training you to enter or attend a confined space, including providing
instruction in hazard recognition and rescue procedures
 Issuing an entry permit to workers who enter a confined space; this
permit must be signed by a designated authority and must confirm
that specific entry procedures have been followed before workers
are permitted to enter a confined space
 Designating an entrant and an attendant to work the confined
space together
 Equipping the entrant with the right protective equipment
 Furnishing the attendant with communications equipment and
contract information
 Having a trained and fully equipped emergency rescue team
available in case of an emergency

An entry permit must confirm that

specific entry procedures have
been followed before workers
enter a confined space
Entry Guidelines
Once you're qualified by training to enter or attend a confined
space, you must still observe your employer's safety rules and
follow these safety guidelines ;
Review the Entry Permit
Check the entry permit issued to you to determine;
 Your employer's rules about confined spaces
 What hazards you could meet
 What protective equipment you'll need
 What you should do in case of an emergency
Prepare t Enter
 Follow the instruction in the entry permit
 Have the permit available at the confined space site
 Position whatever warning devices are appropriate to alert
others of the hazard involved.
 Test the atmosphere.
Block the Hazards
 Use your own lock to lockout /tag out switches, pumps,
valves, pipes, etc.
 Lock out the electric power circuits as close to the power
source as possible
 Neutralize hazardous energy sources to prevent the
movement of steam, air, liquids or mechanical equipment.
Working Inside
Use these pointers to help protect
yourself as you work inside a confined
space.
Test Before Entering
 Use the right testing device to check
for hazards.
 Check for oxygen deficiency and
oxygen enrichment and for toxic or
flammable atmospheres.
 Test the air from top to bottom and in
remote areas.
 Check the space around pipes, ducts
and valves where gases and vapors
can build up.
Cleaning and ventilation
 Continue monitoring the atmosphere
at frequent intervals while you're
inside the space.
 Ventilate with forced air, blower units
or other positive ventilation devices.
 Remove any sludge, scale or residue.
These can give off harmful gases.
 Clean the area with water or cleaner
recommended for use specifically on
that chemical.
Life Protection System
 Wear a respirator if one is required.
 Wear the right personal protective
equipment for the known potential
hazards. This includes protection for
your head, face, ears, eyes, hands
and feet, as well as respiratory
protection where required.
Wear the right personal
protective equipment for the
known potential hazards in a
confined space.
 Stay in constant communication
with your attendant as your
work. Perhaps voice or visual
contact is impractical. If so, use
hand or rope signals, a radio or a
sound-powered telephone.
 Attach your self to a lifeline or a
harness so you can be pulled out
in case of an emergency.
 Don't smoke or eat inside a
confined space.
 Stay alert to possible hazards as
you work.
 Get out fast if you feel light-
headed or disoriented or if you
notice other unusual symptoms.
Lighting and Equipment
 Make sure the lighting is
explosion-proof
 The bulb should be shielded to
protect you against accidental
contact.
 Check the cords, grounds,
receptacles, plugs and
connectors for wear and
damage.
 Where necessary, use hand tools
that are non-sparking and
explosion-proof, as well as a
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
(GFCI) for electrically powered
tools.
 If the space contains
flammables, don't use matches
or other open flames.
Protective equipment
Workers in confined spaces often
need protective equipment. This
may include:
Respiratory Protection
Air-purifying respirators (half and
full face "masks") offer no
protection against oxygen
deficiency or oxygen
enrichment. However, they can
remove contaminants from the
air you breathe. To safeguard
against dust, fumes and mists, Air-purifying respirators can
respirators must be equipped remove contaminants from the air
you breathe.
with cartridges.
Some contaminants require
a respirator equipped with a
combination of filters and
cartridges. Both filters and
cartridges must be specific to the
type of hazard or hazard class
against which they'll be used. For
example, filters might protect
against dusts, fumes and mists as
a class; cartridges might protect
against mercury vapor, acid
gases or pesticides. Only specific
filters and cartridges can be
effective against specific
hazards. Air purifying respirators
should not be used in confined
spaces where there is potential
for oxygen deficiency or highly
toxic atmosphere.
Supplied Air respirators
 Air-line respirators help protect against
temperature extremes and heavy
concentrations of dusts, fumes, mists, gases and
vapors. Air-line respirators can protect against
oxygen deficiency when used with a small self-
contained breathing apparatus (sometime
called an escape bottle).
 A self-contained breathing apparatus (called an
SCBA) is useful in areas that can't be tested. This
protection is vital in emergencies against
unknown hazards, oxygen deficiency or an
atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to life
and health. Ask a safety or health professional
which specific type is right for the work you'll
perform.
Safety Lines
 Lifelines and safety harnesses must be designed
for use in removing a worker who's unconscious.
 Harnesses should be equipped with quick-
release devices so they can come off fast in an
emergency.
Equipment Maintenance
 You are responsible for keeping all personal
effective equipment in top working order,
checking it before you use it, and reporting any
trips, tears or defects to your supervisor.
 Your employer is responsible for replacing worn
or damaged equipment immediately.
Air-line respirators help protect
against temperature extremes and
heavy concentration of dusts, fumes,
mists, gases and vapors.
 Handling emergencies
An accident in confined space demands immediate
actions. As an attendant, here’s how you can save an
entrant's life if that person signal for help or becomes
unconscious:
 Use a phone or radio to call for help immediately,
including medical aid.
 Start ventilation equipment right away.
 Enter the confined space only if you have been trained
to do so. You should be equipped with the correct
respiratory protection plus a safety harness or lifeline.
 Station another trained attendant nearby to help.
 Administer first aid or CPR if necessary and if you're
trained.
Check your score
Remember What You Learned
How much did you remember about
working safely in confined spaces?
Take the following quiz. IF you get
more than one answer wrong, go
back and read the booklet again. This
will help you learn all you can about
how to protect yourself in confined
spaces.
1. It's not necessary to lock out/ tag
out mechanical equipment before
entering a confined space.
True False
2. Using a radio is the ideal way for
an entrant to stay in touch with an
attendant while working in a
confined space.
True False
3. Entry permits are necessary only
when a confined space is known
to be dangerous.
True False
4. Air-purifying respirators are the
ideal choice for use against
unknown hazards, oxygen
deficiency or enrichment, or
toxic atmosphere in confined
spaces.
True False
5. In an emergency, it's okay to
enter a confined space without
respiratory protection, a safety
harness or lifeline, as long as
you'll be inside for only a few
minutes.
True False

Answer: 1. (False) Be sure to lock out/tag out mechanical equipment before

entering a confined space. This can help prevent injuries from motors and other
moving parts. 2. (False) A radio is a only one-communication option when voice
or visual contact is impractical. Other options include hand or rope signals and
sound-powered telephone.3.(False) An entry permit from a trained and
authorized person is necessary to enter any confined space. 4. (False) Air-
purifying respirators offer no protection against unknown hazards, oxygen
deficiency or enrichment, or highly toxic atmosphere in confined spaces. A
better choice is an self-confined breathing apparatus (SCBA) or a supplied-air
respirator combined with an SCBA. 5. (False) Even in a emergency, it's never
permissible to enter a confined space without respiratory protection and a
safety harness or lifeline.
Protection in confined space
Never underestimate the hazards
of working in confined spaces.
Keep these safety rules in mind:
 Obtain an entry permit before
you approach any confined
space.
 Check the precautions
required by that permit.
 Wear personal protective
equipment, including lifeline or
harness as well as respiratory
protection.
Work with attendant who
 Work with an attendant who regularly monitors and
regularly monitors and communicates with you.
communicates with you.
 Stay alert for danger signs.
When dizziness or danger
threatens, get out fast.
 Never go into a confined
space in an emergency
without training and without
the right safety equipment.
Remember
Consider every confined space
as hazardous until you're sure it's
safe. In case of an emergency in
the confined space, call for help
immediately. You owe it to
yourself and your family to follow
safety guidelines as you work in
confined spaces.