The following is a general purpose guideline. Please refer to your company specific policy or standards. All questions should be directed to your crew chief or safety specialist.
What is a confined Space?
- Limited or Restricted means of Entry and Exit,
- Is Large Enough to “Bodily” Enter and Perform Work,
- Not Designed for Continuous Worker Occupancy!
1. Post space with appropriate signage.
2. Any conditions making it unsafe to remove an entrance cover shall be eliminated before the cover is removed.
3. When entrance covers are removed, the opening shall be promptly guarded by a railing, temporary cover, or other temporary barrier that will prevent an accidental fall through the opening and that will protect each employee working in the space from foreign objects entering the space.
4. The conditions in each confined space will be evaluated to determine if the conditions are safe for entry. The procedures used to evaluate each permit space before entries are as follows:
a. The atmosphere testing equipment will be calibrated as per the manufacturer’s requirements prior to opening the space.
b. Visual observations of the contents of the space will be taken after opening the confined space,
c. The atmosphere will be tested from very top to bottom and at four foot intervals in between in the following order:
(1) Oxygen Content
(2) Flammable gases and vapors, and
(3) Potential OTHER air contaminants.
NO EMPLOYEE IS ALLOWED TO ENTER A IDLH ATMOSPHERE
5. There may be no hazardous atmosphere within the space whenever any employee is inside the space. Continuous forced air ventilation shall be used at a rate sufficient to replace any hazardous atmosphere and in accordance with the following guidelines: A minimum of 15 minutes prior to entry.
LxWxH/Ventilator flow rate. Cylindrical formula is Pi (Radius x Radius) x L/Ventilator flow rate) An employee may not enter the space until the forced air ventilation has eliminated any hazardous atmosphere;
The forced air ventilation shall be so directed as to ventilate the immediate areas where an employee is or will be present within the space and shall continue until all employees have left the space.
The supply for the forced air ventilation shall be from a clean source
The atmosphere within the space shall be periodically tested and tested as necessary to ensure that the continuous forced air ventilation is preventing the accumulation of hazardous atmosphere.
6. The Atmospheric readings and all other hazards will be
documented and controlled.
7. Rescue - Self Rescue is the preferred method of rescue. If the entrant detects a prohibited condition or a hazard that is not controlled or if hazardous atmosphere is detected;
a. Each employee will leave the space immediately,
b. The space shall then be evaluated to determine how the hazard developed, and measures shall be implemented to protect employees from the hazards before any subsequent entry takes place.
c. If hazard is present that cannot be controlled; fill out Confined Space Entry Permit with Confined Space Entry Supervisors signature. Post permit with Warning Sign at Space entry point.
To facilitate non-entry rescue, retrieval systems or methods must be used whenever an authorized entrant enters a permit space, unless the retrieval equipment would increase the overall risk of entry or would not contribute to the rescue of the entrant. DO NOT ATTEMPT ENTRY RESCUE unless trained for rescue and replaced with another qualified attendant. Retrieval systems, when employed, will meet the following requirements:
(a) Each authorized entrant shall use a full body harness with a retrieval line attached at the center of the back near shoulder level or above the entrants head and,
(b) The other end of the retrieval line be attached to a mechanical device or fixed point outside the permit space in such a manner that rescue can begin as soon as
the rescuer becomes aware that rescue is necessary. A mechanical device will be available to retrieve entrants from any vertical type permit space more than five (5) feet deep.
(c) The attendant will notify Emergency services and activate the Emergency Response System as soon as the attendant detects a rescue may be necessary.
Entry-Rescue. DO NOT ATTEMPT ENTRY RESCUE. Only trained rescuers will attempt rescues from permit required confined spaces. Rescuers will be evaluated to determine their ability to perform rescues in a timely manner according to the hazards present. Refer to Confined Space Supervisor for qualifications and requirements of entry rescue personnel.
8. Re-certification of Confined-Space
1. Whentherearechangesintheuseorconfigurationof a Non-permit confined space that might increase the hazards to entrants; the space shall be re-evaluated and, if necessary, reclassified as a Permit-Required Confined Space.
2. A space classified as a permit-required confined space
may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space
under the following procedures;
a. If the permit space poses no actual or potential
atmospheric hazards and if all hazards within the space are eliminated without entry into the space, the Permit Space may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space for as long as the non-atmospheric hazards remain eliminated.
b. If it is necessary to enter the permit space to eliminate hazards, such entry shall be performed under the Permit Required Confined Space rules. If testing and inspection during the entry demonstrate that the hazards within the permit space have been eliminated, the permit space may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space for as long as the hazards remain eliminated. NOTE - Control of atmospheric hazards through forced air ventilation does not constitute elimination of the hazards.
c. The basis for determining that all hazards in a permit space have been eliminated shall be documented through a certification that contains the date, the location of the space, and the signature of the person malting the determination. The certification shall be made available to each employee entering the space.
d. If hazards arise within a permit space that has been declassified to a non-permit space, each employee in the space shall immediately exit the space. The space shall then be re-evaluated to determine whether or not it must be reclassified as a permit space.
