Confined Spaces

A confined space is defined as any space that:

A. Is large enough, and so configured, that an employee can bodily enter and perform work.

B. Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit; and,

C. Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

A permit-required confined space is any space which has one or more of the following characteristics:

A. May contain, or have the potential to contain, a hazardous atmosphere.

B. Contains a material (sand, for example) that has the potential for engulfing an entrant.

C. Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped, or asphyxiated, by inward converging walls, or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section; or

D. Contains other recognized serious safety and health hazards (electrical hazards, for example).

A non-permit confined space is any confined space which does not contain, or, with respect to atmospheric hazards, has the potential to contain any hazard capable of causing death or, serious physical harm.

No employee shall enter a confined space without:

1. Proper respiratory equipment
   
   
2. Experienced backup person
   
   
3. Testing the confined space for presence of hazardous materials. Monitoring of the conditions within the confined space shall be continuous
   
   
4. Permit form properly filled out and distributed
   
   
5. Proper Communication System with Backup Person
   
   
6. Planned Rescue Procedures in Place and Understood
   
   
7. Wearing and Using Proper Safety Equipment
   
   
8. Proper Ventilation
   
   
9. Establish Lockout/Tagout security as required
   
   

Supervisors overseeing confined space entry shall be thoroughly familiar with all entry procedures, personal protective equipment, and rescue methods, and shall instruct the employees in use of the proper entry techniques.