Confined Space Safety Tips
A Comprehensive Resource

Dependent on certain factors and characteristics of the confined space, a permit may be required to work inside it. OSHA says that a permit-required confined space:

• May contain a hazardous or potentially hazardous atmosphere.
• May contain a material which can engulf an entrant.
• May contain walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant.
• May contain other serious physical hazards such as unguarded machines or exposed live wires.
• Must be identified by the employer who must inform exposed employees of the existence and location of such spaces and their hazards.

It is standard that confined space entrants don:

• Hearing protection
• Eye protection
• Hand protection
• Hard hats
• Chemically treated protective garments
• Respiratory protection, or a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) if necessary
• Additional PPE may be needed depending on the characteristics of the space, of which your employer is required to provide you with

You must have authorized attendants and supervisors monitoring you while you're in the confined space at all times to offer emergency assistance if needed.

You are eligible to enter the confined space upon successful completion of confined space training which should allow you to:

• Be properly trained on all anticipated hazards of permit-required confined spaces.
• Know how to use all equipment properly.
• Know the signs and symptoms of exposure to hazardous atmospheres and how to perform self-rescue.
• Know the evacuation signal, and understand that the attendant can initiate immediate evacuations requiring all entrants to exit.
• PPE may be needed depending on the characteristics of the space, of which your employer is required to provide you with.