Page 28 - OHS, April/May 2025

T R A I N I N G : C O N F I N E D S P A C E S
Confi ned Spaces: A Manager’s View
Protect yourself and your employees from confi ned spaces hazards.
BY RANDY DEVAUL, MA, NREMT
chitsanupong/stock.adobe.com
goes away. Th e fact that people con-
The topic of confi ned spaces never
tinue to die from entering confi ned
spaces shows the need for ongoing
reminders on how to identify and conduct
entries into those spaces. In simple terms,
we will discuss confi ned spaces, the role of
the authorizing supervisor and manager,
and the impact that role has on front-line
employees who are expected to work within
those spaces.
Defi ning Confi ned Spaces
As an experienced safety professional of
40+ years, I am still struck by how much
confusion there is around confi ned spaces.
So, let’s start with the basics so we are all
understanding the topic the same way.
Let’s review the defi nition of a confi ned
space. A basic confi ned space is defi ned by
meeting three criteria:
■ Th e space has limited ingress/egress;
■ Th e space is large enough for a per-
son to perform work inside it;
■ Th e space is not designed for con-
tinuous human occupancy.
All three of these criteria must exist
for it to be a confi ned space. Briefl y, this
means that there is generally only one way
in and out of the space—whether a ladder,
restricted doorway, etc.
Th e space must be large enough for a
person to physically fi t inside it to perform
work. Th e space is not ventilated climate-
controlled, likely has no or limited lighting,
no plumbing fi xtures, etc.
Examples of what a confi ned space is
NOT:
■ A portable offi ce or cubicle inside a
maintenance shop or warehouse, though it
has one door in/out, is not a confi ned space
as it will normally have heating/air condi-
tioning, lights and light switches, electrical
receptacles, etc.
■ A tank with a 4-inch hinged panel to
visually inspect or read a gauge or to turn a
valve handle is not a confi ned space since a
person cannot fi t through a 4” hole.
■ An attic, basement, or storage shed/
barn accessed by a single ladder or stairway
or single door is not a confi ned space be-
cause of its design.
Permit-Required
Confi ned Space (PRCS)
First, a space cannot be a permit-required
space unless it meets the initial defi nition
of a ‘confi ned space.’ Entering a storage unit
aft er some type of chemical spill may sug-
gest a hazard. It does not change the space
to a PRCS if it was never ‘confi ned’ in the
fi rst place. Entering it would be no diff er-
ent than addressing any other workplace
hazard when working around machinery,
pressurized lines, etc. Precautions are taken
but a permit is not required to be there.
So, a Permit-Required Confi ned Space is
a ‘confi ned space’ by defi nition, and con-
tains or has the potential to contain one or
more of:
■ Atmospheric hazards (fl ammable va-
pors, toxic vapors, too little/too much
oxygen), or
■ Physical hazards (unguarded machin-
ery, excessive noise/heat/cold), or
■ Engulfment or entrapment hazards, or
■ Other hazards not otherwise listed that
can cause death or serious injury (ex-
posed energized wires, high-pressure
fl uids)
In other words, the space is confi ned
(meeting all three criteria in the defi nition)
and has at least one life-threatening or life-
ending hazard that requires attention prior
to entry.
Training Requirements
All employees engaged in entry, attending,
working in, and supervising work in a con-
fi ned space must be trained in the hazards,
potential hazards, the task being performed,
emergencies, duties and responsibilities of
entrants, attendants, and authorizing super-
visors, and the use of monitoring and com-
munication equipment.
It’s key to understand potential haz-
ards. When performing tasks in a confi ned
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