Confined Space Entry Checklist

In a confined space, it only takes seconds for atmospheric toxins to incapacitate a worker. Refer to the following checklist to keep your employees safe whenever they’re working in a confined space.

But first, it’s important to know the difference between a confined space and a permit-required confined space.

Confined space classifications

According to the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, a confined space:

• is enclosed or partially enclosed;
• is not designed or intended for continuous human occupancy; and
• has a limited or restricted means of entry or exit or an internal configuration that could complicate provision of first aid, evacuation, rescue or other emergency response.

A confined space becomes a permit-required confined space if it contains one or more of the following:

• A hazardous atmosphere
• A material that could engulf an entrant (dirt, sand, grain, etc.)
• An internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant (like inwardly converging walls or a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section)
• Any other recognized serious safety or health hazard

Before entering a confined space

• Evaluate the space and determine if a permit is required. This should be done by a “competent person,” an individual trained in identifying hazardous working conditions. This person should be authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate or control the hazards.
• Conduct a separate inspection if hot work, like riveting, welding, cutting, grinding or burning, will be performed. Hot work requires its own permit and inspection.
• Post danger signs about permit-required confined spaces.
• Post signs identifying confined spaces. Signage should also indicate general safety requirements for all workers, such as “no smoking,” “no idling” or “no sparking equipment” in and around confined spaces.
• Create and rehearse a rescue plan. Calling 911 is not an effective rescue plan because every confined space is different. If a worker gets trapped, first responders will rely on your strategy to extricate them.
• Review and revise your confined space entry program as needed for each confined space.
• Train all workers on the dangers of confined spaces.
• Train all affected workers on confined space entry procedures, including lock and tag procedures. An affected worker is any employee who works around a confined space and might encounter confined space entry signage or interact with the confined space (intentionally or unintentionally).
• Provide adequate illumination for entry and work in confined spaces.
• Valve off, blanket, blink or disconnect and separate all lines to a confined space containing inert, toxic, flammable or corrosive materials. Lock and tag these sources to prevent unauthorized release.
• Lock and tag all sources of mechanical energy, including impellers, agitators and other moving parts and equipment to prevent unintentional energizing.
• Ground or insulate all portable electrical equipment inside confined spaces.
• Use hand tools that have a spark-resistant rating. (Since no tool is spark-proof, consult the tool’s manufacturer about its spark rating and the atmospheric conditions before using it in a confined space.)
• Clean out decaying vegetation and animal matter from confined spaces.
• Whenever cleaning out decaying matter from a confined space, continuously ventilate the area and monitor the work using permit-required protocols. Moving decaying matter can produce methane or create an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
• Test and inspect the confined space for atmospheric hazards such as oxygen deficiency, flammable gases, vapors and toxic air contaminants. A competent person should perform these duties.
• Check for industrial waste that could have toxic properties or cause atmospheric interactions.
• Always ventilate the area using a blower or ventilation fan. Never use oxygen to ventilate a space. Oxygen levels that are too high (over 23.5%) or too low (under 19.5%) can be life-threatening.
• Identify all physical hazards (ergonomic, radiation, noise, vibration, heat and cold stress, etc.) and the appropriate personal protective equipment to use.
• Do not enter permit-required confined spaces without being trained or having a permit to enter.
• Review, understand and follow employer and host employer procedures for entering permit-required confined spaces.
• Treat every confined space as a permit-required confined space unless it has been reclassified as a non-permit-required confined space by a competent person.

After entering a confined space

• Understand what qualifies as a confined space entry. A worker officially enters a confined space when their head, face or feet pass the entry plane.
• Frequently test or continuously monitor the atmosphere while working.
• Provide sufficient air for combustion without reducing the atmospheric oxygen concentration to 19.5% or less whenever using oxygen-consuming equipment (such as salamanders, torches or furnaces).
• Vent exhaust gases from combustion equipment outside of and away from the confined space.
• Ensure no vehicle exhaust or carbon monoxide enters the space, especially if the confined space is near an area where motor vehicles may operate or idle. Post signs and continuously monitor the working atmosphere.
• Use approved respiratory equipment if the atmosphere inside the confined space cannot be made safe. Always fit test respirators and obtain medical clearance for respirator use.
• Post a trained, competent and equipped attendant outside the confined space. A confined space attendant’s sole purpose is to watch the work in progress, sound alarms and assist when needed.
• Maintain operative communication between the entrants and attendant, such as two-way radios, phones, video headgear, nonverbal cues and hand signals.
• Train the attendant on how to respond to an emergency.
• Provide a way to quickly remove and rescue workers from the confined space, such as full-body harnesses and manual winch systems.
• Verify that communication and monitoring devices are functioning and calibrated.
• Test for an explosive atmosphere before every entry if performing hot work. Inspect hoses and hoods for leaks. Light torches outside the confined space.
• Properly ventilate the space whenever performing hot work to remove toxic fume buildup.
• Do not use compressed gas cylinders inside confined spaces.

Err on the side of safety

Always consider the type of work you are doing and how that could change the atmospheric conditions of the confined space as work progresses. If you are unclear about the entry procedures for a confined space, default to permit-required entry procedures since this is the safest means of entrance.

Improper procedures could have fatal consequences. Stop work if you’re in an unsafe environment or you’re unsure — lives are at risk.

This content is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing financial, medical or legal advice. You should contact your attorney, doctor, broker or advisor to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.