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Safety and Health Topics |
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| Confined Spaces |
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Many workplaces contain
spaces that are considered "confined" because their configurations
hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them.
A confined space has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee
occupancy. Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults,
tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines. OSHA
uses the term "permit-required confined space" (permit space) to describe a
confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains
or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that
has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors
that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate
an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as
unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.
The following questions link
to information relevant to confined spaces in the workplace.
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What standards
apply?
OSHA | National Consensus |
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What information is available for the construction industry?
Alliances | eTools | Standards | Hazards and Solutions | Additional Information |
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What are the hazards and possible solutions associated with confined spaces?
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What additional information is available?
Training | Other Resources |
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In Focus |
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Hot Topics
Hurricane Recovery
General
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Confined Spaces in Construction; Proposed Rule. OSHA Federal Register Proposed Rules
72:67351-67425, (2007, November 28). OSHA is proposing a rule to protect employees from the hazards resulting from exposure
to confined spaces in the construction industry and proposing four classifications:
Isolated-Hazard Confined Space, Controlled-Atmosphere Confined Space,
Permit-Required Confined Space, and Continuous System-Permit-Required Confined
Space. The proposed requirements for each type of confined space are tailored
to control the different types of hazards.
eTools
 Shipyard
Employment. OSHA. Confined and enclosed space
operations have a greater likelihood of causing fatalities, severe injuries,
and illnesses than any other type of shipyard work. Hazards include fires
and explosions, falls, and hazardous atmospheres. Because of these hazards,
it is important that shipyards have a Shipyard Competent Person (SCP)
evaluate required spaces to ensure safe entry and to maintain safe
conditions during work.
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