Confined

Space Entry
NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL
What is a
confined space?
What is a confined space?
• Any area not intended for human occupancy and has a potential for
containing or accumulating a dangerous atmosphere.
• A confined space ( CS ):
• Is large enough for a worker to enter and perform assigned work
• Has limited or restricted entries and exits
• Contains hazardous atmosphere such as chemicals, sludge or sewage
• Contains a material (such as saw dust) that could engulf anyone who enters
• Is laid our so that anyone who enters could be trapped or asphyxiated by walls that
converge or a floor that slopes down and tapers to a small cross-section such as a
hopper
• Contains any other recognized safety or health hazard
• Examples of CS include a tank, vessel, vat, silo, bin, vault, trench or pit
Confined Space Safety
• Countless workers are injured or killed each year in confined spaces

• If you will work in confined spaces, you need special protection

 Confined Space Hazards
• Lack of oxygen or oxygen enrichment
• Causes – fire, rusting, air-using bacteria, accumulation of other gases
• Effects – workers can collapse almost instantly
• Details – normal air holds 21% oxygen, anything below 19.5% oxygen is hazardous

• Toxic gases or vapors

• Causes – carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, other toxic gases
• Effects – can irritate skin, eyes, nose, throat, can injure or kill. Workers can be
overcome and collapse
• Details – some toxic gases have no odor and cannot be detected
 Confined Space Hazards
• Combustible gases or vapors
• Causes – fuels and solvents
• Effects – may cause fires and explosions
• Details – some combustible gases and vapors are also toxic

• Chemicals
• Causes – solvents, residue, scale in tanks, silos, etc.
• Effects – skin problems, eye irritation, systematic toxicity
• Details – none
 Confined Space Hazards
• Physical hazards - HEAT
• Causes – high temperatures
• Effects – heat exhaustion, cramps, dizziness
• Details – effects can be accelerated due to poor ventilation or inadequate
protective equipment or clothing

• NOISE
• Causes – sound reverberation
• Effects – can interfere with communication. Can cause hearing loss.
• Details – effects depend on intensity, frequency and duration of exposure
Confined Space Hazards
• Physical hazards – MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
• Causes – motors, other moving parts
• Effects – can cause sparks or physical injury
• Details – should be locked out / tagged out before entering

• FALLING
• Causes – obstacles, insecure footing, inadequate room to work
• Effects – workers can fall and be trapped
• Details – rungs and railings may not be sound, shape of space may cause falls
 Confined Space Hazards
• Radiation
• Causes – ionizing forms such as alpha, beta and gamma radiation, x-radiation.
Non-ionizing forms such as radio, microwaves, infrared and ultraviolet radiation

• Effects – risk of cancer from ionizing forms. Various effects from non-ionizing
forms

• Details – time, distance and shielding are primary controls for ionizing radiation
Preparing to Enter
Preparing to Enter
• Your Company’s responsibility
• Training you to enter or attend a confined space, providing instruction in hazard
recognition and rescue procedures
• Issuing an Entry Permit to workers who enter a confined space. This permit
must be signed by a designated authority and must confirm that specific entry
procedures have been followed before workers are permitted to enter a
confined space.
• Designating an Entrant and an Attendant to work the confined space together
• Equipping the Entrant with the right protective equipment
• Furnishing the Attendant with communications equipment and contact
information
• Have a trained and fully equipped emergency rescue team available in case of
an emergency
Preparing to Enter
• Entry guidelines
• Once you are qualified by training to enter or attend a confined space, you
must still observe your employer’s safety rules and follow these safety
guidelines
• Review the Entry Permit
• Check the entry permit issued to you to determine:
• Your employer’s rules about confined space
• What hazards you could meet
• What protective equipment you will need
• What you should do in case of an emergency
Preparing to Enter
• Prepare to enter
• Follow the instructions in the entry permit
• Have the permit available at the confined space site
• Position whatever warning devices are appropriate to alert others of the
hazards involved
• Test the atmosphere
• Block the hazards
• Use your own lock to lockout/tag out switches, pumps, valves, pipes, etc.
• Lock out the electric power circuits as close to the power source as possible
• Neutralize hazardous energy sources to prevent the movement of steam, air,
liquids or mechanical equipment
Working Inside
Use these pointers to help protect yourself as you work inside a
confined space:
• Test before entering
• Use the right testing device to check for hazards
• Check for oxygen deficiency and oxygen enrichment and for toxic or
flammable atmospheres
• Test the air from top to bottom and in remote areas
• Check the space around pipes, ducts and valves where gases and vapors can
build up
Working Inside
• Cleaning and ventilation
• Continue monitoring the atmosphere at frequent intervals while you are
inside the space
• Ventilate with forced air, blower units or other positive ventilation devices
• Remove any sludge, scale or residue. These can give off harmful gases.
• Clean the area with water or cleaner recommended for use specifically on
that chemical
• Re-test the atmosphere each time you re-enter the space.
Working Inside
Working Inside
• Life Protection System
• Wear a respirator if one is required
• Wear the right personal protective equipment for the known potential
hazards in a CS. This includes protection for your head, face, ears, eyes,
hands and feet, and respiratory protection where required.
• Stay in constant communication with your attendant as you work. If voice or
visual contact is impractical, use hand or rope signals, a radio or a sound-
powered telephone.
• Attach yourself to a lifeline or a harness so you can be pulled out in case of
an emergency
• Do not smoke or eat inside a confined space
• Stay alert to possible hazards as you work
• Get out fast if you feel lightheaded or disoriented or if you notice other
unusual symptoms
Working Inside
• Lighting and Equipment

• Make sure the lighting is explosion-proof

• The bulb should be shielded to protect you against accidental contact
• Check the cords, grounds, receptacles, plugs, connectors for wear and damage
• Where necessary, use hand tools that are non-sparking and explosion-proof, as
well as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) for electrically powered tools
• If the space contains flammables, do not use matches or other open flames.
Protective Equipment
Protective Equipment
Workers in CS often need protective equipment. This may include:

• Respiratory protection
• Air-purifying respirators can remove contaminants from the air you breathe
• To safeguard against dusts, fumes, mists, use respirators equipped with filters
• To protect against chemical vapors and gases, use respirators equipped with
cartridges
• Some contaminants require respirator-equipped with filter and cartridge. Use
specific filter and cartridge against specific hazards.
• Air purifying respirators should not be used in CS where there is potential for
oxygen deficiency or highly toxic atmospheres
Protective Equipment
Protective Equipment
Workers in CS often need protective equipment. This may include:

• Supplied Air Respirators

• Air-line respirators help protect against temperature extremes and heavy
concentrations of dusts, fumes, mists, gases and vapors.
• Air-line respirators can protect against oxygen deficiency with a small self-
contained breathing apparatus (called Escape Bottle)
• A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is useful in areas that can not be
tested. SCBA is used against unknown hazards, oxygen deficiency or an
atmosphere that is dangerous to life and health.
Protective Equipment
Workers in CS often need protective equipment. This may include:

• Safety Lines
• Lifelines and safety harnesses must be designed for use in removing a worker
who is unconscious

• Harnesses must be equipped with quick-release devises to come off fast in an

emergency
Protective Equipment
Workers in CS often need protective equipment. This may include:

• Equipment Maintenance
• You are responsible for keeping all PPE in top working order, check before
using it, report any rips, tears or defects to your supervisor

• Your employer is responsible for replacing worn or damaged PPE immediately

Handling Emergencies
Handling Emergencies
• An accident in a CS demands immediate action
• As an Attendant, if the Entrant signals for help or becomes
unconscious, your duty is to save his life by:
• Use a phone or radio to call for help immediately, including medical aid
• Start ventilation equipment right away
• Enter the CS only if you have been trained to do so
• You should be equipped with correct respiratory protection plus a safety
harness or lifeline.
• Station another trained attendant nearby to help
• Administer first aid or CPR if necessary, if you are trained
Check your Score – remember what you
learned

• Get ¼ pad paper, write your name and section

• Answer the following questions

• 5 points each
Check your Score – remember what you
learned
• It is not necessary to lockout/ tag out mechanical equipment before
entering a confined space. (True / False)

• Using a radio is the ideal way for an entrant to stay in touch with an
attendant while working in a confined space. (True / False)

• Entry permits are necessary when a confines space is known to be

dangerous. (True / False)
Check your Score – remember what you
learned

• Air-purifying respirators are the ideal choice for use against unknown
hazards, oxygen deficiency or enrichment, or toxic atmosphere in
confined space. (True / False)

• In an emergency, it is okay to enter a confined space without

respirator protection, a safety harness or lifeline, as long as you will
be inside for only a few minutes. (True / False)
Protection in
Confined Space
Protection in Confined Space
Never underestimate the hazards of working in CS. Keep these safety rules
in mind:
• Obtain an entry permit before you approach any CS
• Check the precautions required by that permit
• Wear PPE including a lifeline or harness as well as respiratory protection
• Work with an Attendant who regularly monitors and communicates with
you
• Stay alert for dander signs. When dizziness or dander threatens, get out
fast.
• Never go into a CS in an emergency without training and without right
safety equipment.
Remember…
• Consider every confined space as hazardous until you are sure it is
safe

• In case of emergency in a CS, call for help immediately.

• You owe it to yourself and your family to follow safety guidelines as

you work in CS