What Factors Determine a Confined Space
Defining a Confined Space doesn’t have to be difficult. When asked, just remember these 5 rules.
A confined space has any one of the following characteristics:
- Large Enough for Entry: If a space is large enough and configured so that a person can easily enter to perform work, it’s considered a confined space. For example, an underground tunnel qualifies.
- Not Designed for Continuous Occupancy: If a space wasn’t designed for people to work in for extended periods, it likely lacks the safety features necessary to support life, making it a confined space.
- Limited Access Points: If a space has restricted openings for entry and exit, it’s classified as a confined space.
- Inadequate for Long-Term Human Occupancy: If the space wasn’t meant for continuous human presence, it would also be considered a confined space.
- Hazardous Conditions: If the space contains hazards that could cause illness or injury, it’s a confined space. These hazards can be pre-existing or brought in by workers performing tasks.
Key Question: To quickly define a confined space, ask yourself: Can you live in it? If not, it’s a confined space.
Planning for Confined Spaces
- Identify Hazards: Begin by identifying the hazards within the confined space. These could include:
- Atmospheric Hazards: Lack of sufficient oxygen or breathable air.
- Energy Source Controls: Electrical, thermal, pressure, or gravitational hazards.
- Tools/Equipment: Any tools or equipment either already within the space or brought in by workers.
- Chemical Hazards: Any chemicals present in the space or introduced during tasks.
- Rescue or Protective Equipment: Equipment that restricts movement, or spaces configured in a way that could trap employees, such as a tapered end or materials that could engulf someone (e.g., a grain silo).
All Site Safety and Health Officers must take a Confined Space course and have a certificate to confirm completion. Additionally, this course should be retaken whenever there’s an update to the EM 385-1-1 or OSHA Standard. Fortunately, these updates don’t happen too often!
