OSHA 3138-01R 2004

1 Perm it- Req uir edConf ine dSpa cesOSHA3138-01R 2004 Employersar e responsibleforprovidingasa feandheal thyworkplacefortheiremployees. OSHA s roleis to promote thesafetyandhealth ofAmerica swor kingmenand womenby set tingandenfor cingstandards; provid in g trainin g, outreachandeducatio n;es tablishingpartnerships;andenco uraging cont inualimprovementinworkpl informati onalbookletpr ovides ageneral overviewofa part icular topicre lated to OSHA st doesnotalterordeterminecompliancerespons ibil-itiesin OSHAst andardsortheOccupationalSafetyandHealthA ctof1970. Bec ause interpretationsandenforcement policy maychangeovertime,you sh ould cons ultcurrentOSHA adminis-tr ativein terpretationsanddecisions bytheOccupational Safety andHealt h Rev ie wCommiss io n and thecourtsforadditionalgui danc e on public ation is in th e publ ic domainandmayberepro duced,fullyorpartially,wi th out permiss s in fo rmatio n is availabletosensoryimpairedin divi : (202)693-1999;teletypewriter(TTY)number: (877) DepartmentofLaborOccupationalSafetyandHe alth AdministrationOSHA3138-01R2004Pe rmit- Requir edConf ine dSpaces2 Con ten tsInt rodu cti on.

2 3 Definiti .3 OSHA sConf ined Spac e Standa terna ti ve to a full perm it ent .4Wr itte n rol ling Ha zar ui pm ent for sa fe entry ..7De tec tion of haza rdous condit ions..7 Inf ormi ng ContractEmplo try Pe rmi ts..8 Can ce lled entry per mits ..9Wo rke r Tra ini gne d Duti hori zed entrant ..10At tenda .10 Ent ry supe rvi rgenc .12Re scue se rv ice nesse s and retr ieval line 2 MSD S..12 OSHA Assi sta nce ..13 Saf et y and He alth Progr am Mana ge me nt Gui de lin .13St at e tat ion Service 4 Volunta ry Protec tion Progr ams (VPP )..1 5St ra tegi c Pa rtne rship Progr .15Al lianc e HA Tra ini ng and Educat 6 Info rma ti on Ava ilab le Elec tronica .17OS HA Publ ica ct ing OS Regi ona l Offices ..19 Int rod uctionManyworkplacesco ntainspacesthatar e consideredto be c onfined because theirconfigurationshindertheactivitiesof employeeswho mustenterinto, nces, employeeswhoworkinconfinedspacesalsoface incre asedri skofexposuretoseriousphysicalinjuryfromh azardssuch as entrapment,engulfmentand hazardousatmosphericconditions.

3 Confinementitselfmayposeentrapmenthazard sandworkinconfinedspacesmaykeepemployees closerto hazardssuch as machi nery components thantheywouldbeot her wise. Forex ample,co nfinement,limitedaccessandrestrictedairf lowca nre sultinhazardousconditionsthatwouldnotnor mallyar iseinanopen rms permit -requiredconfinedspace and permit space re fe r tospacesthatmeetOSHA s definition ofa confin edspace andco ntainhealthorsafety hazards. For thisreason, OSHAre quiresworkers tohavea permittoenterthesespaces. Through-outthispubl ic ation,theterm permit space willbeusedtodescribe a permit -requiredconfinedspace. De fi ni tio nsBydefiniti on, acon finedspace: Is largeenoughforanemployeeto enterfu llyandperformas signedwork; Is notdesignedforcontinuousoccupancybytheem ployee;and Has a li mitedorrestricted meansof entryor acesmayincludeunderground vaults,tanks,storagebins, pits and di kedareas,vessels,silosand othersimilarar tion,aper mit -requiredconfined sp acehasoneormoreofthesech aracteristics: Containsor hasthepotentialtocontain a hazardousatmosphere; Containsa materialwiththepotentialtoengul f someonewhoentersthespace; Has aninternalconfigurationthatmightcauseane ntranttobetrappedor asphyxiatedbyinwardlyconvergingwalls orbya3floor thatsl opesdownwardandtaperstoa smallercrosssectio n.

4 And/or Containsany oth erre HA s Con fin ed Spa ce Sta nd ardOSHA s standard forconfinedspaces( )containsthere quirements forpr acticesandpr oc edurestoprotectemploy-eesingeneralindust ry fromthehazardsofenterin g generalindustrymustevaluatetheirworkplac estodete rmineif sp acesarepermitsp ac es.(S eeflowchart, page5.)If aworkplacecontainspermit spaces,theemplo yermustinformex posedemployeesoftheir exist ence,lo cation s canbedonebyposting dangersignssuchas DANGER permit -REQUIREDCONFINEDSPACE AUTHORIZEDENTRANTSONLY orusinganequally emplo yeesarenottoenterandworkinpermitspaces,e mployersmusttakeeffect ivemeasur estopreventthemfr employeesar e expectedto enterpermitspaces,theemployermustdevelop a writtenpermit sp aceprogramandmake it availabletoemployeesor their ative to a fu ll permi t ent ryUndercertain co nditionsdescribedin thestandard,theemployermay usealternateproceduresforwork erentryintoa ,if anemployercandemonstratewi thmonitoringandinspectiondatathattheonly hazardis anactualorpotentialhazardous atmospherethatcanbemade safeforentry usingcontinuousforcedairventilation,thee mplo yermaybeexemptedfromsomerequirements,suc haspermitsandat ,ev en in th eseci rc umstances,theemployermusttesttheinternal atmosphere of thespaceforoxygenco ntent.

5 Flammable gasesandva pors,andth e potentialfortoxicairco ntaminantsbeforeanyemployeeenters soprovidecontinuousve ntilationandverifythattherequiredmeasure mentsareperformedbefore PRCS asdefined by (b )?Cons ul t other applicableOSHA fo rmemployeesasrequi re dby (c)(2) .Will permit spacebe ente re d?Will co nt ractorsenter ?YESNOSTOPPr eventemployeeentryasrequiredby (c)(3).Do taskfr wi ll bedone by cont ractors empl oyees. Info rmco ntractorasrequi re d by (c)(8)(i ),(ii ) and (ii i) . Contr actorobtai nsin fo rmati onre quiredby 1910 .1 46( c)(9)(i) , (ii), mi t- Re qui re d ConfinedSpa ce DecisionFlow ChartYESWill host employeesente rtoperformentryta sk s?Both contr ac torsandhos temployees wi ll enter th e sp inate ent ryoperationsasre quir edby (c)(8)(iv) and(d )(11) . Pr ev nt authorization spacehaveknownorpotenti al hazards?Nota 0. 14 6 doe s not ap lt other OSHA standa e haza rd s beeliminat ed?

6 YESEmpl oy ermay choosetore cl as si fyspaceto non- permit re quir edconfi ne dspaceusing 191 0. 146(c )( 7).Spac e may be entered under 1 910. 14 6(c)(5).Canthespacebe main ta ined in aco nditi onsa fe toenterby continuousfo rc edair ventila tiononly?Verif y acceptable entryco ndit io ns .(T es t re sultsre corded, space is olatedifne ed ed,re scuers /meansto summonava ila bl e, entrantsproperl y equip ped, etc. )Prepare forentryvi apermit rmit entryconditionsmaintai taskscomplete mitretur nedandcancele permit pr ogramandpermit basedonev aluation of entrybyentrants,att endants,te sters andprepar ers, ge nc y exi sts(prohibite dcondition).Entra nt s evacuated,en tryaborts. (Call re sc uersif needed.)Pe rmit is programtoco rr ec t/prev en t prohib itedco ur re nceofemergency(usually )is pr oof ofde ent ryuntilprogram(and permit ) isamended.(May requirene w pro gram.)CONTIN UESTOPSTOP1 STOP1NO1 Spacesmayhavetobeevacuatedandreevaluated if hazardsariseduring : 29 CFR 19 Appendix tte n Pro gra msAnyemployerwhoallowsemployeeentr y in toa permitspacemustdevelopandimplementa writ tenprogramfo r herthings, th e OSHA standardrequirestheemployer swritt enprogramto: Implement necessarymeasuresto pr eventunauthorizedentry; Id entifyandevaluatepermitspacehazardsbefor e allowingemployeeentry; Testatmospheric conditionsinthepermitspacebefor e entryoperations andmonitorthespaceduringentry; Performappropri atetestingforthefollowingatmospherichaza rdsin th is sequence:oxygen,combustiblegasesorvapors ,and to xicgasesorvapors; Est ablis h andimplementthemeans, proceduresandpracticestoeliminateorcontr olhazardsnecessaryforsafepermitsp aceentryoperations ; Id entifyemployeejobduties.

7 Pro vi deandmaintain,atnocostto theemployee,personalpro tectiveequip mentandanyotherequipmentnecessaryforsafe entryandrequireemployeesto useit; Ens ur e thatatleastoneattendantis stationedoutsidethepermitspaceforthedur ationofentryoperations; Coord in ateentry operationswhenemployeesofmore thanoneemployerar e workinginthepermitspace; Implement appro pr iateproceduresforsummoningrescueandemerg encyservices,andpreventingunauthorizedpe rsonnelfr omattempting rescue; Est ablis h,inwriting,andimplementa systemforthepreparatio n,iss ue, useandcancellationofentry permits; Reviewestabli sh edentryoperationsannuallyandrevisetheper mit sp aceentryprogramasnecessary;and Implement theproceduresthatanyattendantwhois requiredtomonitor multi pl e spaceswill followduringanemergencyinoneor moreofth os e llin g Haz ard sTheemployer s writtenprogramshouldestablishthemeans,pr ocedur esand pr acticestoeliminateorcontrolhazardsnecess aryforsa fepermit space entry : Specifyi ngac ceptableentryconditions; Is olatingth e permit space ; Providingbarriers; Verif yingac ceptableentryconditions; and Purging,makinginert,flushingorventilatin gthepermit sp ipment for safe ent ryInadditiontopersonal protectiveequipment,ot herequipmentthatemployeesmayrequire forsafe entryintoa permitspaceincludes: Testing,monitoring,ventilating,communic ations andlightingequipment; Barriersand sh ields; Ladders.

8 And Retr tion of hazard ous co nd iti onsIf hazardous co nditionsar e detectedduringentry, ac e to determinethecauseofthehazardousatmospher eandmodi fyth e pro gr topermitspacesis prohibited,theemployermustta ke effectivemeasur estopreventunauthorizedentry. Non-permitconfinedspacesmustbeevaluatedw henchangesoccurintheirus e orconfiguratio n and,whereappropriate,mustbereclassifieda spermit spacewi thnopotentialto haveatmospheric hazardsmaybeclassif iedasa non-permitconfinedspaceonlywhenallhazard sareeliminatedin ac cordancewith entryis requiredtoeliminate hazardsand obtaindata, theemployermustfollowspecificpro ing Contra ct Em ploy eesEmpl oyersmust informanycontractorswhomtheyhi retoenterpermit spacesabout: Thepermit sp ac esandpermitspaceentryrequirements; Any identifi edhazards; Theemplo yer sexperiencewith thespace,suchasknowledgeofhazardous co nditions;and Precautions orpr oceduresto employeesofmorethanoneemployerareconduct ingentryoperations , theaffectedemployers mustcoordinateentryoperationstoensur e thataffectedemployeesareappropriatelypro tectedfr ompermitspacehazards.

9 Theemployeralsomust givecontractors anyotherpertinentinfor mation regardi nghazards andoperationsinpermitspacesandbedebri efedattheconclusionofentryoperations .En try Perm itsA permit , si gnedbytheentrysupervisor,must bepostedatallentrancesorotherwisemadeava ilable toentrantsbefor e theyentera permitsp mustverifyth atpre-entry pr eparationsoutlinedin th e must notexceedthetimerequir edto complete anas rypermits mustinclude: Nameof permit spaceto beentered,authorizedentrant(s),eligible attendants andindividualsauthorizedto beentrysuperviso rs ; Testresults ; Tester sin iti al s or signature; Nameand si gnatureofsupervisorwhoauthorizesentry; Pur poseofentryandknown spacehazards; Measurestobetakento isolatepermitspacesandtoeliminateor controlsp acehazards;8 Nameand telephonenumbersofres cu e andemergencyservicesandmeanstobeusedtoco ntact th em; Dateandauthori zeddurationofentr y; Acceptable entryconditions; Communic ationproceduresandequipmenttomaintai n contactduringentry; Additional permits,suchasforhotwork , thathavebeenissuedauthorizingworkinthepe rmitspace.

10 Specialequi pmentandprocedures,in cludi ngpersonalprotectiveequi pmentandalarmsystems;and Any ot herinformationneededto ensur e lled entr y permit sTheentrysupervisormustcancelentrypermit swhenanas signment is completedorwhennewconditionsexist. Newconditions must benotedonthecanceledpermitandusedinre visingth e permitspacepr andardrequiresthattheemployerkeepal l erTraini ngBeforetheini ti al workassignmentbegins,theemployermustprov idepropertrainingforallworkerswhoar e terthetr aining,employers mustensurethattheemployeeshaveacquiredth eunderstanding,knowledgeandskillsnecessa ry quiredwhen: Thejobdutieschange; A change occ ursinthepermitspace pr ogramorthepermitspaceoperationpresentsan ynewhazard; and Anemplo yee sjobperformancesh training,rescueteammembers al sorequiretraining inCPRand hasbeenpr oftraining,theemplo yermustkeepa recordofemployeetraini ngandmakeit availableforinspectionbyemployees9andthe ir authori oyee sname,thetra iner gned DutiesAutho rized entr an tAuthorizedentrantsarerequiredto: Knowspace hazards,includinginf ormationonthemeans ofexpos uresuchasinhalationordermalabsorpt ion,signsofsymptomsandconsequencesofthee xposure.