Confined spaces

Key points

1. 1Know which spaces on this site are confined or permit spaces. If you are not sure, ask the foreman before you go in.
2. 2Never enter a permit space unless you are trained and authorized, and the entry permit is filled out and posted at the entrance.
3. 3The air must be tested before entry, in this order: oxygen, flammable gases, then toxic gases. Keep monitoring while people are inside.
4. 4Lock out and block any lines, pipes, or equipment that could bring in water, gas, chemicals, or moving parts.
5. 5Never run gas engines, generators, or saws in or near the opening. Exhaust can fill a space fast. Use ventilation blowers as set up.
6. 6An attendant must stay outside the whole time, keep track of who is inside, and keep in contact. The attendant does not leave and does not go in.
7. 7If someone goes down inside, do not go in after them. Call for rescue and use the retrieval line and equipment from outside.

Talk it over

• What spaces on this site could trap bad air or be hard to get out of?
• Who is our attendant and how do we call rescue if something goes wrong in a space?
• Have you ever felt dizzy, sick, or smelled something strange in a tight space? What did you do?

Also in the other language: Espacios confinados

Official sources

• 29 CFR 1926.1203 — Confined spaces — general requirementsecfr.gov

More toolbox talks

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