Free OSHA Training Tutorial - Identifying Confined Spaces

Understanding OSHA's Definition of Confined Spaces

Overview of OSHA Requirements

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that employers evaluate workplaces to identify permit-required confined spaces through a two-step process: identifying all confined spaces and determining which are permit-required.

• Employers must assess all confined spaces, even if no employees will enter them. While documentation isn't required, it is advisable.

Criteria for Confined Spaces

• OSHA defines a confined space based on three criteria, all of which must be met for classification. The presence of hazards inside the space is not considered at this stage.

First Criterion: Size and Configuration

• The first criterion states that the space must be large enough for an employee to bodily enter and perform assigned work. If an employee cannot fit entirely inside, it does not qualify as a confined space.

Second Criterion: Limited Means of Entry/Exit

• The second criterion requires limited or restricted means for entry or exit. This does not imply only one access point but rather that escape in emergencies could be hindered.

• Examples include narrow openings requiring unusual effort to navigate, such as hatches or manholes where workers may need to crawl or climb.

Clarification on Doorways

• Standard-sized doorways are generally not considered limited means unless obstructions within the space complicate entry or exit.

Third Criterion: Not Designed for Continuous Occupancy

• The final criterion specifies that the space should not be designed for continuous employee occupancy. For instance, utility vaults lack safeguards while submarines are designed for ongoing use.

Summary of Criteria

• To recap, the three criteria defining a confined space are:

1. Sufficient size for bodily entry and work performance.

2. Limited means of entry/exit hindering emergency escape.

3. Not intended for continuous occupancy.

Examples of Confined Spaces

• Various structures can qualify as confined spaces including tanks, silos, ductwork large enough to enter, smoke stacks, chimneys, escalator pits, mixers like concrete drums, boilers, furnaces attached to trailers or railcars, trash compactors, and crawl spaces beneath floors or equipment.

Confined Spaces in Sanitary Systems

Overview of Confined Spaces

• Most sanitary sewer systems, including sewer lift stations and digesters, are classified as confined spaces.

• Various storm drains, culverts, septic tanks, utility vaults, and pipelines also fall under the category of confined spaces.

• An often overlooked type of confined space is dock levelers that have a front cover capable of lifting to allow worker access inside.

• Utility tunnels can be considered confined spaces; similarly, some attic spaces and open-top pits qualify as well.