PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACES

Introduction

A confined space is one that has a limited or restricted means of entry or exit, is large enough for an employee to enter and perform assigned work, and is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee. These spaces may include, but are not limited to, underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, pits and diked areas, vessels, and silos.

A permit-required confined space is one that meets the definition of a confined space and has one or more of these characteristics:

Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere

Contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant

Has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section

Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazards.

2 of 26