This training session on permit-required confined spaces is designed for persons designated as attendants for these spaces. Attendants at permit-required confined spaces have very important safety-related responsibilities, as this session will demonstrate.

Session Objectives

The main objective of this session is to train you in how to perform your duties as a permit-required confined space attendant. By the end of the session, you will understand how to:

• Identify the hazards of confined space entry, including the signs, symptoms, behavioral effects, and consequences of hazard exposure;
• Communicate effectively with entrants into confined spaces;
• Monitor and detect dangerous situations both inside and outside of confined spaces;
• Order evacuations of confined spaces and summon appropriate rescue services;
• Prohibit unauthorized entry into confined spaces; and
• Perform nonentry rescues.

Statistics

Statistics on confined space accidents show what might be some surprising results.

• First, about 20 workers die each year due to confined space accidents.
• Second, 60 percent of confined space injuries are sustained by the rescuer, rather than the persons who first enter the confined space. As we will see, this statistic underscores the importance of performing the attendant’s job properly.

What Is a Confined Space?

What is a confined space? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, a confined space is an area that meets all three of these criteria:

• A worker can physically enter and perform work within the space. Entry is considered to have occurred as soon as any part of the body breaks the plane of an opening into a space.
• The space has limited or restricted means of entry or exit. For examples, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry. Note that permanent stairways are not considered to limit or restrict entry or exit, but temporary steps and ladders are.
• Finally, the space is not designed for continuous occupancy.

What Is a Permit-Required Confined Space?

What is a permit-required confined space? OSHA says that this is a confined space that is hazardous and, therefore, requires an employee to have a permit to enter it. A permit-required confined space must have at least one of the following characteristics:

• It contains, or has the potential to contain, a hazardous atmosphere, such as not having enough oxygen or having toxic gas;
• It contains the potential for engulfment—that is, a person could become engulfed by material such as grain, sand, or water;
• It has an internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant—for instance, a space with inwardly converging walls or a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller space; or
• It has any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.

Typical Permit-Required Spaces

Typical permit-required confined spaces include:

• Chemical storage tanks,
• Waste or storage pits,
• Grain bins,
• Underground tunnels, and
• Railroad cars

Non-Permit-Required Spaces

Non-permit-required spaces are those that do not expose entrants to the hazards that may be present in permit-required spaces. Examples of non-permit-required spaces include:

• Utility closets,
• Below-grade trenches,
• Storage vaults, and
• Utility subbasements

Engulfment Hazards

Now let’s discuss some of the specific hazards that might be found in permit-required confined spaces. Engulfment hazards are an example.

• The presence of grain, sand, water, or other similar materials in a confined space means that the material could flow over persons in the space and cause injury or death by suffocation.
• The mode of suffocation is that the entrant is covered, or partly covered, by the material in the confined space. •

Behavioral effects of engulfment on the victim include:

– There is no response to calls, and

– The victim struggles to breathe or stops breathing

Oxygen Deficiency Hazards

• When oxygen readings fall below 19.5% there is an oxygen deficiency, and not enough to breathe. Normal air is 20.8% oxygen. Oxygen in a confined space can be consumed by combustion, decomposition of organic matter, or oxidation of metals. Also, oxygen can be displaced when gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, or steam are used to purge a space.
• Behavioral effects of oxygen deficiency on a victim include:

– Impaired coordination or decreased ability to work strenuously; this can happen at oxygen readings of 15 % to 19%.

– Increased respiration and pulse rate; reduced coordination, perception, and judgment; can happen with oxygen readings of 12 % to 14 %.

– Poor judgment, with further increase in respiration and pulse rate; lips turn blue; can happen with oxygen levels at 10 to 12 %.

– Disorientation and mental failure; nausea; fainting and unconsciousness; can happen when oxygen is at 8 to 10 %.

– Coma and death occur when oxygen readings fall below 8 %. After 6 minutes 6 to 8 %, a person has a 50 % chance of recovery, and after 8 minutes, there is no chance. If oxygen levels fall below 6 percent, a person goes into a coma in about 40 seconds, and will die.

Oxygen Enrichment Hazards

Oxygen enrichment hazards mean there is too much oxygen in the air.

• There is an increased fire hazard when oxygen readings exceed 23.5 percent. Air at this level can cause clothing, hair, and other flammable materials to burn violently if ignited. Oxygen itself is not flammable, but it changes the burning characteristics of many materials, making them easier to ignite and faster burning. In addition, oxygen-enriched atmospheres allow flammable gases and vapors to ignite more easily.
• There should be no oxygen lines or cylinders allowed into a confined space, and no potential for oxygen leaks or sparks. It is possible to create an oxygen-rich atmosphere if you use oxygen to ventilate a space or power a pneumatic hand tool; remember, oxygen and regular air are not the same thing.
• The primary behavioral effect of oxygen enrichment on a person is disorientation. However, this effect may not be noticeable. That’s why the best way to check for oxygen enrichment is continuous monitoring in spaces where this may occur.

Flammable Gas or Vapor Hazards

• Flammable gas or vapor hazards are the result of gases or vapors in the atmosphere of the space and can cause a fire or explosion if exposed to ignition. Sources of ignition include open flames, arcs from electrical equipment, static electricity, and hot surfaces. Each material has an “explosive range” between its lower explosive limit, or LEL, and its upper explosive limit, or UEL. Below the LEL, there is not enough fuel to burn, and above the UEL, there is too much. For example, methane gas has an LEL of 5 percent and a UEL of 15 percent, so its explosive range is between these two numbers. However, even if methane gas is above its UEL, introducing air into the space may dilute it and bring it back down into the explosive range.
• Test for the LEL before starting work in a space. The LEL should be less than 10 percent for work that does not require sparks or welding and less than 1 percent for work that DOES require sparks or welding.
• Behavioral effects of hazardous gases or vapors include nausea or dizziness. There may be other effects, depending on the substance. If entrants are wearing respirators, there should be no effects; however, that is all the more reason to monitor continuously for the LEL, to make sure there is no fire or explosion hazard.

Combustible Dust Hazards

Combustible dust hazards can result from such products as grains, nitrated fertilizers, finely ground chemicals, and other materials that can produce combustible dust. Like hazardous gas and vapors, combustible dusts also have a lower explosive limit, or LEL.

• Fire and explosion can result from combustible dusts.
• Dusts that are at or above their LEL can be ignited by flames, electrical equipment, sparks, static electricity, and hot surfaces. Note that each substance has its own specific LEL.
• Use a visual test to determine the LEL of dust, because it is very difficult to monitor for it with instruments. According to OSHA, airborne combustible dust is above its LEL if the dust obscures vision at a distance of 5 feet.
• Behavioral effects of combustible dust on an entrant who is not wearing respiratory protection include coughing, sneezing, and difficulty breathing. If workers ARE wearing respiratory protection, these effects will not be noticed, so it is important to monitor the situation to determine if the dust is obscuring vision at 5 feet or less, and therefore presents a fire or explosion hazard.

Toxic Substance Hazards

Toxic substance hazards can occur in confined spaces, particularly in tanks that may have held such substances. Residues from the toxic substance may leave a concentration of gas in the atmosphere of the space that is beyond the Permissible Exposure Limit, or PEL. Toxic gases produce two kinds of risk:

• Asphyxiation, or loss of ability to breathe, results from gases that displace oxygen or disrupt the body’s ability to use oxygen.

– Simple asphyxiants produce no effect on the body but are dangerous if enough is present to displace the oxygen. Examples are nitrogen and methane.

– Chemical asphyxiants affect your ability to use oxygen. Examples are carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.

• Irritation is the other principal risk of toxic substances. There are two main kinds of irritants:

– Primary irritants, which cause surface or skin irritation without affecting the entire body. Examples include chlorine, ozone, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide.

– Secondary irritants can produce toxic effects in your system in addition to surface irritation. Examples include benzene, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and chloropropene.

Toxic Substance Hazards

Toxic substance hazards can be very serious, and they require strict safety procedures.

• Monitor the space for such substances as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic chemicals that are known to be present. Refer to the SDS for the chemical to check for its permissible exposure limit. Use special air monitoring equipment designed to check atmospheres for specific chemicals.
• Check entrants for behavioral effects of toxic substances:

– Nausea and headache are early signs of exposure.

– Unconsciousness is another sign of exposure to such chemicals as hydrogen sulfide.

– Refer to the SDS for specific behavioral effects of exposure to various toxic chemicals.

IDLH Hazards

“IDLH” hazards refers to hazards that are Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health.

• IDLH is further defined as a condition that presents an immediate or delayed threat to life, or interferes with your ability to escape, or would cause irreversible adverse health effects. All confined spaces should be considered IDLH until proven otherwise.
• Check the SDS for each chemical to determine the IDLH exposure limit. Toxic gases have both PELs and IDLH limits. For example, the IDLH for carbon monoxide is 1,200 parts per million, or ppm; for hydrogen sulfide, it is 100 ppm; for chlorine, it is 10 ppm; and for ammonia, it is 300 ppm.
• Behavioral effects of IDLH levels are unconsciousness, followed by death.

Physical Hazards

Physical hazards of confined spaces are those that are physically present in the space and can cause injuries or illnesses. They include:

• Surface residues, which can cause a variety of hazards such as increased risk of electrical shock, reactions of incompatible materials, the release of toxic substances, and bodily injury from slipping and falling.
• Structural hazards, including such things as baffles in horizontal tanks, trays in vertical towers, bends in tunnels, scaffolding, and overhead structural members. You may not be able to see these hazards and, therefore, risk physical injury.
• Electrical items, such as lights or equipment, can cause fires or explosions if the atmosphere is combustible. Be sure you know about the atmosphere inside the space before anyone enters it.
• Noise problems are intensified inside confined spaces. Noise has the risk of causing hearing damage, and also can disrupt the ability to communicate between people inside and outside the space.
• Vibration is a hazard if the work inside the space requires using vibrating tools such as grinders or pneumatic hammers.
• Biological hazards may stem from contaminated water in the space, which can transmit diseases. Heat is also a potential hazard, since workers in confined spaces are subject to heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke.

Physical Hazards (cont.)

Physical hazards of confined spaces require special precautions before entering the space.

• If possible, there should be a visual inspection of the space for slippery surfaces, structural hazards, and biological hazards.
• The type of work to be performed should be assessed for the hazards it might create. Examples include noise, vibration, heat, and electricity.
• Lockout/tagout procedures should be followed before anyone enters the space, in order to control all hazards involving the release of hazardous energy.
• Behavioral effects of physical hazards in confined spaces include:

– Slips, trips, and falls due to surface and structural hazards;

– Difficulty communicating due to noise hazards; and

– Muscle cramping due to heat illness.

Confined Spaces and Hazards – Any Questions?

• Do you understand what a confined space is?
• Do you know how to identify confined space hazards?

Now it is time to ask yourself if you understand the material presented so far.

It is important for your safety and the safety of others that you understand what a confined space is and know how to identify confined space hazards.

Stay at the Confined Space Until Relieved

Now we’ll discuss your responsibilities as a permit-required confined space attendant.

The number one rule for the attendant is: Stay outside the confined space at all times until you are relieved or the operation inside the space is completed. While you are in your role as an attendant, you should:

• Continuously observe the personnel in the space, if they are in sight, for symptoms of exposure to hazards. You should know and be able to recognize these symptoms, such as slurred speech, dizziness, incoherence, and loss of consciousness.
• Do not become distracted or occupied with other tasks while you are an attendant.
• Monitor the activities and conditions both inside and outside the space to determine whether the space remains safe for those inside. For example, outside the space there could be a fire or chemical spill that would require those inside the space to evacuate.
• Monitor the ventilation equipment for the confined space to make sure it continues to function correctly. Keep chemicals and vehicle exhaust away from the intake of the ventilating equipment.
• Continuously inspect rescue equipment such as retrieval systems and winches to make sure they are ready for use if needed.

Keep Track of Entrants

Keep track of the entrants in the space to ensure safety.

• Keep an accurate account of the entrants and know whether or not each one is in the space.
• Authorized entrants should be listed on the entry permit for the confined space.
• Use a confined space attendant log. It should contain the date of the work, the location, the time started, and the entry permit number, and similar information for yourself and other attendants.
• The name and identity of each entrant is the most important information for the log. Write down their names and the way you can identify them when they are in the space, such as by writing or taping numbers to their clothing or headgear. The log should show both their names and their numbers or other identifying designation.
• Keep track of the time that each person enters and exits the space, including if they enter and exit multiple times.

Communicate With the Entrant

Communication with entrants is an essential part of the attendant’s job.

• Monitor the activities through communication so that you know if the space is safe, or if an entrant wants to exit and needs you to retract a retrieval line.
• Listen for behavioral effects of hazardous conditions in the space, such as slurred speech, a giddy or distracted response, or no response at all. Periodically talk to the entrants to monitor their responses.
• Use voice communications for small spaces where the work being performed is not too noisy to hear.
• Use radio or walkie-talkie communications for larger spaces or when there is a lot of noise. The device should have a light or vibration feature so that the entrant knows you are trying to communicate with him or her. If communication fails, the entrant must immediately exit the space and not return until the device is repaired or replaced.
• Agree on an emergency signal between you and the entrants in case voice or other communications devices don’t work. A signal might be an air horn, flashing lights, or two pulls on the retrieval line.
• The communication procedures used by you and the entrants should be described on the confined space entry permit.

Monitor Atmospheric Conditions

Monitoring atmospheric conditions within the space is another important responsibility. If trained to do so, use a direct reading instrument to determine conditions before workers enter the space.

• Calibrate the monitoring device before each use. Keep records of each calibration. If the instrument isn’t working properly, replace it.
• Remember that atmospheres can be stratified—that is, the level of gases at the top may be different from the level at the bottom. Many hazardous gases are heavier than air and tend to accumulate at the bottom. Tests should be performed every 4 feet to make sure you know what is present in the space.
• Testing should be done both before entering and periodically during the time workers are in the space.
• Monitoring and testing should be in a specific order or sequence: first, test for oxygen content, then for flammability and combustibility, then for toxic atmospheres.
• List the monitoring results on the permit, including the time of each test, the initials of the person who did the testing, and conditions necessary for safe entry.
• Entrants should be permitted to observe the monitoring and view the results.

Prohibit Entry by Unauthorized Persons

The attendant must prohibit entry into the confined space by unauthorized entrants.

• Warn unauthorized persons to stay away from the confined space entry area. If necessary, contact security personnel to enforce this.
• Advise any unauthorized personnel to exit the space if they have entered it.
• Inform the authorized entrants and the entry supervisor if unauthorized persons have entered the space.
• If the situation calls for it, order an evacuation of the confined space.

 

Evacuate Entrant

Evacuation of the entrants in a confined space is necessary if:

• A prohibited condition is detected, such as when atmospheric monitoring shows an unsafe oxygen level or an unsafe concentration of hazardous gases.
• An entrant shows behavioral effects of hazard exposure, such as slurred speech, lack of coordination, falling, or loss of consciousness.
• There is a situation outside of the confined space that could endanger the entrants. This could be a fire, a chemical release, or other situation that requires everyone to leave the immediate area.
• Finally, evacuation of the confined space is required if the attendant cannot perform his or her duties due to injury, illness, or an emergency.

Nonentry Rescue Procedures

Now we will turn to the subject of rescue procedures. Nonentry rescue is the preferred rescue method. This means retrieving a worker, even if he or she is unconscious, while remaining outside the confined space.

• All entrants should wear a full-body harness that is connected to a lifeline. The lifeline and harness can be used both to retrieve workers, and also as a fall protection system for workers who must climb down into a space.
• The lifeline should be attached to a mechanical device or fixed point outside of the confined space in a way that rescue can begin immediately if needed. A mechanical device, such as a winch, must be used to retrieve workers from confined spaces that are more than 5 feet deep. Remember, do not allow entrants into a confined space until rescue and retrieval equipment is in place and ready to use.
• Visually or verbally confirm that the entrant can be retrieved safely from outside before beginning nonentry retrieval. If you cannot see or communicate with the entrant, then you must begin entry rescue procedures.
• Attempt to untangle rescue lines if they are wrapped around obstacles in the space. If the entrant is caught up on an obstacle, do not attempt a nonentry rescue—begin entry rescue procedures.

Summon Rescuers

Summoning rescuers is a critical responsibility of an attendant. This must be done as soon as you know that rescuers are needed. That’s why it’s so important to maintain communications with personnel in the confined space.

• Advise the rescue team in advance that confined space work is getting started. Rescue personnel should assess the operation and evaluate the entry, the permit, retrieval equipment, monitoring, and personal protective equipment required for emergency entry. The rescue team should make sure that rescue equipment is available and prepared for a fast entrance into the space.
• If an entrant is incapacitated within the space, immediately contact the rescue team.
• Summon the rescue team by alarm, radio, cell phone, or paging system. The form of communication must be pre-arranged and written on the entry permit. Communication equipment should be in reach at all times—you should not have to leave the area to use it.
• Attempt nonentry retrieval first. However, if you are unable to communicate with the entrant, summon rescue personnel.
• Finally, get prepared for the rescue as you wait for the rescue team to arrive. Take such steps as retesting the atmosphere, increasing ventilation, and preparing retrieval lines for the rescue team.

Entry Rescue

An entry rescue is a last resort, because it means that rescue personnel will be exposed to the same hazards that caused an emergency for the entrant. Remember that over half of confined space injuries affect rescuers.

• Members of the rescue squad are trained in rescue procedures, the hazards of confined spaces, personal protective equipment, and rescue equipment.
• They are also trained in first aid and CPR.
• The rescue squad conducts a practice confined space entry rescue at least once a year at one of the confined spaces in the workplace.
• They are provided with PPE and know how to put it on quickly when a rescue is needed.
• The rescue squad is summoned by an attendant using methods described in the permit. They must be notified of the confined space operation before it starts.
• Companies may use outside rescue services, such as the local fire department, if there is no squad of trained rescue employees. Outside services must be informed about the hazards of confined spaces in the workplace so that they can develop rescue plans and conduct practice rescue operations.

Responsibilities of the Attendant – Questions?

Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the responsibilities of a confined space attendant. Can you:

• Understand and identify the hazards of confined space entry?
• Know how to communicate effectively with entrants?
• Monitor for dangerous situations?
• Order space evacuations and summon appropriate rescue services?
• Prohibit unauthorized confined space entry?
• Perform nonentry rescues?

It is important for your safety and the safety of others that you understand the material presented.

Key Things to Remember

The key things to remember about this training session include the following:

• Your primary responsibility as an attendant is the safety of the entrants.
• You must understand all of the potential hazards of the confined space where the operation is taking place.
• You should be able to detect the behavioral effects of various hazards on personnel in the space.
• You must stay in constant communication with the entrants while they are in the space.
• Finally, you should be able to perform nonentry rescue operations, as well as be able to summon the rescue team and prepare for their arrival.

This concludes this training session on Permit-Required Confined Spaces for attendants.