OSHA Confined Space Requirements
CO2Meter, Inc.
CO2Meter is a global leader in gas detection safety, analysis, and control solutions. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified.
OSHA defines a confined space as:?a space?large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (e.g., tanks, tankers, silos, storage bins, vaults and pits), and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
Confined spaces can be dangerous. That's why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set standards that employers and employees must follow when working in confined spaces.
What is confined space monitoring?
Confined space monitoring provides rules for any confined space ?or enclosed space with limited entry or exit access. Because of the possibility of harmful gases, limited visibility, or the inability to quickly recover someone who is incapacitated, OSHA has created safety standards for workers who access confined spaces.
These safety standards are used?as a means to monitor and identify high hazard areas with poor visibility that could result in dangers for those working around hazardous environments. By monitoring confined spaces, it helps mitigate risk and enhance the decision-making process during an emergency.
Gas detection monitors can also safeguard and are used to detect hazardous gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or oxygen deficiency before or while the space is being used. This equipment uses a gas sensor to detect or sample for higher than normal gas concentrations, preventing workers from entering or remaining in a hazardous area.
What are the 3 criteria for something to be considered a confined space?
In the gas detection world we rely on the?Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ?when referencing required workplace safety standards, assessments, and guidelines. In the United States, OSHA ensures safe and healthy conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards.
According to?OSHA, the 3 criteria used to define a confined space is defined as:
A confined space must meet ANY or ALL of the above criteria to be designated as a confined space. Examples include freezers, keg coolers, beverage dispensing rooms, small grow spaces, underground pits, sewers or wells, tunnels, tanks, chimneys, grain silos, or commercial freezers.
For example, even if a worker enters and exits a keg?cooler several times a day, because it only has one door to enter and exit it is defined as a confined space.
Permit vs Non-Permit Confined Spaces
OSHA also defines two different types of confined spaces:
Non-Permit Confined Spaces
Non-permit confined spaces are defined as?spaces that do not have a hazardous atmosphere, cannot engulf an individual or asphyxiate upon entry, does not hold internal configuration hazards, and does not contain any recognizable hazard. Using our example above, a beer cooler would be classified as a non-permit confined space.
Permit Confined Spaces
Permit-required confined spaces are defined as?a confined space that has any of the following criteria:
The Code of Federal Regulations created?29 CFR 1910.146 ?for OSHA. This regulation was written to place an affirmative duty on employers to train their employees and staff who work in or?around any confined space locations. The code also places a particular emphasis on employers and staff to be aware of the potential hazards, recognize the precautions to take, and be knowledgeable about protective equipment needed to safely perform tasks and duties
Ironically, although OSHA created and actively promotes these standards, many individuals throughout the beverage, brewery, agriculture, and safety industries are unaware of them and lack the knowledge needed to work in and around these hazardous spaces.
Examples of Confined Spaces
Confined Space Air Monitoring Requirements
Prior to entering a confined space, the air must be monitored. What you're typically looking for includes: the proper levels of oxygen and that no combustible gases are present.?
In order to monitor the air in a confined space the space must be continuously monitored and the employer must be able to demonstrate that the equipment for continuous monitoring is periodic and sufficient to safeguard potential hazards.
Is continuous monitoring required in a confined space?
Yes, continuous monitoring is required in a confined space. Enclosed spaces with potentially hazardous atmospheres should always be monitored prior to entry and continuously during entry to mitigate potential hazards from occurring.
Additional information on confined space monitoring can be found at?OSHA .?
OSHA Confined Space Requirements
OSHA provides a few requirements?that employees should know when it comes to highlighting the hazards associated with any confined space:
You should understand the following hazards that could be present such as:
What is the OSHA standard for a Confined Space?
OSHA's standard for confined spaces ( 29 CFR 1910.146 ) contains the requirements for practices and procedures to protect employees in general industries from the hazards of entering permit spaces. Employers in general industries must also evaluate their workplaces to determine if spaces are permit spaces.
The OSHA standard also states that the standard?defines confined spaces as hazard atmospheres, meaning an atmosphere may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue, injury, or illness from one or more of the following causes:
OSHA Confined Space Air Monitoring Requirements
For those individuals, team members, and staff that are required to enter confined spaces, OSHA has established a list of criteria that must be met in order to meet standards and procedures.
What are OSHA Quick Cards?
OSHA Quick Cards are small cards that offer individuals an overview of important safety topics as well as tips to help staff raise awareness of common workplace hazards. Typically, these cards can be stored in a familiar work space and used as a handy tool to increase productivity and training opportunities.
While OSHA Quick Cards have been made for confined spaces, additional quick card topics include:
OSHA Regulatory and Recommended Limits
OSHA provided regulatory and recommended limits for dozens of different gases and chemicals. For example, the limits for CO2 are below:
OSHA Regulatory
OSHA PEL
5000ppm
OSHA Regulatory
OSHA TWA
9000 ppm
领英推荐
California Regulatory
TWA 5000 ppm (ST) 30,000 ppm
OSHA Recommended Short term exposure Limit
30,000 ppm
OSHA Recommended 8-hour TWA
5000 ppm
PEL - personal exposure limit TWA - Time Weighted Average * ST - Short term
Why are OSHA Confined Space Standards and Training Important?
There are several?safety precautions that individuals need to be aware of in their daily work environments. Confined spaces requirements are recognized as critical due to the number of deaths and fatalities around confined space and hazardous gas exposure each year.
According to OSHA, there were 1,030?confined space occupational injuries between 2011 and 2018 . Of these, 94 were fatal injuries as the result of inhalation of a harmful gas.
For further reference of OSHA confined space fact sheets, read more here .
Atmospheric Monitoring in Confined Spaces
Because confined spaces exist and are potentially dangerous there are certain atmospheric monitors and gas detection solutions that have been designed specifically for detecting gas concentrations in hazardous environments. Although individuals working in and around confined spaces often believe they can detect if a hazardous gas is present by smell, there is?no?other tool that can sense gas concentrations more effectively, quickly, and accurately than a? professionally designed and manufactured gas monitor, detector, or analyzer.
Without proper fixed or portable monitoring in place,?individuals can quickly experience overexposure to hazardous gases. Symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, nausea, asphyxiation, and even death from overexposure.
OSHA additionally specifies that "In order to enter any confined space without the use of special types of personal protective equipment or monitoring, such as a self-contained breathing apparatus - atmospheric conditions must have these characteristics:"
Should a hazardous space contain higher than allowable gas concentrations, utilizing a proper gas detection monitor is a?must?and will instantly alert the users that higher concentrations are present by audible and visual indicators.
What are the main hazards to agricultural workers in confined spaces?
Agricultural workers and indoor farmers can be overcome by gases like nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide when entering a grow room that does not have proper ventilation. Gases that build in grow rooms, manure pits, or silos can quickly kill an unsuspecting worker if gas detection safety monitors ?are not present.
Employers also have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following a safe work practice in order to adhere to the proper confined space requirements.
Confined Space Safety Solutions in Agriculture:
Are grain silos confined spaces?
Entry into storage areas such as grain silos may be necessary for many reasons such as inspection, maintenance, or cleaning. However, entry into a space that was not designated or intended for regular work and one that has limited means of entry/exit contains physical hazards and is considered a confined space.
Possible grain silo confined space hazards include but are not limited to:
What are the main hazards to brewers or beverage workers in confined spaces?
Entering confined spaces in a brewery can be very hazardous, and it's crucial to prioritize safety to protect the health and well-being of workers. Some of the main hazards that brewers may encounter when entering confined spaces include fermentation tanks, mash tuns, brew kettles, walk-in keg coolers, cellars, or tanks and vessels.?
Employers also have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following a safe work practice in order to adhere to the proper confined space requirements.
It's important to assess and classify these confined spaces, implement safety measures, and provide proper training and gas detection equipment to workers who may need to enter them.
Proper ventilation, gas monitoring, confined space permits, and rescue plans should be in place to ensure the safety of brewery personnel when working in these confined spaces.
Confined Space Safety Solutions in Brewery and Beverage:
What should not be used in a confined space?
When a CO2 extinguisher is used in a confined space there is danger that he user may become overwhelmed by the sudden increase in carbon dioxide emissions. This occurs because carbon dioxide is a known asphyxiant and the confined space means oxygen can quickly be replaced by the CO2 much faster.
In addition, any individual working in or around confined spaces that they have never entered before, one should test for oxygen, combustible gases, and then for toxic gas and vapors.
OSHA Confined Space Fact Sheets
In order to help maximize safety for workers and individuals in confined spaces, there are a number of resources out there such as fact sheets to follow prior to any hazardous entry. As a reminder, OSHA requires a signed permit for entry into any confined space with hazards. Below we highlight a few additional resources and fact sheets you an utilize in your own establishment.
In addition, in order to educate you and your employees on proper confined space guidelines, precautions, and standards the best place to start is the OSHA website . OSHA compliant consultants and training sessions are available online as well.
For an example of a confined space written program template, view this?free template by the Brewer's Association Safety Committee .
Confined Space Monitoring Equipment
In addition to portable safety monitors or wall-mounted safety monitors? confined space equipment includes:
Personal Safety Monitors for Confined Spaces
Portable safety monitors and alarms like the SAN-10 Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor or the SAN-20 Personal Low Oxygen Safety Monitor are designed for employees who work in enclosed areas where carbon dioxide or other gas buildup may cause personal harm. In addition, the device also features audible/visual alarm indication, exclusive data logging capabilities,?and a man down alarm that can be triggered when an employee fall occurs.
For those looking to detect multiple gas concentrations, we recommend a device like the?CM-1000 - Multi-Gas Sampling Data Logger .?
Enclosed Area Safety Monitors
A common gas detection monitoring system that is used throughout beverage, brewing, agriculture, restaurant, and safety industries is the?Remote CO2 Storage Safety 3 Alarm. It is designed to detect and alarm for high carbon dioxide concentrations in confined spaces such as fermentation cellars, keg coolers, indoor greenhouses, and mechanical rooms. The device also allows the user to trigger an exhaust fan or send an alert to the fire control panel.
For other enclosed area applications where there is a danger of inert gases displacing oxygen the RAD-0002-ZR?Oxygen Deficiency Alarm ?is recommended.
See more products to help you meet OSHA Confined Space Requirements .
For more information on confined space and OSHA procedures or additional training, contact CO2Meter today .