An average of almost 2 workers per week die from confined space accidents. Most of these fatalities occur as a result of oxygen deficiency or the inhalation of toxic substances. In 2013, these two accident types accounted for 91% of all confined space accidents. With a properly developed confined space program, every single one of those fatalities could have been avoided.

When developing a confined space program, you need to first review OSHA Standard 1910.146. Standard 1910.146 sets the minimum safety requirements for all things confined spaces. It defines what a confined space is, defines in what situations a permit entry system is required, what to do in the event a hazardous atmosphere is present in the confined space, and how to properly maintain the space.

With the definitions and directions from Standard 1910.146 in mind, it is time to create your confined space program. In order to do this, you will first need to assess your facility to determine how many confined spaces you have. From there, you need to assess the individual spaces and, based upon the requirements set in Standard 1910.146, determine if a permit entry system is required, or if there are any special circumstances surrounding your spaces.

From there, you need to create procedures which take into account personal protective equipment, signage, a permit entry system (if applicable), a toxic substance plan (if applicable), and what your rescue plan is in the event of an emergency. Finally, you want to ensure your plan is able to adapt to future changes, meaning that you have someone monitoring Standard 1910.146 in case of updates and that you have provisions for how to add additional regulations should additional confined spaces or changes to your current confined spaces need to be accounted for.

If you have any questions about creating or updating a confined space program, please contact us. If you have anything to add about how to create a confined space program, please leave a message.