Confined Space Program Summary

Applies to:

This program applies to all departments that have confined spaces in their work area, or where employees must enter confined spaces to perform work. A confined space may have poor air quality due to lack of natural ventilation, a potentially toxic or hazardous atmosphere, or other serious hazards that must be considered. Personnel entering confined spaces at Virginia Tech must be trained on confined space hazards, the assessment process, and hazard controls. Only authorized personnel may enter confined spaces. An Assessment Form must be completed by the supervisor in charge prior to personnel entering into any confined space.

Requirements

Employers are required by OSHA to evaluate the workplace to determine if there are permit-required confined spaces present. Departments should work with Environmental, Health and  Safety to determine appropriate entry protocols, as necessary. Employees must be informed of such spaces in the work area by posting danger signs, or by any other equally effective means (i.e. awareness training). Departments are responsible for providing and applying appropriate signs in accordance with OSHA regulations. Example: "DANGER: Confined Space - DO NOT ENTER."

Where departments decide that employees will not enter permit spaces, effective measures must be taken to prevent inadvertent and unauthorized entry into the space. Unauthorized entry into a confined space is strictly prohibited due to the potential for death, incapacitation, injury or acute illness. Employees who work in the vicinity of, but who will not enter, confined spaces must complete awareness level training.

Departments with personnel who need to enter confined spaces must have a competent person overseeing entry activities, including assessing the conditions of the space prior to entry, performing air monitoring, and ensuring appropriate hazard controls have been implemented and are effective, and giving approval for entry. Supervisors, personnel entering the confined space, or serving as an attendant must attend Confined Space Entrant/Attendant/Supervisor level training. 

If the space has been determined to be permit-required, then the entry must be coordinated with Environmental Health & Safety.

Purpose

Environmental, Health & Safety developed the Confined Space Program to protect employees from hazards that may be encountered during entry into a confined space. This program is intended to assure that:

• Workers who are required to enter confined spaces are properly trained and supervised.
• Procedures are in place to prevent employee exposure to hazardous atmospheres or conditions related to confined spaces.

Key components of this program include:

• Surveying workplaces to identify confined spaces.
• Posting signs to assist with recognizing confined spaces on university properties.
• Training individuals who will perform work associated with confined spaces.
• Developing written entry practices and procedures. 
• Implementing a permit system to monitor entry into confined spaces with uncontrolled hazards.

Scope

This program has been designed to comply with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.146, Permit-Required Confined Spaces, and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA, Confined Spaces in Construction.

Note: Spaces that do not meet the definition of a confined space, do not fall within the scope of this program. This program does not apply to spaces that may meet the definition of a confined space, but have another OSHA standard that covers it, such as Excavations (1926 Subpart P), Underground Construction, Caissons, Cofferdams, and Compressed Air (1926 Subpart S), or Diving (1926 Subpart Y). 

All spaces on campus are assumed to be permit-required until they are assessed and determined to be non-permit confined spaces. Use the Confined Space Assessment Form to identify existing and potential hazards, and establish appropriate means and methods to eliminate or control the hazards (if applicable) at the time of entry.