Confined spaces exist in many workplaces, and allow just enough room for professionals to go into them to perform a job. They are not designed for ongoing occupancy, and often have limited openings for entry and exit. 

Types of confined spaces include: 

• Underground vaults
• Tanks
• Storage bins
• Manholes
• Pits
• Silos
• Process vessels
• Pipelines
• A crawl space

Confined spaces can be categorised into two types, permit and non-permit. They are differentiated through the characteristics of the space. 

An assessment must be undertaken to review whether a space contains, or has the potential to contain, any hazard capable of causing death or serious physical harm. 

Workers entering a confined space may require specific training or personal equipment such as respiratory equipment, protective clothing, gas monitoring equipment and retrieval equipment to ensure their safety.

There are five main risks associated with permit required confined spaces. These are: 

1. Toxic Atmosphere
2. Oxygen Deficiency
3. Oxygen Enrichment
4. Risk of Fire
5. Flooding

To minimise risk around confined spaces, we can support you with:

• Procedure writing and implementation
• Risk assessments & emergency procedures
• Production of Confined Space Registers
• Confined space awareness training
• Contractor supervision and auditing
• Ongoing advice and recommendations
• Onsite supervision