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Safety and Risk Management
400 Palmetto Street
Dept 3904
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403

(423)425-5209
(423)425-2176 fax

Home / Safety & Risk Management / Confined Spaces Program: Page 4...

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Confined Spaces Program (continued)

Confined Space Entry Permit

The entry permit that documents compliance with this section and authorizes entry to a permit space shall identify:

1. The permit space to be entered.
2. The purpose of the entry.
3. The date and the authorized duration of the entry permit.
4. The authorized entrants within the permit space.
5. The personnel, by name, currently serving as attendants.
6. The individual, by name, currently serving as entry supervisor, with a space for the signature or initials of the entry supervisor who originally authorized entry.
7. The hazards of the permit space to be entered.
8. The measures used to isolate the permit space and to eliminate or control permit space hazards before entry.
9. The acceptable entry conditions.
10. The results of initial and periodic tests performed, accompanied by the names or initials of the testers and by an indication of when the tests were performed.
11. The rescue and emergency services that can be summoned and the means (such as the equipment to use and the numbers to call) for summoning those services.
12. The communication procedures used by authorized entrants and attendants to maintain contact during the entry.
13. Equipment, such as personal protective equipment, testing equipment, communications equipment, alarm systems, and rescue equipment, to be provided for compliance with this section.
14. Any other information whose inclusion is necessary, given the circumstances of the particular confined space, in order to ensure employee safety.

Training

1. The employer shall provide training so that all employees whose work is regulated by this section acquire the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this section.
2. Training shall be provided to each affected employee:
   1. before the employee is first assigned duties under this section.
   2. before there is a change is assigned duties.
   3. whenever there is a change in permit space operations that presents a hazard about which an employee has not been previously trained.
   4. whenever the employer has reason to believe either that there are deviations from the permit space entry procedures required by this section or that there are inadequacies in the employer's knowledge or use of these procedures.
   5. The training shall establish employee proficiency in the duties required by this section and shall introduce new or revised procedures, as necessary, for compliance with this section.
   6. The employer shall certify that the training required by this section has been accomplished. The certification shall contain each employee's name, the signatures or initials of the trainers, and the dates of training. The certification shall be available for inspection by employees and their authorized representatives.

Duties of Authorized Entrants

The employer shall ensure that all authorized entrants:

1. Know the hazards that may be faced during entry, including information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the exposure.
2. Properly use equipment as required by this section.
3. Communicate with the attendant as necessary to enable the attendant to monitor entrant status and to enable the attendant to alert entrants of the need to evacuate as required by this section.
4. Alert the attendant whenever:
   1. The entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure to a dangerous situation
   2. The entrant detects a prohibited condition
5. Exit from the permit space as quickly as possible whenever:
1. An order to evacuate is given by the attendant or the entry supervisor.
2. The entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure to a dangerous situation.
3. The entrant detects a prohibited condition
4. An evacuation alarm is activated.

Duties of Attendants

The employer shall ensure that each attendant:

1. Knows the hazards that may be faced during entry, including information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the exposure.
2. Is aware of possible behavioral effects of hazard exposure in authorized entrants.
3. Continuously maintains an accurate count of authorized entrants in the permit space and ensures that the means used to identify authorized entrants under this section accurately identifies who is in the permit space.
4. Remains outside the permit space during entry operations until relived by another attendant.
5. Communicates with authorized entrants as necessary to monitor entrant status and to alert entrants of the need to evacuate the space under this section.
6. Monitors activities inside and outside the space to determine if it is safe for entrants to remain in the space and orders the authorized entrants to evacuate the permit space immediately under any of the following conditions:
   1. if the attendant detects a prohibited condition
   2. if the attendant detects the behavioral effects of hazard exposure in an authorized entrant
   3. if the attendant detects a situation outside the space that could endanger the authorized entrants
   4. if the attendant cannot effectively and safely perform all the duties required under this section.
7. Summon rescue and other emergency services as soon as the attendant determines that authorized entrants may need assistance to escape from permit space hazards.
8. Takes the following actions when unauthorized persons approach or enter a permit space while entry is underway:
   1. Warn the unauthorized persons that they must stay away from the permit space.
   2. Advise the unauthorized persons that they must exit immediately if they have entered the permit space.
   3. Inform the authorized entrants and the entry supervisor if unauthorized persons have entered the permit space.
9. Performs non - entry rescues as specified by the employer's rescue procedure.
10. Performs no duties that might interfere with the attendant's primary duty to monitor and protect the authorized entrants.

Duties of Entry Supervisors

The employer shall ensure that each entry supervisor:

1. Knows the hazards that may be faced during entry, including information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the exposure.
2. Verifies, by checking that the appropriate entries have been made on the permit, that all tests specified by the permit have been conducted and that all procedures and equipment specified by the permit are in place before endorsing the permit and allowing entry to begin.
3. Terminates the entry and cancels the permit as required by this section.
4. Verifies that rescue services are available and that the means for summoning them are operable.
5. Removes unauthorized individuals who enter or who attempt to enter the permit space during entry operations.
6. Determines, whenever responsibility for a permit space entry operation is transferred and at intervals dictated by the hazards and operations performed within the space, that entry operations remain consistent with terms of the entry permit and that acceptable entry conditions are maintained.

Rescue and Emergency Services

1. UT Chattanooga shall utilize the Chattanooga Fire Department to affect any rescue from a permit-required confined space.
   1. All portable communication radios used by entrants and attendants are two channel radios and have the capability of communicating with the Campus police.
   2. In an emergency situation the Campus Police are notified via radio and they in turn notify the Chattanooga Fire Department.
2. When an employer (host employer) arranges to have persons other than the host employer's employees perform permit space rescue, the host employer shall:
   1. inform the rescue service of the hazards they may confront when called on to perform rescue at the host employer's facility, and
   2. Provide the rescue service with access to all permit spaces from which rescue may be necessary so that the rescue service can develop appropriate rescue plans and practice rescue operations.
3. To facilitate non - entry rescue, retrieval systems or methods shall be used whenever an authorized entrant enters a permit space, unless the retrieval equipment would increase the overall risk of entry or would not contribute to the rescue of the entrant. Retrieval systems shall meet the following requirements:
4. Each authorized entrant shall use a chest or full body harness, with a retrieval line attached at the center of the entrant's back near shoulder level, or above the entrant's head. Wristlets may be used in lieu of the chest or full body harness if the employer can demonstrate that the use of a chest or full body harness is infeasible or creates a greater hazard and that the use of wristlets is the best alternative.
   1. The other end of the retrieval line shall be attached to a mechanical device or fixed point outside the permit space in such a manner that rescue can begin as soon as the rescuer becomes aware that rescue is necessary. A mechanical device shall be available to retrieve personnel from vertical type permit spaces more than 5 feet deep.
5. If an injured entrant is exposed to a substance for which a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or other similar written information is required to be kept at the worksite, that MSDS or written information shall be made available to the medical facility treating the exposed entrant.

Procedures for Atmospheric Testing

Atmospheric testing is required for two distinct purposes: evaluation of the hazards of the permit space and verification that acceptable entry conditions for entry into that space exist.

1. Evaluation testing. The atmosphere of a confined space should be analyzed using equipment of sufficient sensitivity to identify and evaluate any hazardous atmospheres that may exist or arise, so that appropriate permit entry procedures can be developed and acceptable entry conditions stipulated for that space. Evaluation and interpretation of these data, and development of the entry procedure, should be done by, or reviewed by, a technically qualified professional (e.g. OSHA consultation service, or certified industrial hygienist, registered safety engineer, certified safety professional, etc.) based on evaluation of all serious hazards.



2. Verification testing. The atmosphere of a permit space which may contain a hazardous atmosphere should be tested for residues of all contaminants identified by evaluation testing using permit specified equipment to determine that residual concentrations at the time of testing and entry are within the range of acceptable entry conditions. Results of testing (i.e., actual concentration, etc.) should be recorded on the permit in the space provided adjacent to the stipulated acceptable entry condition.



3. Duration of testing. Measurement of values for each atmospheric parameter should be made for at least the minimum response time of the test instrument specified by the manufacturer.



4. Testing stratified atmospheres. When monitoring for entries involving a descent into atmospheres that may be stratified, the atmospheric envelope should be tested a distance of approximately 4 feet (1.22 m) in the direction of travel and to each side. If a sampling probe is used, the entrant's rate of progress should be slowed to accommodate the sampling speed and detector response.

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