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Confined Space entry
Any space is considered to be a confined space if its size and shape allow a person to enter it, it has limited openings for workers to enter and exit, and it is not designed for continuous occupancy. A permit-required confined space (permit space) is a confined space that has or may have one or more of the following: a potentially hazardous atmosphere, materials that may engulf entrants, an internal configuration that may trap or asphyxiate entrants, or any other recognized serious safety or health hazard (high pressure steam, high voltage, etc.).
A hazardous atmosphere may be present in any space that has no or poor natural ventilation, i.e., manholes, vaults, sewers, or any space in which a hazard is introduced by the employee entering the space (i.e., painting, cleaning, or welding). According to OSHA, asphyxiation is the leading cause of death in all confined spaces. OSHA defines a hazardous atmosphere as an atmosphere that contains one or more of the following: flammable gas, vapor, or mist exceeding 10 percent of the lower flammable limit (LFL), airborne combustible dust in excess of its LFL (this concentration may be approximated as a condition that obscures vision at a distance of five feet), atmospheric oxygen concentration less that 19.5 percent or greater than 23.5 percent, or atmospheric concentration of any substance for which a dose or PEL is published in Subparts G and Z of the 29 CFR 1910 standard.
The main goal of our permit-required confined space program is to accurately identify, monitor, and control the confined space operations at Clemson University.
