Confined Spaces
What is a Confined Space?

Confined Spaces

What is a Confined Space?

Working in designated confined spaces

Working in non-designated confined spaces

Designated confined space

This is any substantially enclosed space where the internal conditions are known to present a significant risk of injury or ill-health (be that from lack of oxygen, presence of toxic gases, drowning in fluids / free-flowing solids, etc.) and where, for this reason, access is controlled by competent persons under a safe system of work. 'Substantially enclosed' does not necessarily mean enclosed on all sides, but enclosed sufficiently to allow dangerous conditions to arise as a consequence of the confinement.

Obvious confined space examples include:

enclosed drains and man holes
sewers
inspection pits/chambers for water valves
storage tanks
tunnels

Less obvious examples could include:

cellars and sub-floor rooms/areas
closed and unventilated/inadequately ventilated rooms
lofts and other building voids
wells, flues and silos
enclosures developed during the course of the work, for example, part of a room during paint spraying or solvent use.