What is a confined space?
An upright silo, manure pump reception pit, and grain bin are example confined spaces that are common in agriculture.
OSHA defines a confined space as a space that:
- Is large enough and so configured that a person can bodily enter and perform assigned work
- Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit
- Is not designed for someone to continually be in it
Additional criteria make some spaces to be classified as “permit-required.” These additional criteria are:
- Contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere
- A material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant
- Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section
- Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard
For further information on the OSHA confined space standard see osha.gov.