Confined Spaces

By now, you should be familiar with what constitutes a confined space. There are, however, two more general types of confined spaces we have not discussed: Permit Required Confined Spaces (PRCS, or permit space), and Non-permit Required Confined Spaces (NPRCS). A permit space is a confined space that fits any of the following criteria:

• Contains or could contain a hazardous atmosphere
• Contains a material that could engulf an entrant
• Is configured in a way that an entrant could become trapped or asphyxiated by converging walls or a floor that slopes downward and then becomes smaller
• Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard

Before workers can enter a permit space, a permit must be applied for and a safety program must be written and implemented.

A non-permit required space is a confined space that does not meet any of the foregoing criteria. Such a space is not exempt from safety precautions, however, as it could always be classified as a permit space if a safety hazard should arise.

To learn more about Confined Spaces visit our Construction Confined Spaces Online Training web page.