Key Terms

A hazardous atmosphere is an atmosphere that may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue, injury, or acute illness from one or more of the following causes:

• Flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10% of its lower flammable limit (LFL)
• Flammable dust that exceeds its LFL
• Atmospheric oxygen concentrations below 19.5% or above 23.5%
• Atmospheric concentrations over the defined permissible exposure limit
• Any other atmospheric condition that is immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)

An authorized entrant is an employee who is authorized by the employer to enter a permit space. At times, this individual is also known as an operator.

An attendant is an individual stationed outside one or more permit spaces who monitors the authorized entrants and performs all attendant's duties assigned in the employer's permit space program.

Rescue service is the personnel designated to rescue employees from PRCSs.

Attendants, authorized entrants, and the rescue service all make up a confined space team; however, this course is focused on the supervisor's role.

To learn more about Confined Spaces Competent Person/Supervisor visit our Confined Spaces Competent Person/Supervisor Online Training web page.