Human Occupancy

It is important to understand the meaning of "human occupancy" as it pertains to confined spaces in order to accurately determine whether or not a space is, in fact, confined. If a space is too small for a worker to comfortably fit his or her entire body in the space, the space is obviously not designed for human occupancy. The worker's entire body must fit within the space to be considered occupied. Even if part of a worker's body can enter, such as their hands or torso, not being able to fit a worker's entire body also means that the space is not considered confined.

"Designed and constructed" refers to the manner in which the space is intended to be used. Spaces created for human occupancy are subject to building, safety, and fire codes, which make the spaces adequate for prolonged use or habitation.

The size of the space is less important than the intended use when identifying confined spaces. The following are examples of spaces that are not designed for human occupancy:

• Storage tanks and tank cars
• Boilers
• Silos
• Pits
• Pipes and sewers
• Chutes
• Chimneys
• Ovens and furnaces

Modifying a confined space temporarily to gain easier access or to make it easier to perform work does not remove the label of a confined space. Remember that the original intended use of a space is most important when determining whether a space is suitable for continuous human occupancy.

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