Broadly speaking, a confined space is an area that is large enough for a worker to enter and do work, but that is difficult to get in and out of easily, and not designed or intended for regular occupancy.

IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, recently produced a paper1 reviewing 100 years of research on shock and arc injuries. Going back, the first recognized hazard to workers was the shock hazard.

We have all read the articles or posts on the questions regarding confined spaces such as “What is a confined space?” or “What makes your confined space permit required?” You might have even been asked “How do you re-classify a permit-required confined space?” or one of my favorites, “When do I need a rescue team at my confined space?” Let’s break it all down.

A permit-required confined space has the potential to present inherent risks to worker health and safety and should be entered only when necessary and always with extreme caution. Unfortunately, there are times employees need to enter these work areas.