The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 make it compulsory for individuals to have appropriate safety training before entering and preparing to enter a confined space.

A confined space has limited or restricted means of entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. A confined space contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

Work in confined spaces kills and seriously injures a number of people every year in the UK across a wide range of industry sectors.

The law: says you must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks for all work activities for the purpose of deciding what measures are necessary for safety (The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3). For work in confined spaces this means identifying the hazards present, assessing the risks and determining what precautions to take.

You must have a safe system for working inside the space.

Top Home