Subpart AA
Under 1926.1203(a), a competent person designated by the employer must identify all confined spaces and determine which are permit-required before work begins.
Under 1926.1203(b)(1), employers must inform exposed employees of the existence, location, and danger of each permit space by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means.
Under 1926.1203(b)(2), the employer must inform employees' authorized representatives and the controlling contractor, in a timely manner and by means other than posting, of the existence, location, and dangers posed by each permit space.
Under 1926.1203(c), the employer must take effective measures to prevent its employees from entering that permit space.
Under 1926.1203(d), an employer who decides its employees will enter a permit space must have a written permit space program that complies with 1926.1204 implemented at the construction site before entry operations begin.
Under 1926.1203(e)(1), an employer may use the alternate procedures only if it demonstrates that all specified conditions (e)(1)(i)–(vi) are met, including elimination or isolation of non-atmospheric hazards, forced-air ventilation controlling the only remaining hazard (a hazardous atmosphere), supporting monitoring/inspection data, documentation, and compliance with the paragraph (e)(2) requirements.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(iii), the employer must test the internal atmosphere before entry, in this order, using a calibrated direct-reading instrument: oxygen content, flammable gases and vapors, and potential toxic air contaminants.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(v), continuous forced air ventilation must be used so that an employee does not enter until the ventilation has eliminated any hazardous atmosphere, it ventilates the immediate areas where employees will be present and continues until all employees leave, and the air supply must come from a clean source that does not increase hazards.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(vi), the atmosphere must be continuously monitored unless the employer demonstrates continuous monitoring is not commercially available or periodic monitoring is sufficient; continuous monitoring must have an alarm that notifies entrants if a threshold is met, or an employee must check the monitor frequently enough to allow safe escape.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(vii), if a hazard is detected during entry, each employee must leave the space immediately, the employer must evaluate how the hazard developed, and the employer must implement measures to protect employees before any subsequent entry.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(viii), the employer must ensure a safe method of entering and exiting the space; if a hoisting system is used it must be designed and manufactured for personnel hoisting, or a job-made hoisting system may be used only if approved in writing for personnel hoisting by a registered professional engineer before use.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(ix), the employer must verify that the space is safe for entry and that required pre-entry measures have been taken by preparing a written certification containing the date, location of the space, and the signature of the person providing the certification; this certification must be made before entry and made available to each entrant or their authorized representative.
Under 1926.1203(f) and (g), a competent person must reevaluate a non-permit confined space when changes might increase hazards or if initial evaluation may have been inadequate, and a permit space may be reclassified as non-permit only when a competent person determines all hazards have been eliminated or isolated without entry (unless infeasible), and documents that determination; control of atmospheric hazards by forced air ventilation alone does not constitute elimination or isolation.
Under 1926.1203(g)(3), the employer must document the basis for determining that all hazards have been eliminated or isolated through a certification containing the date, the location of the space, and the signature of the person making the determination, and must make that certification available to each employee entering the space or their authorized representative.
Under 1926.1203(h), the host employer must give the controlling contractor (if available) information about known permit spaces, hazards, and precautions; the controlling contractor must obtain that information and pass it to entry entities plus any additional information and precautions; each entry employer must obtain the controlling contractor’s information and tell the controlling contractor which permit program they will follow; and the controlling contractor and entry employers must coordinate operations when multiple entities work or when other activities could create hazards, with debriefings required after entry.
Under 1926.1203(i), if there is no controlling contractor present, the host employer or the employer who arranged to have another employer’s employees perform the permit space entry must fulfill the responsibilities and role of the controlling contractor.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(i)–(ii), employers must eliminate any conditions that make it unsafe to remove an entrance cover before removing it, and when covers are removed they must immediately guard the opening with a railing, temporary cover, or other barrier to prevent accidental falls and protect employees from foreign objects entering the space.
If remediation work involves asbestos-containing building materials, the work is covered by OSHA’s construction asbestos standard, 29 CFR 1926.1101, not the general industry standard.
Yes. Employers must assess the workplace for hazards that require PPE and must prepare a written certification of that hazard assessment when PPE will be required.
No. For Class I asbestos work, employers must follow the respirator requirements in 29 CFR 1926.1101; when exposures exceed 1 f/cc as an 8-hour TWA, full facepiece supplied-air respirators operated in pressure-demand mode with an auxiliary positive-pressure SCBA are required, and employers cannot downgrade simply based on initial sampling unless the requirements for a negative exposure assessment (NEA) or other provisions are met.
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(iii) and (e)(2)(vi), an entrant or that entrant's authorized representative must be provided an opportunity to observe the pre-entry testing and the testing required under continuous or periodic monitoring.
Under 1926.1203(e)(1)(iv), if an initial entry into the permit space is necessary to obtain the data required to support the alternate procedures, that initial entry must be performed in compliance with 1926.1204 through 1926.1211 (the full permit-required confined space entry procedures).
Under 1926.1203(e)(2)(vi) and (vii), if continuous monitoring alarms or a hazard is otherwise detected, entrants must leave the space immediately and the employer must evaluate how the hazard developed and implement corrective measures before any subsequent entry.