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Crawl spaces, attics, and vaults: when does it count?

Crawl spaces, attics, and vaults: when does it count?

Confined space 5 min 29 CFR 1926.1202 · 29 CFR 1926.1203

Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC

Why it matters

Most crews picture a tank or a sewer when they hear confined space. A crawl space under a house, a hot attic, or a meter vault can count too, and the hazard is often something you brought in yourself. Somebody has to look at the space before you crawl in, not after something goes wrong.

The talk

A plumber crawls under a house to fix a drain line. The crawl space is two feet high with one small opening at the back. Out front, the crew runs a gas pump to drain water, and the exhaust drifts toward the opening. Inside, the plumber gets a headache, then gets confused. Nobody can see him and nobody can reach him fast. Or an electrician climbs into an attic over a room that was just sprayed with foam, in the heat of the afternoon. Neither space looks like a tank. Both can kill you the same way.

OSHA has a simple test. A confined space is big enough to get your body into, has a limited way in and out, and is not built for people to stay in. It becomes a permit space when it also has a hazard: bad air or air that could go bad, something that could bury you, a shape that could trap you, or another serious hazard like live wires or extreme heat. Before the work starts, a competent person has to find the confined spaces on the job and decide which ones are permit spaces, testing the air if needed. Crews have to be told where the permit spaces are, often with danger signs. If you are not authorized to go in, the company has to keep you out.

Here is how it works on our jobs. Before you crawl in, ask whether the space has been looked at. Ask what could change the air while you are in there, like engines running nearby, fresh spray foam, solvents, sewer gas, or heat. Keep gas engines and exhaust far from any opening. Look for a second way out, and know how anyone would reach you. Watch for live wires, nails, and sharp duct edges in tight spots. If the space has a danger sign, or nobody can tell you whether it is safe, stay out and ask. Our permit space talk covers what happens when entry is allowed.

Key points

  1. A confined space fits your body, has a limited way in and out, and isn't built for people to stay in.
  2. It becomes a permit space when it has a serious hazard like bad air.
  3. Crawl spaces, attics, and vaults can count.
  4. A competent person must check the spaces before work starts.
  5. Workers must be told where permit spaces are.
  6. If you aren't authorized, you stay out.
  7. Engines, foam, solvents, and heat can change the air in a small space.

Do this

  • Ask if the space has been checked before you go in.
  • Keep gas engines and exhaust away from openings.
  • Know your way out and how someone would reach you.
  • Watch for live wires and sharp edges in tight spots.
  • Stay out if you see a danger sign.

Do not do this

  • Do not assume a crawl space or attic can't count.
  • Do not run a gas pump or generator near an opening.
  • Do not crawl into a freshly sprayed or painted space.
  • Do not go into a marked permit space without authorization.
  • Do not ignore a headache or dizziness in a small space.

Talk about it

  1. Which spaces on this job could count as confined spaces?
  2. Who is our competent person for confined spaces here?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

Training aid only. This talk is not legal advice. It does not replace your company's safety program, a competent person, the equipment maker's instructions, or the OSHA standard itself.

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