Essential Risk Management Actions It can be hard to decide whether you have a ‘confined space or spaces’ on your sites, and are therefore required to comply with the requirements of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997. We show you how to identify a confined space and summarise your responsibilities for managing the risks. Go to www.safety-adviser.co.uk/members to download this checklist.
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Confined Spaces: Identify and Manage the Risks Download ⇣
1. Identify if the Area is a ‘Confined Space’ under the Regulations
Is the space substantially
or totally enclosed? ➡
No ➡ Yes ➡
It is not a confined space Does the space have one or more of the following risks: • Serious injury due to fire or explosion? • Loss of consciousness from increased body temperature? • Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation arising from gas, fume, vapour, or lack of oxygen? • Drowning from an increase in the level of a liquid? Examples of potential • Asphyxiation from a free-flowing solid or being unable to reach a respirable environment due to being trapped by a free flowing solid e.g. confined spaces are: storage grain, flour, coal bins? tanks, silos, enclosed drains, ➡
➡ sewers, duct work and No Yes unventilated or poorly ➡
➡ ventilated rooms. Will the work to be done in the space It is a confined space introduce one or more of those risks? ➡ ➡
No Yes ➡
It is not a It is a confined space
confined space
If you have identified a ‘confined space’ under the regulations, check you have taken the following actions:
2. Assess the Risks Yes No
■ Have you made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks for work activities in the confined space? ■ ■ ■ Does your confined space risk assessment include: ■ The task? ■ The working environment? ■ Working materials and tools? ■ The suitability of those carrying out the task? ■ Arrangements for emergency rescue? ■ ■ 3. Avoid the Risks ■ If you have identified serious risks of injury, have you considered how work in the confined space can be avoided? ■ ■ For example, can the space be modified so that entry is not necessary? Can the work be done remotely from outside the space using appropriate equipment and tools? 4. Control the Risks ■ If you cannot avoid entry to the confined space, do you have a comprehensive safe system of work for working inside the space? ■ ■ This article contains information adapted from HSE sources as permitted by Open Government Licence v.3.0
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