ISO 45001 Confined Space Entry Permit Template

Introduction

Working in confined environments is among the riskiest undertakings in many industries. It is, therefore, only natural for industrial settings like manufacturing facilities to implement the highest level of health and safety protocols to prevent mishaps and casualties. A vital aspect of a robust OH&S (occupational health and safety) management system is the confined space entry permit, which can prevent most of the risks associated with working in confined environments. This article explores the ISO 45001 compliant confined space entry permit and its components.

An Overview of Confined Spaces and Their Hazards

Before going through the details of the permit, it is important to understand what confined spaces are and their risks.

What Are Confined Spaces?

Generally, a confined space is a closed environment with a large volume that can accommodate multiple employees and is big enough for people to work.

Typically, such a space allows little or no independent entry or exit.

Moreover, a confined space is not constructed for continuous occupancy.

An example of a confined space includes vessels, bins, tanks, silos, hoppers, pits, manholes, tunnels, ducts, and pipelines.

Hazards of Confined Spaces

Confined spaces are associated with high risks that may cause injuries and loss of life.

The kinds of dangers present in such environments include:

• Atmospheric hazards: These are hazards caused by oxygen depletion, oxygen enrichment, combustible, and explosive atmospheres and air pollutants.
  
  

• Physical hazards: The physical dangers of confined spaces include engulfment, equipment-related hazards, electrical hazards, temperature extremes, inadequate visibility, slip, trip, and fall hazards.
  
  

• Chemical hazards: Chemical exposure from spills, leaks, and releases of harmful substances is also a danger in confined spaces.
  
  

• Biological hazards: The presence of disease-causing organisms such as microbes, parasites, and fungi is also a danger in some confined spaces.
  
  

• Claustrophobia dangers: Confined spaces, especially small ones, may cause unacceptable stress to employees with claustrophobia.

Given the potentially fatal nature of the hazards associated with confined spaces, it is paramount to have appropriate safety protocols when working in such environments.

ISO 45001 and Confined Spaces

ISO 45001 is the world’s most recognized occupational health and safety management standard.

• The standard gives requirements for implementing an effective OH&S management system that helps organizations identify and control OH&S risks and prevent incidents.
  
  
• ISO 45001 helps organizations demonstrate its commitment to OH&S and continually improve its OH&S performance while meeting its legal requirements.
  
  
• ISO 45001 further helps organizations achieve business benefits such as enhanced reputation, reduced costs, and increased productivity and profitability.
  
  
• While OH&S management systems give a general framework for OH&S risk management, confined space entry permits offer specific requirements for working in confined spaces.
  
  
• As such, a permit for working in confined environments is necessary for organizations that have to carry out works in such spaces.
  
  
• A permit is important because it ensures that all hazards have been identified and that all required control measures have been implemented before entry.
  
  
• Permit-to-work systems are also mandated by some standards.

Moreover, permits serve as reminders of the hazards associated with confined spaces and the control measures in place.

ISO 45001 controls applicable to confined spaces include:

1. OH&S risk management process: OH&S hazards, including those that are likely to cause incidents, should be identified and assessed. This information should then be used to determine the control measures for managing the risk posed by the hazard to the organization.
   
   

2. OH&S management system control measures: The management should establish the necessary control measures and implement and maintain them so that they are consistently applied where there is a significant OH&S risk. Activities that need control measures include activities associated with high OH&S risk like working in confined spaces. The OH&S management system furthermore mandates the use of permits to work control measures for particular activities.
   
   

3. Worker involvement: The standard requires organizations to consult and involve workers in OH&S matters, including the development, implementation, and reviewing of OH&S management systems.
   
   

4. Emergency preparedness: The standard also necessitates the establishment and maintenance of processes for preparing for and responding to emergencies, including those that could arise in confined spaces.
   
   

5. Continual improvement: The OH&S management system should frequently be evaluated to determine its effectiveness and whether it promotes continual improvement.

The contents of an ISO 45001-compliant confined space entry permit are discussed below.

The Importance of a Confined Space Entry Permit

Confined space entry permits are vital for ensuring the OH&S of employees in many industries.

Some of the reasons why a permit is important are:

• It is mandatory, and therefore, should always be executed when working in confined environments.
  
  

• A permit ensures that all potential hazards have been identified and that the necessary control measures have been implemented.
  
  

• The permit makes it possible for all those involved in the work to be aware of the hazards of confined environments.
  
  

• It ensures that appropriate equipment and qualified personnel are available at the worksite.
  
  

• The permit also ensures that there are procedures for responding to emergencies.

Key Elements of a Confined Space Entry Permit Template

An ideal permit should be straight forward, easy to complete and understand, and should contain the following points:

1. Permit Information

This section should have the following details:

• Permit number.
  
  

• Permit issue date and time.
  
  

• Permit validity period.
  
  

• Location or department.

2. Confined Space Details

Space details include:

• Name of the space or its identification number.
  
  

• Description of the space.
  
  

• The reason for entering the space.

3. Hazard Identification and Assessment

This section contains information about hazards present in the confined space.

Such information includes the types of hazards that may be present.

Hazards include atmospheric, physical, chemical, and biological, and are discussed below.

• Atmospheric hazards: Atmospheric hazards that should be identified and assessed include oxygen depletion, oxygen enrichment, combustible or explosive atmospheres, and air pollutants.
  
  

• Physical hazards: These include engulfment, hazards posed by equipment, electrical hazards, temperature extremes, and visibility, slip, trip, and fall hazards.
  
  

• Chemical hazards: Chemical hazards are caused by spills, leaks, and releases of harmful substances and should also be identified and assessed.
  
  

• Biological hazards: The presence of disease-causing organisms such as microbes, parasites, and fungi is also a danger in some confined spaces, and therefore, should be identified and assessed.
  
  

4. Control Measures

Control measures to be implemented at the confined space should also be provided.

The control measures to be implemented will depend on the nature of the hazards and will include:

• Isolation: This measure entails isolating the energy sources like electricity, gas, and steam that could energize machinery, equipment, or systems. Isolation should be done using lockout/tagout procedures and blanking and blinding of pipes to prevent the flow of materials.
  
  

• Ventilation: This involves removing contaminated air from the space and replacing it with fresh air.
  
  

• Purging and inerting: This may also be carried out where necessary to remove hazardous substances or introduce inert gases into the space.
  
  

• Cleaning and flushing: This should be done to remove any hazardous substance that may remain in the space.
  
  

• Atmosphere monitoring: Atmosphere monitoring should be carried out to ensure that the atmosphere in the space is not hazardous.
  
  

• Communication: There should also be procedures for communication, including the method of communication to be used and the frequency of communication.
  
  

• Lighting: Appropriate lighting like intrinsically safe lighting should also be provided.

5. Equipment

The section should also have a list of equipment needed for the job.

Such equipment include:

• Personal protective equipment: This is special clothing, gear, helmets, respirators, and accessories designed to protect employees from hazards. Such hazards as electrical hazards, physical hazards, and exposure to extreme temperatures and require hard helmets, hard hats, insulated gloves, and hard-toed safety boots.
  
  

• Gas detection equipment: This equipment includes portable, personal, and fixed gas detectors that can detect the presence of combustible, toxic, or oxygen-deficient environments.
  
  

• Rescue equipment: This includes equipment such as tripods, winches, and stretchers that will be used to rescue employees in case of an emergency.
  
  

• Communication equipment: This includes communication devices such as two-way radios that will enable communication in the confined space.
  
  

• Other equipment: Other equipment such as non-sparking tools and intrinsically safe electric tools and apparatus should also be included.

6. Personnel

The permit should indicate the personnel required.

The personnel include the authorized entrants who will enter the space, the standby persons, or attendants, who will remain outside but within reach of the space, the entry supervisor who oversees the entry procedure, and the rescue team. These personnel should also provide their signatures to certify that the entry procedures will be followed.

7. Emergency Procedures

The emergency procedures in case of an emergency in the space should also be provided.

The procedures should further give emergency contact information.

8. Pre-Entry Check

This is a list of tasks to be carried out before entry into the confined space.

The tasks include tests for the atmosphere in the space and equipment checks.

9. Entry and Exit Log

This is a log of who enters and exits the space. It further includes the time of entry and exit. This is important because it can help in identifying who is in the space at any given time.

10. Permit Authorization

This will have information about who issues the permit and who the entry supervisor is.

Other information that should be included is the issuer, entry supervisor’s signature, and the date.

11. Permit Cancellation and Closure

The permit cancellation reasons should be provided.

The section will also indicate permit closure by the entry supervisor and/or issuer after verifying that all equipment has been removed and the space secured.

Implementing and Managing the Permit System

It is also important to implement and manage the permit system in accordance with the ISO 45001 standard.

The implementation further requires:

• Training personnel.
  
  

• Reviewing and updating the permit.
  
  

• Storing all documented information.
  
  

• Ensuring that communication procedures are appropriately followed.

The ISO 45001 management system for OH&S comes with many benefits for organizations that choose to implement it.

Some of the benefits are explored below.

Benefits of an ISO 45001 Permit System

There are numerous benefits of using a permit system that is compliant with the ISO 45001 standard.

Some of the benefits include:

• Increased worker safety: The main benefit of using a permit system is that it improves worker safety by eliminating most of the risks associated with working in confined spaces.
  
  

• Legal compliance and reduced liability: Another benefit of the ISO 45001 management system is that it promotes legal compliance by ensuring that the organization meets all applicable legal requirements. Furthermore, legal compliance reduces an organization’s risks and liability.
  
  

• Improved efficiency: The system also helps organizations achieve improved efficiency by reducing downtime and ensuring smooth operations.
  
  

• Improved reputation: The ISO 45001 management system further enhances an organization’s reputation and demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a safe working environment.

Conclusion

Continuous improvement: The management system also promotes continuous improvement by encouraging organizations to always seek ways to improve their OH&S performance continually.