The Confined Space Program applies to staff who may need to work in a confined space. The program outlines evaluation methods, required training, delegation of duties, and emergency procedures for confined spaces in university buildings.
Entry into a confined space on the University of Utah campus is not permitted unless the appropriate protections and precautions are in place.
A confined space is a space that is large enough for a person to bodily enter, has a limited means of entry and exit and is not intended for continuous occupancy. All three of these conditions must exist for the space to be considered a confined space. University staff may need to enter confined spaces to perform inspections, conduct maintenance, or install equipment. Examples of confined spaces that are large enough for a person to enter may include air handling ducts, crawl spaces, large pipes, trenches, tanks, vaults, pressure vessels, plenums, manholes, tunnels, large autoclaves, sewers, etc.
For the purposes of the University of Utah’s Confined Space Program “entry” into a confined space occurs as soon as any part of the entrant’s body breaks the plane of an opening into the space.
Some hazards that may be present in a confined space include lack of oxygen, presence of hazardous gas, potential for entrapment, mechanical hazards, flammable dust or liquids, electricity, etc. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all hazards be assessed and controls put in place prior to anyone entering a confined space. University employees are not allowed to enter a confined space without proper safety measures in place. The University of Utah Confined Space Program outlines safety requirements for entry and work in confined spaces on campus in compliance with OSHA confined space standards.
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