Published 15 Sep 2023
What is a Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklist?
A non permit-required confined space checklist is for entering or working in a confined space that does not contain hazards that can cause serious harm or death. It aims to mitigate risks and ensure the safety of workers in confined spaces.
In this article
- What is a Non Permit-Required Confined Space?
- Importance of Using a Checklist for Confined Space Safety
- What to Include in a Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklist
- FAQs about Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklists
- Ensure the Safety of Workers in Confined Spaces with SafetyCulture
- Related Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklist Templates
What is a Non Permit-Required Confined Space?
According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a non-permit confined space is any confined space that is not likely to cause harm to workers through atmospheric, mechanical, fire, or gaseous hazards. It is a place where hazards are “eliminated” enough to cause little to no risk to humans.
However, it’s important to note that even in non permit-required confined spaces, potential dangers might still exist due to factors such as:
- limited entry and exit points;
- confined movement; and
- the presence or condition of certain work-related machinery.
Employers are still responsible for ensuring that workers receive proper training, are equipped with necessary safety protection, and follow established safety protocols. Regular assessments of the space’s conditions should also be conducted to verify that no unexpected hazards have emerged.
Importance of Using a Checklist for Confined Space Safety
It is important to keep non permit-required confined spaces free from hazards at all times, as changes in the amount and kinds of hazards will require employers to reevaluate that space. A non permit-required confined space checklist is essential in keeping said space in a safe working condition.
With a dedicated checklist, you can ensure that all risk is eliminated at all times and that any hazards that may come up are dealt with accordingly immediately. Should an incident occur, the checklist provides a documented record of the safety measures that were followed, aiding in investigations and potential improvements to the safety protocols.
Additionally, by standardizing procedures through the checklist, there is consistency in the safety measures taken across different non permit-required confined spaces. In the process, it also helps in training and educating employees on the proper procedures and precautions to take when entering confined spaces, ensuring that there is no ambiguity in safety expectations. As a result, the risk of accidents is significantly reduced.
Furthermore, the checklist promotes and improves both compliance and accountability. Responsible individuals can verify that each step has been completed before granting entry, minimizing the chances of errors that could lead to accidents or injuries. At the same time, this ensures compliance with safety guidelines set by the employer, the area’s safety professionals, and international standards.
What to Include in a Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklist
To ensure your non permit-required confined space is safe for use and work, create a checklist that includes fields for the following:
- Evaluating if any new hazards will be introduced to the confined space from:
- Work tasks
- Chemicals
- Equipment
- Air monitors
- Ensuring gasses such as the following are at safe working levels
- Oxygen
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Carbon monoxide
- Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) or Lower Flammable Limit (LFL)
- Making sure the following are not present or are controlled so as to not cause harm or create other hazards:
- Materials that can engulf different items
- Exposed or unmaintained equipment
- Stray electrical equipment
- Unmanaged fall hazards
- Asbestos or asbestos-generating materials
Here is a sample non permit-required confined space checklist in use for reference:
FAQs about Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklists
A checklist for a non permit-required confined space is focused on ensuring there are no hazards in a set confined space. If there are any hazards, the next step would be to remove them or mitigate them.
On the other hand, a permit-required confined space has more hazards involved, thus requiring a different checklist. The checklist for this kind of confined space often has more items to consider and more safety precautions involved.
The most common examples of a non permit-required confined space include:
- Closets such as equipment closets
- Crawl spaces under buildings
- Machinery cabinets
- Ventilated tunnels
It is the responsibility of employers to manage non permit-required confined spaces and their respective checklists. In some cases, however, it can be done by a safety manager or a specific department head.
Ensure the Safety of Workers in Confined Spaces with SafetyCulture
With the right checklist, you can ensure all non permit-required confined spaces are free of hazardous and harmful substances and practices. It can also help you document any possible risks that may happen or be spotted.
It would also greatly benefit you to digitize your checklists. Not only does this reduce the costs for paperwork and storage, but going digital can also streamline operations faster and improve safety in the workplace by empowering employees to report and document hazards as they see fit.
Consider creating and managing your digital checklists on SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor), a mobile-ready operations platform that you can use for your non permit-required confined space checklists, reports, and more. With SafetyCulture’s Public Library, you can download premade checklist templates for all non permit-required confined space needs and other safety concerns. You can also create your own checklists from scratch as you see fit or upload an existing one into the system for conversion. All files will then be stored in the cloud for easy access anytime and anywhere, each with modifiable access controls to ensure privacy as well.
You can also use SafetyCulture to do the following:
- Report issues with managing hazards and risks in a confined space
- Addresss safety concerns by creating and assigning actions to the right personnel
- Communicate with your team or organization all at once about changes or updates in your non permit-required confined spaces with Heads Up
- Train employees on the proper safety procedures to follow and practices to keep a confined space non permit-required
- Ensure assets do not pose any additional risk to workers through regular checks
- Monitor lone workers in confined spaces with SHEQSY by SafetyCulture
- Share your checklists and reports by exporting them in PDF, Word, Excel, or Weblink formats
Related Non Permit-Required Confined Space Checklist Templates
Confined Space Supervisory Responsibilities Checklist
This checklist can be used as a guide to make sure that important safety measures are strictly implemented. Track improvement, compliance, and safety changes all in one place, and view results in one dashboard after.
OSHA Confined Space Entry Procedure Checklist
This is a standard OSHA confined space safety checklist for checking if safety regulations are followed by workers before, during, and after work. Use this checklist to capture significant data while inspecting the area, equipment, and people involved. Share your audits with your supervisors and safety managers while on site.
Confined Space Pre-Entry Inspection
This pre-entry inspection form can be used for both permit-required and non-permit required confined spaces. With this, you can evaluate if the rules in place are enough for certain risks and hazards, ensure if workers are competent and trained to perform the job, and if the proper equipment is used and worn properly.
