1.1 General
This Standard is designed to be used with related occupational or technical standards. It is intended to be referenced by other standards as the primary set of requirements for health and safety management of work in confined spaces.
This Standard is designed for voluntary application in Canadian workplaces. However, the principles established in this Standard are based on best practices recognized internationally. As such they can be applied to any workplace.
Note: At the time of publication, confined space legislation differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction in Canada. It is the user’s responsibility to determine how applicable legislative requirements relate to this Standard.
1.2 Applications
This Standard specifies requirements for
a)
establishing and maintaining a confined space management program in accordance with OHSMS principles;
b)
the roles and responsibilities of management, the entry team, and the emergency response team;
c)
identification and designation of confined spaces;
d)
design and engineering of confined spaces;
e)
hazard identification and risk assessment relating to work in confined spaces;
f)
management and control of hazards and risks associated with work in confined spaces;
g)
personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment used for work in confined spaces;
h)
general safety procedures for confined spaces;
i)
training for work in confined spaces;
j)
determining worker capability of performing assigned duties within confined spaces;
k)
emergency plans for rescuing workers in confined spaces;
l)
management of external service providers; and
m)
documentation.
1.3 Exclusions
This Standard does not address safety management of
a)
enclosures or structures designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy; or
b)
underwater enclosures.
Note: For underwater enclosures, see the requirements for penetration diving specified in CSA Z275.2.
1.4 Terminology
In this Standard, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.
Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.
Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.
Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.
1.5 Units of measure
The values given in SI units are the units of record for the purposes of this Standard. The values given in parentheses are for information and comparison only.