Confined Space Attendant Duties

Overview

Confined Space Attendant Duties should be managed through a planned system of work: identify the task-specific hazards, eliminate exposure where practical, use engineered or collective controls before relying on PPE, verify critical safeguards before starting, and stop the task when controls are missing or conditions change. This guide applies those principles specifically to attendant monitoring, communication and emergency responsibilities outside permit spaces.

Main Hazards

• • Loss of entrant contact or unrecognized behavioral changes
• • Attendant distracted by unrelated duties
• • Unauthorized entry or failure to identify new hazards affecting entrants
• • Unplanned rescue attempt exposing the attendant to the same atmosphere
• • Oxygen deficiency or enrichment
• • Toxic or flammable atmosphere
• • Engulfment, entrapment or difficult rescue

Essential Controls

1. 1Maintain continuous awareness of authorized entrants and conditions affecting the space.
2. 2Do not perform duties that interfere with monitoring, communication or emergency response.
3. 3Keep an accurate count of authorized entrants and maintain effective communication throughout entry.
4. 4Order evacuation when prohibited conditions, warning signs, or other specified triggers arise; summon the designated rescue service without entering for an improvised rescue.
5. 5Identify permit-space hazards and isolate connected energy, process and material sources.
6. 6Test the atmosphere with suitable calibrated instruments before and during entry as required.
7. 7Provide ventilation, communication, attendant coverage and controlled entry authorization.
8. 8Prepare non-entry or entry rescue arrangements appropriate to the space and hazards.

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