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Guidelines Part 9
Guidelines Part 9 - General requirements
G9.2 General Requirements - Initial determination
Issued August 1, 1999; Editorial Revision November 23, 2006
Section 9.2 of the OHS Regulation requires the employer to identify each confined space and determine whether it will require worker entry. Compliance will require a site inspection/survey. The results of the inspection/survey are then used as the basis for action under sections 9.3 to 9.5, depending on whether workers must enter the confined space or not.
Section 9.2 is a specific requirement and supplements the general requirement to inspect the workplace under section 3.5 of the OHS Regulation. The results of an inspection/survey done for compliance with section 9.2 should be documented as required by paragraph 3.3(f) of the OHS Regulation. General workplace inspections, required by section 3.5, should include regular review of the status of compliance with Part 9 Confined Spaces.
G9.3 Prohibited entry
Issued August 1, 1999
Section 9.3 states "If a confined space exists at a workplace but no worker entry is required, the employer must ensure that each point of access to the confined space is secured against entry or identified by a sign or other effective means which indicates the nature of the hazard and the prohibition of entry, and that workers are instructed not to enter".
In some circumstances, use of signs or securing a confined space may be impracticable, for example, for sewer manholes on roadways. Examples of "other effective means" of identification are colour coding and mapping of locations on plans, or using descriptors of covers, manholes and inspection ports in worker education.
The end result should be that workers are able to identify all confined spaces at their workplace, understand the hazards of these spaces and any prohibition of entry. Hazardous areas not intended to be accessible to workers should be secured as required by section 4.34 of the OHS Regulation. For example, a sewer manhole on a road has a cover that is heavy and usually requires a tool for removal, thus it is generally secure against entry by anyone without an appropriate tool to lift the lid off.
G9.4 Control of hazard
Issued August 1, 1999
Section 9.4 of the OHS Regulation states The employer must ensure that all confined space hazards are eliminated or minimized and that work is performed in a safe manner .
This may require the employer to take measures in addition to the other requirements of part 9. The employer should consider alternative ways of doing the work that avoid or reduce the need to enter a confined space. For example, increasing the interval time between entries to perform routine maintenance in a confined space may be a way to reduce the overall total time workers must work in the space. New methods may eliminate or substantially reduce the need for a worker to enter a confined space. For example, consider an in-place cleaning system for tanks, such as brewery tanks, that flushes and cleans the tanks automatically. If either of these alternatives is practicable, they should be considered.
G9.5 Confined space entry program
Issued August 1, 1999
Section 9.5 of the OHS Regulation requires the employer to have and implement a written confined space entry program before a worker is required or permitted to enter a confined space. The section sets out detailed requirements for the program, which are largely the matters covered by the other sections in part 9 of the OHS Regulation. Aspects that should be addressed in the program and worker training are:
- a worker in a confined space is to immediately leave the confined space on being instructed by the standby person of a health or safety concern, and
- adequate procedures for preparing for entry into a confined space (for example, to cover the risk of dangerous contaminants flowing out of the entrance to the confined space when it first opened), as well as procedures for working inside the space.
Paragraph 9.5(c) specifies a list of topics to be addressed, where applicable, for each of the hazards identified under sections 9.9 and 9.10. Subparagraph (x) refers to "coordination of work activities". Coordination will be necessary if there are activities, either inside or outside the confined space that could affect the health and safety of any worker inside the space. Where the activities involve workers of more than one employer, section 3.3 of the OHS Regulation applies, and in the case of a "construction project", section 20.3.
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Disclaimer: The Worker and Employer Services Division issues Guidelines to help with the application and interpretation of sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and with divisions of the Workers Compensation Act that relate to health and safety. Guidelines are not intended to provide exclusive interpretations but to assist with compliance. WorkSafeBC ("Workers' Compensation Board of B.C.") does not warrant the accuracy or the completeness of the online version of the Guidelines and neither WorkSafeBC nor its board of directors, employees or agents shall be liable to any persons for any loss or damage of any nature, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, which may be occasioned as a result of the use of the online version of the Guidelines.