• Employees may follow alternate entry procedures to enter a permit space if the space meets certain conditions.
• A permit space in the workplace may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space in some circumstances.

Alternate entry procedures

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) allows employers to use alternate entry procedures for entry into permit spaces where the only hazard is a hazardous atmosphere and continuous forced air ventilation suffices to control the hazard. These alternate procedures allow employers to simplify confined space entries by bypassing OSHA’s requirements for:

• An attendant during the entry,
• A written permit program, and
• Emergency rescue provisions.

Alternate entry procedures are covered in the standard at 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(5). The steps involved in verifying that a permit space qualifies for the alternate entry procedures include:

• Determining that it is safe to remove the entrance cover,
• Guarding any openings to protect entrants from falling and against falling objects,
• Performing internal atmospheric testing,
• Demonstrating that continuous forced air ventilation has eliminated any hazardous atmosphere, and
• Monitoring the air while employees are in the space to ensure that no hazards arise during entry.

The atmosphere in a space must be tested often enough to guarantee that continuous forced air ventilation remains enough to prevent the accumulation of a hazardous atmosphere. If a hazardous atmosphere is ever detected during entry, entrants must be evacuated from the space immediately and the space must be evaluated to determine how the hazardous atmosphere developed.

When a permit space is entered using alternate procedures, the employer must verify that the space is safe for entry and that the required pre-entry measures have been taken. The certification must include:

• Date,
• Location of the space, and
• Signature of the person providing the certification.

This document must be available for review by all entrants prior to entry.