• Employers must inform workers effectively of the location and dangers of any permit space in the workplace and prevent unauthorized entry.
• Employers must either prevent all employee entry to permit spaces or implement a written permit program detailing the terms for authorized entry.

If a workplace contains one or more permit spaces, the employer must inform workers in the vicinity of the location and dangers of each space. This can be done by posting warning signs at each possible point of entry or by other equally effective means.

In addition to posting warning signs, an employer who learns about a permit space must also notify its employees’ authorized representatives and the controlling contractor of the location and danger of the space. The controlling contractor must then notify other employers on the site, whose activities could create a hazard in the permit space, of the presence and location of such spaces and the hazards associated with them before workers enter the space.

The employer in a workplace where there are permit spaces must either:

• Develop and implement a written permit space program that details the location and danger of permit spaces in the workplace, or
• Prevent employees from entering permit spaces.

In addition to posting the warnings above, an employer who will not authorize employees to enter permit spaces must take steps to prevent any employees from entering those spaces. An employer might accomplish this by providing effective training on and enforcing a work rule against entry.