You may need to comply with this code if you conduct a business that involves working in confined spaces or have a duty to manage the risks of working in confined spaces. You may achieve compliance with your legislative requirements through another method if it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the code.
A confined space means an enclosed or partially enclosed space that is:
- not designed or intended to be occupied by a person
- designed or intended to be at normal atmospheric pressure while any person is in the space
- is likely to be a risk to health and safety from an atmosphere that does not have a safe oxygen level, contaminants, harmful concentrations of any airborne contaminants or engulfment.
Duties in relation to confined spaces include:
- managing health and safety risks associated with a confined space, including risks when entering, working in, on or near a confined space, and the risk of inadvertent entry
- ensuring a risk assessment is conducted, reviewed and as necessary revised by a competent person
- not directing a worker to enter a confined space unless the worker has an entry permit
- erecting signs next to each entry to the confined space
- ensuring, so far as it is reasonably practicable, that a worker does not enter a confined space until all the duties in relation to the confined space have been complied with, for example meeting entry permit requirements
- establishing first aid and rescue procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency in the confined space and ensuring these procedures are practised as necessary
- providing suitable and adequate information, training, and instruction to workers.
