PR-1148 – Entry Into Confined Space – PDO

The nature of the industry in which PDO operates frequently requires personnel to enter ‘Confined Spaces’ to carry out inspections and/or maintenance and repair work. A confined space:

• Has limited or restricted means of entry or exit
• Is large enough for an employee to enter and perform assigned work, and
• Is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee.

A “permit-required” confined space is one that meets the definition of a confined space and has one or more of these characteristics:

• Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere,
• Contains a material that has the potential for engulfing the entrant,
• Has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross-section, and/or contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazards.

These shall include but are not limited to:

• Process vessels i.e. separators, pressure vessels
• Storage tanks
• Compressor enclosures
• Heaters and boilers
• Flare and vents systems
• Cellars and pits
• Culverts

The purpose of this procedure is to provide all personnel, PDO or contract, with clear and concise instructions for entering or working within a confined space.