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Confined space worker

Confined Space Gas Detection

Confined spaces can be extremely dangerous—low oxygen levels, combustible gases, and toxic substances are just a few of the threats a worker may encounter. Confined space gas detectors can monitor these hazards and more.

Explore All Gas Detectors

Confined spaces are found in a range of industries and their hazards vary from location to location. Before entering a confined space, you need to understand the regulations, obtain permits, gear up, and test the atmosphere and gases in the space with a confined space monitor. These potential hazardous gases include:


Continuous monitoring is simple with an area monitor like the Radius® BZ1, allowing you to eliminate the need to re-test the confined space and catch changes in environmental conditions before evacuation is necessary.

Two workers using confined space monitors to test a confined space
Worker using wireless gas detector Ventis Pro5

The nature of confined spaces makes communication challenging. You should equip entrants with a connected, personal confined space monitor like the Ventis® Pro5 that automatically shares alarms and gas readings from within the confined space with peers and an attendant. This connectivity lets the team continue their work without depending on manual check-ins that disrupt productivity at best and at worst, can cost someone their life if timed incorrectly.

 

Real-time text and email alerts through iNet® Now live monitoring provide clear visibility into gas hazards in confined spaces from anywhere, so rescuers can act quickly and effectively while avoiding further incidents.

Make sure you have access to the information you need to protect confined space workers and responders with a network of connected confined space gas monitors and the data they collect.

Confined space iNet Now live monitoring

Frequently Asked Questions

Which gas detector is used in confined space?

Thanks to innovations in gas detection technology over the decades, there are a wide range of monitors to choose from. Industrial Scientific’s Ventis Pro5 is the ideal connected,
personal confined space monitor for the job.

What is the correct order for gas testing in a confined space?

The correct order for atmospheric testing in a confined space is:

1. Oxygen
2. LEL Gas
3. Combustible Gas

With a multi-gas monitor, like the Ventis Pro5, you can check for all three at once during
your confined space sweeps.

Do confined spaces require multi-gas detectors?

In most cases, yes.


Confined spaces typically require multi-gas detectors because they can contain multiple,
simultaneous, or changing atmospheric hazards. For confined space work, we generally
recommend:

  • Multi-gas detection as the standard

     

  • Continuous monitoring from entry to exit

     

  • Visibility beyond the entrant, including attendants and supervisors when possible

Single-gas monitors may play a role in non-confined, predictable environments, but
confined spaces nearly always present more than one risk at a time.

What are the primary gas hazards in confined spaces?

Low oxygen levels are the most common gas-related cause of death in confined spaces. Additionally, due to confined space work being prone to communication problems, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that 60% of confined space deaths are among these “would-be” rescuers who enter a confined space without understanding the hazards within.

These risks can be mitigated with connected devices like the Ventis® Pro5 or Radius® BZ1.

What is a safe LEL Level in confined spaces?

A safe lower explosive limit, or LEL, level in confined space depends on the gas hazards present. 

Find a comprehensive list of acceptable LELs for combustible gases in our blog on understanding acceptable and dangerous gas hazards in confined spaces.

How do I improve communications in a confined space entry?

Poor communication can lead to unexpected and unwanted outcomes during a confined space entry.

The most effective way to accomplish proper communication is for each entrant in the space to carry a portable, personal multi-gas detector such as the Ventis® Pro5. Conditions can also be monitored remotely or from multiple spaces at the same time with iNet® Now Live Monitoring software. 

https://www.indsci.com/en/application/confined-space-monitor