What to Know Before Confined Space Entry

Key Takeaways

• Most confined space deaths are would-be rescuers; gas hazards make unplanned entry extremely dangerous.
• Identify the specific gas hazards on your site to choose the right monitors and stay prepared.
• Connected gas detectors improve safety with real-time alerts and team-wide visibility.

Did you know that 60% of all confined space deaths are would-be rescuers who die while trying to save a peer? 

When you see a fellow worker in need, your instinct is to rush in to save them. But this instinct can be life-threatening in the presence of gas hazards. Before entering a confined space, make sure your team is doing these things: 

Know Your Hazards 

Knowing which gas hazards you’re likely to encounter in confined spaces on your site is the foundation for proper gas detection. It also determines which gas monitors you’ll need and increases your overall preparedness.  

Multi-gas monitors are frequently configured for carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, but these two gases aren’t necessarily the most common in confined spaces. To improve safety in and around confined spaces, it’s important to monitor for all potential hazards. 

Monitoring Oxygen Levels 

The minimum “safe level” of oxygen in a confined space is 19.5%, while the maximum “safe level” of oxygen in a confined space is 23.5%. If a confined space’s oxygen concentration exits the acceptable range, the confined space becomes dangerous to conduct work. 

View the full oxygen by volume chart in our eBook, The Complete Guide to Gas Detection in Confined Spaces.  

Monitoring Combustible Gases 

Gases cannot combust without enough oxygen, so a confined space’s oxygen level can give you an idea of the concentration of combustible gases. There are two levels to pay attention to when measuring combustible gases:  

• Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) | The lowest concentration of a gas in the air that can combust or produce a flame when paired with an ignition source.  

• Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) | The highest concentration of a gas in the air that can combust or produce a flame when paired with an ignition source.  

If a gas concentration is below its LEL, it cannot ignite. If the gas concentration is above its UEL, the gas is too rich and there’s not enough oxygen for combustion. 

Pick the Right Tools for the Job 

To reduce risk during confined space entry, turn to connected gas detectors. Industrial Scientific’s connected gas detectors, the Ventis® Pro5 and Radius® BZ1, come equipped with wireless connectivity that shares gas, man-down, and panic alarms from monitor to monitor. 

We’re here to make it easy for you to protect your workers. From basic confined space monitoring to real-time alerts and automatic status updates, we have everything you need to make sure your workers make it home after their shift. 

Dive deeper into our hardware offerings, software platform, and get more information on confined space gas detection by downloading our eBook.