Confined space entry permits on construction sites
Most confined space fatalities follow the same pattern: someone goes into a manhole, vault, tank, or pit that "was fine yesterday," the atmosphere has changed, they go down, and a coworker goes in after them. OSHA's construction standard for confined spaces — 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1200–1926.1213) — is built to break that chain: identify the space, control its hazards, test the air, keep someone outside who knows who is inside, and have a rescue plan that doesn't depend on a coworker's instincts.
The entry permit is where all of that gets written down and signed before anyone goes in. The free template above follows 1926.1206 item by item, then adds two working tabs: an Atmospheric Log that grades every reading PASS / FAIL against the limits on the permit, and an Entry Roster so the attendant always knows how many people are inside.
Is it a permit-required confined space?
A confined space is large enough to bodily enter, has limited or restricted means of entry or exit, and isn't designed for continuous occupancy. It is permit-required when it has one or more of these (1926.1202):
- Contains or could contain a hazardous atmosphere
- Contains material that could engulf an entrant
- Has walls that converge inward or a floor that slopes and tapers to a smaller cross-section that could trap or asphyxiate
- Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard
On construction sites that means electrical and telecom vaults and manholes, sewer and storm structures, wet wells and lift stations, tanks and vessels, crawl spaces and attics with hazards, pits and sumps, boilers, and large ductwork. A competent person has to identify the confined spaces and permit spaces before work starts (1926.1203(a)), and on multi-employer sites the host employer, controlling contractor, and entry employers have to share what they know about the spaces before and after entry (1926.1203(h)).
What goes on the permit (1926.1206)
| OSHA item | Where it goes on the template |
|---|---|
| (a) Space to be entered | Space ID, type, location, portal size / depth |
| (b) Purpose of entry | Purpose / work to be done |
| (c) Date and authorized duration | Start and expiry date/time; the sheet calculates hours |
| (d) Authorized entrants | Names on the permit, or reference the Entry Roster tab |
| (e) Detecting hazard increase if ventilation stops | "If ventilation stops" block |
| (f) Attendants by name | Personnel block |
| (g) Entry supervisor by name + signature/initials | Personnel block and authorization signature |
| (h) Hazards | 13-line hazard checklist with Present / Not present and controls |
| (i) Isolation and control measures | LOTO, blanking, purging, ventilation, portal guarding checklist |
| (j) Acceptable entry conditions | Editable O₂ / LEL / CO / H₂S / other limits plus other conditions |
| (k) Test results with tester and time | Pre-entry test table (PASS/FAIL) + Atmospheric Log tab |
| (l) Rescue and emergency services | Rescue block — service, phone, how to summon, response confirmed |
| (m) Communication procedures | Communication block |
| (n) Equipment | 11-line equipment checklist |
| (o) Other information | Other safety information |
| (p) Additional permits | Hot work, LOTO, energized work permit numbers |
Atmospheric testing that actually protects people
Order matters. Test oxygen first, then combustibles, then toxics (1926.1204(e)(3)). A catalytic LEL sensor in an oxygen-deficient space can read low when the space is dangerous.
Test before the cover comes off, then top, middle, and bottom. Crack the lid and sample through the gap if you can. Methane and carbon monoxide tend to rise; hydrogen sulfide and many solvent vapors sink into the bottom of a vault or wet well. A single reading at the opening tells you almost nothing about the bottom.
Bump test the meter daily and calibrate on the manufacturer's schedule. Write the meter ID on the permit so a bad instrument can be traced.
Monitor during entry. Subpart AA requires continuous monitoring of atmospheric hazards unless you can show continuous equipment isn't commercially available or periodic monitoring is enough (1926.1204(e)(2)). In practice every entrant wears a four-gas monitor with alarms, and the attendant logs readings at a set interval.
The template's acceptable-limits block starts from the OSHA definitions — O₂ 19.5–23.5%, LEL at or under 10% — and editable program limits for CO (25 ppm default) and H₂S (10 ppm default, the OSHA construction PEL). Set them to your written program. The pre-entry test table and the Atmospheric Log both grade readings against those cells, so changing a limit once updates everything.
The example in the Atmospheric Log
The log comes with a realistic example from a utility vault: clean readings at pre-entry, then a CO reading of 38 ppm at 9:00 because the dewatering pump's generator was parked upwind of the blower intake. The row grades FAIL, the entrants exit, the generator moves, the space is purged and retested, and the entry supervisor re-authorizes entry. That is exactly the kind of event the program review is supposed to learn from — and the kind that gets lost when readings live on the back of a glove.
Roles: entrant, attendant, entry supervisor
- Authorized entrants know the hazards, use the equipment, stay in communication, and get out when told to or when they recognize a warning sign.
- Attendants stay outside for the whole entry, keep an accurate count of who is inside (the Entry Roster tab does this), monitor inside and outside conditions, order evacuation, summon rescue, and keep unauthorized people away. They never enter to rescue.
- Entry supervisors verify every entry on the permit before signing, confirm rescue is available, remove unauthorized people, and terminate the entry and cancel the permit when the work is done or conditions change (1926.1210). When responsibility changes hands, the transfer is recorded.
Rescue: plan it before you need it
Write down who will come, how they get called, and whether they can reach this space in time for its hazards. Non-entry rescue comes first when it doesn't add risk: full-body harness, retrieval line attached outside the space, and a mechanical retrieval device for vertical spaces more than 5 ft deep (1926.1211). If you rely on the fire department, confirm they have the equipment and training for confined space rescue and will respond to your site — many don't.
Cancelling the permit
The entry supervisor cancels the permit when the work is done, or suspends or cancels it when a condition not allowed by the permit comes up (1926.1205(e)). Before cancelling, the Entry Roster's "people inside now" count must read zero. Record any problems encountered and keep the cancelled permit for at least a year (1926.1205(f)).
Common confined space permit mistakes
- One reading at the top of the manhole. Test the full depth, in order, before entry and throughout.
- Ventilation blowing exhaust into the space. Generators, trucks, and compressors near the blower intake are a classic CO source.
- Permits that outlive the task. The permit can't run longer than the job it covers (1926.1205(d)).
- "Rescue: call 911." That isn't a rescue plan unless you've confirmed they can perform a confined space rescue in time.
- No count of who is inside. After an alarm, the attendant needs to know instantly whether everyone is out.
Beyond the spreadsheet
Permits taped to a manhole barricade get rained on, lost, and forgotten when the annual review comes around. Field PM's safety tools put permits, JSAs, and inspections on the crew's phones and file them to the project, and the form library keeps your permit forms consistent across every crew. Start a free 30-day trial.
Related safety templates
- Hot work permit — required alongside the entry permit for welding or cutting inside a space
- Energized electrical work permit — for vault work near energized equipment
- JSA template
- Equipment inspection checklist — tripods, winches, harnesses, and meters
- Incident report template
- OSHA soil classification & sloping chart — for excavations around structures
- Browse all free construction templates
This template is a field aid organized around public OSHA regulations. It does not replace your written permit-space program, a competent person's evaluation, training, or legal advice. State-plan and owner requirements may be stricter.
