A signed permit at the entrance
Don't go into a permit space unless there's an entry permit, signed by the entry supervisor, posted at the entrance.
Free toolbox talk · PDF, Word & Excel
Free confined space toolbox talk.
A ten-minute confined space talk to give at the entrance before anyone goes in. It has five key points, three questions for the crew, room for your own site notes and an attendance sign-off.
Free. PDF, Word and Excel.
- Printable PDF, editable Word and Excel
- One page, ten minutes
- Five key points, three crew questions
- Attendance sign-off for 24
Why this talk matters
Most confined space deaths are would-be rescuers
A 1986 NIOSH alert found that more than 60% of confined space deaths were would-be rescuers, coworkers who went in to help and were overcome by the same air. The air can look and smell fine and still kill you.
The talk gets the entry and the rescue plan agreed before anyone goes in: who tests the air, who stays outside, and how you get people out without anyone else going in.
When entries are routine on your site, Zentri Permits keeps the entry permit, the gas readings and the people inside on one live record.
The key points
Five key points, explained
Test the air in the right order
Test before anyone goes in and keep monitoring while they're inside. Check oxygen first, then flammable gases, then toxics. Oxygen has to read between 19.5% and 23.5%.
Lock out anything that can move or flow
Lock out lines, agitators and conveyors that could flood the space, move, or release energy while people are inside.
The attendant stays outside
The attendant keeps count of who's in, stays in contact and calls rescue. They don't go in.
Plan the rescue first
Before anyone enters, know who responds, how long they take and how they get people out. Try to get people out from outside first.
Ask the crew
Three questions, and what to listen for
Ask each one and give the crew time to answer.
What could change the air in there while we're inside? Listen for: cleaning chemicals, hot work, disturbed sludge, or a line that isn't isolated.
The entrant stops answering you. What's the first thing you do? Listen for: call rescue and start retrieval from outside. Nobody goes in.
Where's the retrieval gear, and has anyone checked it today? Listen for: where it actually is, and who checked it.
This talk is provided as general guidance. Site-specific procedures and the requirements of the authority having jurisdiction and your insurer take precedence. Have a competent person review and adapt it before use.
FAQs
Confined Space toolbox talk FAQs
A ten-minute briefing at the entrance, before anyone goes in. It covers the permit, testing the air, isolation, the attendant and the rescue plan.
Because most of the people who die in confined spaces went in to rescue someone. OSHA only lets an attendant enter for rescue when they're trained and equipped as a rescuer and another attendant takes over. The talk keeps it simple: the attendant calls rescue and stays out.
No. OSHA requires training for entrants, attendants and entry supervisors before they're assigned. A toolbox talk backs that training up right before the entry.
Yes. The Word and Excel versions are editable. Add your own spaces, rescue team and recent near misses in the On this site box.
More resources
More talks and templates
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Confined Space Entry Permit Template
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Every ten-minute safety talk, each in PDF, Word and Excel.
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Download the free confined space toolbox talk
Running confined space entries on paper? Zentri keeps the permit, the readings and the people inside on one live record.