Permit-required confined spaces.

The focus of the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard: Permit-Required Confined Spaces (29 CFR 1910.146) is to protect workers who enter and work in areas with immediate health or safety risk from toxic, explosive, and/or asphyxiating atmospheres. The rule mandates that employers identify all permit-required confined spaces in their workplaces, prevent unauthorized entry into them, and develop a program to protect workers during authorized entry. Included in this standard are requirements for the content, issuance, and retention of entry permits; the provision of standby attendants; arrangements for rescue and other emergency services; the communication of hazards to workers (including contractors' employees); and appropriate training and equipment for authorized entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors.