New edition of standard for working in confined spaces easier to implement

Workers in a number of industries, from manufacturing and mining to construction and emergency services, often perform their jobs in confined spaces — those areas that are large enough for workers to enter to perform job duties, even though they were not designed for the average person to occupy. 

A confined space, in fact, is not designed for continuous occupancy, and has a restricted or limited entry and exit space. Examples include pipelines, manholes, underground tunnels, storage tanks and even the ductwork structure of a building. These all carry a significant amount of risk to workers who must enter them to perform their jobs.

Identifying risk

It is critically important to identify hazards in these working environments before work begins in order to help reduce the risk of disabling or fatal injuries. Management and workers must not only be aware of these potential risks, but must also make sure that the person performing the task has adequate knowledge and ability to perform the work, and can implement the necessary emergency procedures to ensure safety. 

CSA Group developed Z1006 Management of Work in Confined Spaces to help address the threats to worker health and safety associated with work in confined spaces. First published in 2010, this second edition of Z1006 specifies requirements for managing all aspects of work in confined spaces, including worker participation, change management, identifying and controlling hazards, and emergency situations and threats faced by would-be rescuers. The latest edition includes several critical updates and changes, such as improved flow and readability of the document, additional annexes, and elaboration of workspace design and modification. 

More details

CSA Z1006 is part of CSA Group’s portfolio of OH&S Management Systems Standards, based on the foundation of CSA Z1000 – Occupational Health and Safety Management. It is harmonized with CAN/CSA-Z1000, CAN/CSA-Z1001 and CAN/CSA-Z1002.

To learn more, contact CSA Group. 

• Tweet