Is this a Confined Space?
Hey Friends,
This glove box is used to make a 100% nitrogen atmosphere. We open it up, using the door on the right side of the picture, put our stuff in, and close the door. We open a valve on our nitrogen and let it pump in until all the oxygen is out. Then we do a few things open the door and get the stuff out to do something with it then bring it back in and back out 1 more time.
the opening is pretty large. I could easily get my whole body inside to reach the back to get stuff out of it. I have seen a team member reach in there and his face go in to get stuff while it is full of nitrogen.
There is not a seal on the bottom so this is continuously pumped full of nitrogen.
I feel like it ticks all the boxes of a confined space (listed below) when we pump it full of nitrogen. However I struggle with the first box. is any body part crossing the entry point "bodily enter"?
The space must be “large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and performed assigned work” AND. The space must “have limited or restricted means for entry or exit” AND. The space must not be “designed for continuous employee occupancy”.
Comments (14)
Is there anything wrong with treating it as a confined space - even if the last requirement is marginal? Seems like the asphyxiation hazard would warrant a little extra preparation if folks are doing work in there.
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No, this would not be a confined space because it doesn't meet the criteria of limited or restricted means of entry/egress. Although it creates an IDLH atmosphere, it doesn't meet all 3 criteria of a confined space. Still needs to be treated with caution, though.
In my opinion, I would look at treating this with the lens of having a safe entry procedure, which included either an automatic or manual disconnect from the Nitrogen supply, and an appropriate purge time (assisted by a pump to speed up as necessary) so that the interior space would no longer be hazardous.
Just my thoughts on the situation.
Not a confined space because only hands/arms are entering the space and there is not limited means of entry/egress.
Seems everyone has it already! Good job guys and maybe gals!
