Confined Space Site Assessments
Total Group conducts confined space site assessments to identify hazards, evaluate risks and review emergency response readiness. We assess entry points and atmospheric conditions, then provide tailored recommendations for managing the work. The service supports planning for both routine activities and high-risk tasks, with attention to the space, the proposed job and the people who may need to respond if something goes wrong.
Bring Total Group into the planning discussion before entry arrangements are finalized. An assessment gives your operations and safety teams a basis for reviewing hazards and addressing gaps in access or rescue readiness. It also helps connect the work scope with the site's confined space procedures and applicable requirements.
Assess the space and the proposed work together
A space's name or size does not determine its hazards. A tank, utility vault or silo may have difficult access, residual materials or equipment that affects the work. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety's confined space guidance explains that enclosure, intended occupancy, access, internal configuration and potential hazards all matter. The legal classification must follow the rules that apply to the workplace.
The assessment needs a clear description of the task. Inspection, cleaning and repair can create different hazards in the same space. CCOHS identifies poor air quality, process releases, moving equipment and engulfment among the concerns, and notes that work activities can introduce hazards that were not present initially. Nearby work and changing site conditions also need attention.
Review access and rescue readiness
An opening that permits normal entry may still make emergency removal difficult. Planning should consider the opening's location, internal obstructions and the route between the space and an area where further assistance can be provided. CCOHS notes that a space's internal configuration can restrict movement of people and equipment and make rescue more difficult.
Rescue readiness needs to match the actual space and work conditions. The project team should clarify who will summon assistance, how workers will communicate and which responders and equipment the emergency arrangements rely on. Share the existing response plan and any known access constraints so the assessment can consider them alongside the work. The CCOHS program guidance connects responsibilities, hazard controls, training and emergency planning within a space-specific program.
Alberta example: assessment, permits and emergency arrangements
For workplaces governed by Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 5, section 45 requires the employer to appoint a competent person to assess hazards when a worker will enter a confined or restricted space to work. That person must also address the necessary inspections, tests and protective and emergency equipment. Section 44 requires a written confined space code of practice that identifies existing and potential work locations and is maintained and periodically reviewed.
An assessment does not authorize entry or establish that conditions will remain unchanged. Alberta section 47 requires a valid confined space entry permit. Section 52 requires atmospheric testing before entry, further testing as often as necessary, and continuous monitoring when the atmosphere could change unpredictably. Section 55 requires effective rescue to be possible, while section 57 requires safe entry and exit for workers and rescue personnel. These are Alberta requirements; the governing jurisdiction and client requirements must be confirmed for each project.
Keep responsibilities and records connected
Recommendations need to reach the people responsible for the work. Identify the site contact, the employer responsible for entry and the parties managing operations and emergency response. Confirm who will review recommendations, update procedures and address changes to the task or space.
In the Alberta example, Part 5 also addresses training records, tending-worker communication, equipment inspection records and retention of confined space entry and testing records. Existing documents help the project team compare its planned arrangements with the assessment recommendations. A previous assessment should be reviewed when circumstances change, as recommended in the CCOHS program guidance.
Information to bring to the assessment discussion
Send the available site information and identify anything still being developed:
- The site location, proposed work, schedule and responsible site contact.
- Space drawings or photographs, opening dimensions and known access restrictions.
- Process history, stored materials, safety data sheets and known hazards.
- Existing assessments, atmospheric test records and confined space procedures.
- Emergency arrangements, communication methods and client-specific requirements.
Discuss the assessment scope and timing with Total Group so it fits the work being planned. For the wider service overview, visit our Rescue services page.
