- April 1, 2026
- Kevin Kholer
Confined Space Safety: Lessons, Risks, and Best Practices
Confined spaces can kill
Confined space hazards are not new, and yet they continue to claim lives.
A recent example comes from Saskatchewan, where the Town of Kindersley sewer manhole fatality highlighted a tragic incident involving a worker who died after entering a sewer manhole.
The investigation found serious gaps in confined space procedures. The municipality was ultimately fined $175,000.
Like many confined space incidents, the danger wasn’t obvious, but it was deadly.
This is what makes confined spaces so dangerous; conditions can change within inches, and mistakes compound fast.
What have we actually learned?
Despite decades of regulation, confined space incidents continue to happen, often with the same patterns.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has reported that more than 60% of confined space fatalities are would-be rescuers.
That statistic alone tells you something is still broken.
Even with strict rules, training, and equipment:
- Workers still underestimate atmospheric hazards
- Rescue attempts are still impulsive and unplanned
- Systems break down under pressure
In short: compliance exists—but execution fails.
What is a confined space?
Definitions vary by jurisdiction, but most confined spaces share these characteristics:
- Partially or fully enclosed
- Not designed for continuous human occupancy
- Limited or restricted entry/exit
- Potential for hazardous atmospheres (low/high oxygen, toxic or explosive gases)
- Additional risks based on the work being performed
The key point most people gloss over:
It’s not just the space, it’s the conditions inside it.
Hazards are often:
- Concentrated
- Invisible
- Rapidly changing
- Difficult to respond to
And once something goes wrong, rescue is rarely straightforward.
What’s actually required before entry?
Most regulations outline similar baseline requirements, but simply listing them isn’t enough—execution matters.
Typical requirements include:
Planning and procedures
- A written confined space entry program
- Task-specific hazard assessments
- Documented entry permits and logs
Hazard control
- Isolation and lockout of all hazardous energy
- Ventilation or purging where required
- Continuous atmospheric monitoring by qualified personnel
People and roles
- A trained entrant(s)
- A dedicated safety watch/attendant with communication capability
- Competent supervision
Emergency readiness
- A real rescue plan (not just a document)
- Trained rescuers with proper equipment
- Immediate availability—not “on paper” availability
Equipment and training
- Appropriate PPE and respiratory protection
- Calibrated gas detection equipment
- Training for everyone involved—not just entrants
None of this is new. And that’s the problem.
Where things still go wrong
Most confined space incidents don’t happen because people didn’t know the rules. They happen because:
- The hazard assessment was rushed or generic
- Atmospheric testing was skipped, rushed, or misunderstood
- The attendant wasn’t fully engaged or empowered
- Rescue plans weren’t realistic or weren’t practiced
- Workers trusted “it should be fine” over actual verification
And most critically:
People still enter to rescue without proper controls.
That’s how one incident becomes four.
Best practices: Preparation beats reaction
If there’s one thing worth emphasizing, it’s this- Confined space safety is decided before anyone enters.
Strong organizations don’t “figure it out on the day.” They:
- Identify all potential confined spaces in advance
- Build site-specific, compliant procedures
- Apply the hierarchy of controls (including eliminating entry where possible)
- Train teams regularly, not just once a year
- Run realistic rescue drills
- Treat atmospheric testing as non-negotiable
Where possible, the best control is still: Don’t enter the space at all.
Use remote tools, redesign tasks, or change processes to eliminate the need.
Final thought
Confined space incidents aren’t rare because we lack knowledge; they persist because we fail to apply it consistently under real-world conditions.
The risks are well understood. The controls are well documented.
But without preparation, discipline, and leadership, the outcome doesn’t change.