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SEC-027: Access to Confined Space

Date: 04/19/2006 Status: Final
Last Revised: 07/22/2021
Policy Type: University
Contact Office: Environmental Health and Safety
Oversight Executive: Vice President for Research
Applies To:

Academic Division and the Medical Center. (Specifically for trained personnel who are expected in the course of their work to enter confined spaces.)

Table of Contents:

Policy Statement
Procedures

Reason for Policy:

The University has established a program and related procedures in order to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard for Confined Space Entry, 29 CFR 1910.

Definition of Terms in Statement:
  • Confined Space:A space that includes all the following:
    1. is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work and;
    2. has limited or restricted means for entry or exit; and
    3. is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
    Confined spaces at the University include but are not limited to manholes, electrical vaults, boilers, wells, vessels that can be bodily entered and tanks. Generally, areas that can be entered through a door and have the same atmospheric conditions as occupied spaces, would not be classified as confined spaces.
Policy Statement:

The University will comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard for Confined Space Entry, 29 CFR 1910. To that end, the Office of Environmental Health & Sciences (OEHS) has developed a Confined Space Program (Program) that defines roles and responsibilities and establishes the procedures to be followed.

Employees must comply with the components of the Program and its respective procedures. This Program is intended to protect employees from the hazards inherent to entry into and work within confined spaces and to ensure that all activities in a confined space are conducted in a manner that does not jeopardize employee health and safety.

The procedures are intended to assist the University in avoiding injuries and fatalities for those individuals required to enter and work in a confined space in order to perform maintenance and construction-related duties.

Compliance with Policy:
Failure to comply with the requirements of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination in accordance with relevant University policies.

Questions about this policy should be directed to Environmental Health and Safety.

Procedures:

University of Virginia Confined Space Program

Major Category:
Safety, Security and Environmental Quality
Next Scheduled Review:
04/17/2018
Approved By, Date:
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, 04/19/2006
Revision History:

Added Compliance section 7/22/21; Updated 4/17/15, 4/19/09.

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