Vident Partners provides vetted confined space expert witnesses for cases involving tank, manhole, silo, and vessel entry deaths, atmospheric testing, entry permits, attendants, rescue planning, and host employer and contractor duties under OSHA permit space rules nationwide. Request a referral today.
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A confined space expert answers why a person was in that space without the protection the rules require, and why the people who went in after them could not be saved. Most of these cases are deaths, often of more than one worker. The physical event is usually simple, such as bad air, engulfment or a trapped entrant. The dispute is about the program around the entry: who identified the space, who tested the air, who signed the permit, and who was ready to get someone out. This page covers entry practice. Chemical exposure and medical cause of death have their own experts.
The rescue problem is the reason these cases feel so stark. A 1986 NIOSH alert said more than 60% of confined space fatalities occur among would-be rescuers, and that a well-designed and properly executed rescue plan is a must 1. The figure is old, but the mechanism is unchanged. A co-worker sees someone collapse and goes in without air.
The definitions decide which duties apply. Under 29 CFR 1910.146, a confined space is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy 2. Tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults and pits are given as examples 2.
A permit-required space adds a hazard. It contains or may contain a hazardous atmosphere, contains material with the potential for engulfing an entrant, has an internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant, or has another recognized serious hazard 2. Whether a space was classified properly is often the first dispute, along with whether anyone reclassified it after conditions changed.
The rule defines a hazardous atmosphere by measurable conditions. They include a flammable gas, vapor or mist above 10 percent of its lower flammable limit 2. An oxygen deficient atmosphere contains less than 19.5 percent oxygen by volume, and an oxygen enriched one contains more than 23.5 percent 2. Before entry under the alternate procedures, the internal atmosphere must be tested with a calibrated direct-reading instrument for oxygen, flammable gases and vapors, and potential toxic air contaminants, in that order 2. So the expert asks whether the instrument was calibrated, how the air was sampled at depth, whether ventilation was running, and whether readings continued during the work.
The rule assigns roles, and the file should show who filled them:
A common failure is an attendant who also has another job, or who leaves. A permit that was pre-signed, or filled in after the event, is another. The program must also be reviewed, using canceled permits, within 1 year after each entry 2.
To facilitate non-entry rescue, retrieval systems or methods must be used whenever an authorized entrant enters a permit space, unless the equipment would increase the overall risk or would not contribute to the rescue 2. An employer who designates rescue services must evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond in a timely manner, considering the hazards identified 2. What is timely depends on the hazard. Relying on a 911 call, without knowing whether the local responder can do the job, is a frequent problem.
These cases often involve several employers. When a host employer has a contractor do permit space work, it must inform the contractor that the workplace contains permit spaces and that entry is allowed only under a compliant program, and it must debrief the contractor afterward 2. Construction has its own standard. Before work begins at a worksite, each employer must ensure that a competent person identifies all confined spaces in which its employees may work and each space that is a permit space 3. Rescue duties there are set out in 29 CFR 1926.1211 4. OSHA's overview page collects the current requirements 5. Workers' compensation usually limits a claim against the direct employer, so owners, contractors and equipment suppliers are often the targets.
Look for a safety professional or industrial hygienist with direct permit space program experience, ideally including rescue. A certified industrial hygienist addresses the atmosphere. A rescue specialist addresses readiness and timing. A forensic pathologist addresses cause of death, and a mechanical or chemical engineer addresses the process that created the hazard.
A 1986 NIOSH alert said more than 60% of confined space fatalities occur among would-be rescuers, and that a well-designed and properly executed rescue plan is a must.
Case Types
Deaths in tanks, vessels, and sewers from bad air
Engulfment in silos, hoppers, and storage bins
Would-be rescuer deaths
Failure to classify or test a space
Pre-signed or incomplete entry permits
Host employer and contractor disputes
Inadequate or unavailable rescue services
Construction manhole and pit entries
Qualifications
Related Specialties
FAQ
Look for a safety professional or industrial hygienist with direct permit space program experience, ideally including rescue. The expert should know the general industry and construction rules, and be able to reconstruct an entry from permits, logs, and instrument data.
Under 29 CFR 1910.146, it is a confined space with one or more listed hazards, such as a hazardous atmosphere, material with the potential for engulfing an entrant, or an internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate. A confined space itself is limited in entry or exit and not designed for continuous occupancy.
The rule defines an oxygen deficient atmosphere as less than 19.5 percent oxygen by volume, and an oxygen enriched atmosphere as more than 23.5 percent. Flammable gas, vapor, or mist above 10 percent of its lower flammable limit is also a hazardous atmosphere.
A 1986 NIOSH alert said more than 60% of confined space fatalities occur among would-be rescuers. People often enter without air after a co-worker collapses. The rule requires retrieval systems or methods in most entries and evaluation of rescue services, so the rescue plan is usually central.
It has stated duties. The host employer must inform the contractor that the workplace contains permit spaces and that entry is allowed only under a compliant program, and it must debrief the contractor afterward. Liability beyond those duties depends on state law and the contract.
In general, confined space expert fees are determined by the expert themselves, based on a variety of criteria. Among those criteria are field experience, forensic experience, certifications, the volume of records, and publications. Vident does have some influence over expert fees by comparing experts within a specialty, but ultimately it is a personal decision by the expert.
Sources
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