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Confined space entry permit template

A confined space entry permit is the written permission to enter a tank, vessel, pit, silo, duct or similar space that is big enough to enter, has limited ways in and out, and is not made for people to stay in. It records the space and the job, the hazards, how the space is isolated and ventilated, the air readings before and during entry, who is inside, who is the attendant outside, how they talk, and how a rescue would work, and it is cancelled when the work ends or conditions change. This template has five portrait pages: the permit with 20 checks in four groups, people, communication and rescue with sign-offs, an air test log and an entry and exit log with cancellation, one page of guidance, and a worked example of a mixer vessel clean-out with one ventilation pause. The acceptable air ranges are left blank on purpose because they come from the rules that apply to you. The Excel version has a permit sheet that says whether it is ready, an air test log that marks each reading in or out of range against the ranges you type in, an entry log that shows who is inside, a permit register that flags a permit left open, and a list of your spaces with a yearly review date. It is a general starting point, not legal advice.

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Page 1 of the confined space entry permit templateFields for permit number, space, purpose and people, a tick list of hazards, and a table of checks on isolation, atmosphere, people and rescue with Yes and N/A boxes.
Permit with 20 checksHazards identifiedRescue plan and communicationAir test logEntry and exit logCancellationSpace listWorked example
Filled-in Confined space entry permit template: a mixer vessel clean-out with one ventilation pause
The same sheet filled in with the worked example (page 5 of the PDF, illustrative numbers). Open full size (opens the picture in a new tab)

When to use it

When to use a confined space entry permit

  • Before anyone enters a tank, vessel, mixer, pit, sump, silo, duct or vault for cleaning, repair, inspection or any other job.
  • When your safety procedure, an insurer or a customer asks for a permit, an air test record and an entry log for every entry.
  • To list the spaces on a site, check which need a permit and keep the permits, tests and rescue plans for each in one place.
  • After a near miss in a space, to tighten the isolation, the testing or the rescue arrangements.
  • Not for work that can be done from outside the space, and not as a replacement for training: everyone on the job needs it first.

How to fill it in

  1. 1

    Identify the space and the hazards

    Name the space, say what the job is, and tick the hazards: too little or too much oxygen, flammable or toxic gas, engulfment, moving parts, stored energy, heat, noise and difficult exit. If the job can be done from outside, do not enter.

  2. 2

    Isolate, clean and ventilate

    Lock out power and moving parts, blank or close and lock lines that could bring material in, empty and clean as far as the job needs, let hot surfaces cool, and start ventilation with air from a clean place. Tell everyone nearby and barrier the entrance.

  3. 3

    Test the air before entry

    A trained person tests oxygen, flammable and toxic readings with an instrument that has been checked. Write the readings in the log against the ranges your rules set. If any reading is out of range, nobody goes in.

  4. 4

    Name the attendant and agree communication and rescue

    The attendant stays outside the whole time, has no other job, knows who is inside and can talk to them. The rescue plan and equipment are ready at the opening before anyone enters. The attendant does not go in to rescue.

  5. 5

    Sign, enter and keep testing

    The entry supervisor, the attendant and the entrants sign. The attendant logs each person in and out. Keep testing at the interval on the permit, and leave at once if an alarm sounds, ventilation stops or anyone feels unwell.

  6. 6

    Cancel the permit

    When the work is done, conditions change or anyone has a doubt, everyone comes out, the attendant counts them and the permit is cancelled with the time and the reason. A new permit is needed to enter again.

What's on the permit

The 20 checks on the confined space entry permit

Four groups, checked before entry and kept up during the work. On the permit each line is marked Yes or N/A with initials, and a check that is not in place means nobody enters. The air ranges are left for you to set from your local rules.

Isolation and preparation

Before anyone goes near the opening

  1. 1The space is identified and the work is something that cannot be done from outside
  2. 2Power, drives and moving parts are isolated and locked out, and the lock is checked
  3. 3Pipes and lines that could bring in material, gas or steam are blanked, disconnected or closed and locked
  4. 4The space has been emptied, cleaned or purged as far as the job needs, and hot surfaces have cooled
  5. 5Other people who work nearby or upstream have been told, and the entrance is barriered and signed

Atmosphere and ventilation

Test before entry and keep testing

  1. 6The air has been tested by a trained person before entry with an instrument that has been checked, and the readings are in the log
  2. 7Oxygen, flammable and toxic readings are inside the ranges your site has set, and the ranges are written on this permit
  3. 8Ventilation is running and its air comes from a clean place; what happens if it stops is agreed
  4. 9Testing continues during the work, either continuously or at the interval written on this permit
  5. 10Anyone entering leaves at once if an alarm sounds or ventilation stops

People, communication and rescue

Who is in, who is outside and how they get help

  1. 11Each entrant and the attendant are trained for this space and know the hazards
  2. 12An attendant is stationed outside the whole time, has no other task and keeps count of who is inside
  3. 13Entrants and the attendant can talk to each other the whole time, and the way is written on this permit
  4. 14A rescue plan is agreed and the equipment is at the opening; the rescuers can reach the space quickly
  5. 15The attendant will not enter the space to rescue, and knows how to call for help
  6. 16A harness and retrieval line are used where the space allows, so a person can be pulled out without anyone going in

The work and protection

What goes in with the entrants

  1. 17Lights, tools and equipment are suitable for the atmosphere and the space, with low-voltage or protected lighting where needed
  2. 18Protective equipment is the right type for the hazards and has been checked
  3. 19Hot work in the space has its own permit in addition to this one
  4. 20Entrants and the attendant sign in and out of the space on the entry log

A filled-in example

Illustrative, not a benchmark

An example: a clean-out of a mixer vessel, with two entrants and one attendant. The permit and readings are invented, and the ranges are examples only.

  • Before entry the power was locked out, the pipes blanked and the fan running. The first test at 08:30 was in range: oxygen 20.9, no flammable gas, no toxic gas. Entry was at 08:35.
  • At 09:10 the ventilation fan tripped. The attendant called both entrants out at once, and both were out by 09:11.
  • The fan was restarted at 09:25, and the air was tested again at 09:27: oxygen 20.2, in range but lower than before. Re-entry was at 09:30 with the fan at full speed.
  • The last test at 10:00 was in range. Work finished, both entrants came out, and the permit was cancelled at 10:05 with the reason job complete.

Three tests over 90 minutes, all in range, and a pause that was recorded rather than hidden. The entry log shows 132 entrant-minutes inside in two entries each.

Common mistakes

  • Testing once, at the start

    Air changes while people work, and a fan can stop. Keep testing at the interval on the permit, or monitor continuously, and leave at once if ventilation stops.

  • Using the emergency number as the rescue plan

    A plan has to be ready at the opening before entry: who goes, with what equipment, how quickly. Nobody should go in after a person in trouble without it.

  • An attendant who is also working

    The attendant's only job is to watch, count and call for help. An attendant who walks away or goes in has stopped being the attendant.

  • Copying ranges from another site's form

    The acceptable readings come from the rules that apply to you and your procedure. Write them on the permit before the first test.

  • Leaving the permit open

    A permit still open after the work ends means the space may be entered on stale conditions. Cancel it with a time and a reason, and check the register for any that are still open.

Download the template

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Run this template in LeanSuite

In LeanSuite each LOTO procedure is a digital form with photo-verified isolation steps, it opens only for people with a valid Authorized Employee certification for that machine, and Document Management gives each procedure an owner and a yearly review date.

See it in a 45-minute demo

FAQ

Confined space entry permit template: common questions

  1. A space that is large enough for a person to enter, has limited or restricted ways in and out, and is not designed for continuous occupancy. Tanks, vessels, pits, silos, ducts and vaults are common examples. Your procedure and local rules define the cases that apply to your site.

  2. A written authorisation to enter a confined space that records the space and the job, the hazards, how the space is isolated and ventilated, the air test results, who enters and who is the attendant, and the rescue arrangements. It is cancelled when the work ends or conditions change.

  3. That is set by the rules and standards that apply to your site, not by this template. It leaves the oxygen, flammable and toxic ranges blank for you to fill in, and the Excel air test log marks each reading against the ranges you type.

  4. The attendant stays outside the whole time, keeps count of who is inside, keeps in contact with them, watches for changes in conditions, orders an exit if needed and calls for help. The attendant does not enter the space to rescue anyone.

  5. No. It is a general starting point. Adapt it to the law that applies to your site and to your own confined space procedure, and have your safety professional review it.

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