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Audit template in the LeanSuite app

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Confined space entry audit checklist

A confined space checklist used as an audit checks that an entry is being controlled the way the program says. This one has 8 questions per space ID: the space is identified and signed, the entry permit is completed and posted, the atmosphere was tested and recorded, isolation and lockout were done, the attendant is present and trained, the rescue plan and equipment are ready, communication works, and entrants are trained and listed on the permit.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 covers permit-required confined spaces in general industry, including the attendant's duties in paragraph (i) and rescue in paragraph (k). An EHS lead or supervisor runs this audit during a live entry, at the space, not from the permit file afterwards. The failure that matters most: the attendant has gone to fetch a tool, the gas test was done before lunch and not repeated, and the rescue tripod is still in the stores. Use the confined space entry permit for each entry; this audit checks that the permit matches what is happening at the space.

What it is for, as built: Audit of confined space entry controls and records.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 8 questions in the audit

Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A. Each No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, so the finding arrives with its evidence.

Controls

  1. 1Spaces are identified and signed
  2. 2Entry permit is completed and displayed
  3. 3Atmosphere was tested and recorded
  4. 4Isolation and lockout were done

People and equipment

  1. 5Attendant is present and trained
  2. 6Rescue plan and equipment are ready
  3. 7Communication works
  4. 8Entrants are trained and listed

Worked example, illustrative

A filled-in example

One section as it might be filled in on the floor, with every other section of the audit answered Yes. The place and finding are made up to show how the audit reads and scores.

Result: pass, 87.5% against a pass mark of 80

  • 8 questions, all of them count.
  • 1 answered No, so 7 of 8 are Yes: 7 ÷ 8 = 87.5%.
  • 87.5% is at or above 80, so the audit passes. The No still needs its fix.

What happened next: EHS lead paused the entry until the tripod was rigged at the hatch. Entry resumed within the hour.

Scored here as one point per question with N/A left out. In the app each answer carries the points set on the template, so change them after you clone it if your plant weighs some checks more.

Confined Space Entry Audit

Audit, as needed

Space ID
Tank T-4, mixing area

People and equipment

  1. Attendant is present and trainedYes
  2. Rescue plan and equipment are readyNo

    Comment: Tripod and winch still in the stores although the rescue plan on the permit names them. Two entrants inside, attendant at the hatch.

    Photo attached to the No

  3. Communication worksYes
  4. Entrants are trained and listedYes
Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

  • When it is due on your audit programme, or after a change or a problem.
  • An auditor or leader answers each question from what they see, hear and read in the area.
  • Each record starts with: Space ID.

How it is scored

The template is built with points per answer and a pass mark of 80. In this library every audit is set to pass at 80 and every inspection at 90. Each submitted audit shows its score and pass or fail, and every No is flagged with its photo and comment.

Change the points or the pass mark after you clone it. How rules and scoring work.

Read and print

More in safety inspections and audits

All safety inspections and audits templates

FAQ

Confined space entry audit checklist: common questions

  1. This audit runs as needed, during a live entry, not on a calendar. Aim to audit a share of entries each month, and always audit the first entry into a newly classified space, an entry by a new contractor, any entry after an incident or near miss, and one where the atmosphere needs continuous monitoring. Pick entries without warning.

  2. An EHS lead or a supervisor trained in the permit program and not part of the entry team does it, at the space. They need to read a gas test record, know what the permit should show and know the rescue plan for this space. A No stops or pauses the entry, and the EHS lead signs off before work resumes.

  3. A fail means people are inside, or about to go inside, a space whose controls are not what the permit says: a stale gas test, a missing attendant, rescue gear in the stores. Stop the entry, get everyone out if the atmosphere or the attendant is the issue, and only restart when the permit matches the scene. In this template every No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, and an audit that scores under its pass mark of 80 is a fail.

  4. Keep the space ID, permit number, date and time, who audited and who was entering, the gas readings seen, each No with what was done and how long the entry was paused. Over time this shows which crews and which spaces keep slipping on attendants or rescue, which is where retraining goes. In LeanSuite each submitted audit is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

  5. 8 questions in 2 sections: controls and people and equipment. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Use this template in LeanSuite

It is ready in the Template Marketplace inside Lean Creator as “Confined Space Entry Audit”. Clone it into your plant, change any question, then schedule it to a person, role or asset with reminders. Auditors complete it on a phone or tablet, with photo evidence where required.

Not on LeanSuite yet? On a 90-day pilot our team sets up your account and digitizes the forms and checklists you use today, this one included.

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