Confined Space
Co-Founder & GM of Operations
A confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed area not designed for continuous occupancy that has limited entry and exit and may contain hazardous atmospheres, requiring permits and controls before entry.
A confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed area that is not designed or intended for continuous human occupancy, has limited entry and exit points, and may pose a risk to health and safety from atmospheric hazards (oxygen deficiency, toxic gases, flammable vapours), engulfment, entrapment, or other dangers. Australian WHS Regulations define specific criteria for classification. Common examples include tanks, silos, pits, sewers, tunnels, and roof voids.
The legal definition
Regulation 5 of the model WHS Regulations defines a confined space as an enclosed or partially enclosed space that meets all three of these tests: it is not designed or intended primarily to be occupied by a person; it is, or is designed or intended to be, at normal atmospheric pressure while anyone is in it; and it is, or is likely to be, a risk to health and safety from an atmosphere without a safe oxygen level, contaminants that may cause injury from fire or explosion, harmful concentrations of airborne contaminants, or engulfment.
A mine shaft or the workings of a mine is excluded. Entrapment is not one of the risks in the definition, although it appears in other countries' rules: a space that only presents an entrapment risk is not a confined space under the model Regulations, but its risks must still be managed under Part 3.1.
Victoria is not a model WHS state; its duties sit under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. This page is general information, not legal advice: confirm the detail with your state or territory regulator.
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model WHS Regulations (5 December 2025)
What the entry permit must contain
Under regulation 67, a business must not direct a worker to enter a confined space to carry out work unless it has issued a confined space entry permit for that work. The permit is based on a written risk assessment by a competent person (regulation 66).
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Who completes it | A competent person, in writing |
| The space | The confined space the permit relates to |
| The people | The names of the persons permitted to enter the space |
| The time | The period during which the work in the space will be carried out |
| The controls | Measures to control the risk of the proposed work, based on the regulation 66 risk assessment, including the controls for safe entry and the regulation 69 system of work |
| The close-out | Space for an acknowledgement, completed by the competent person, that the work is finished and everyone has left the space |
Contents of a confined space entry permit, regulation 67 of the model WHS Regulations
Signs must identify the space, tell workers not to enter without a permit, and sit clearly and prominently next to each entry, from immediately before the work starts until it is finished (regulation 68).
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model WHS Regulations (5 December 2025)
Controls while people are inside
The Regulations set specific controls, not just a general duty. The business must provide a system of work with continuous communication with the worker from outside the space, and a standby person in the vicinity monitoring conditions and, if practicable, observing the work (regulation 69). Any risk from plant or services connected to the space, such as a substance being introduced or plant being energised, must be eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable (regulation 70).
The atmosphere is controlled by number. Contaminants are purged or ventilated so far as is reasonably practicable, and never with pure oxygen or a mixture above 21% oxygen. The space must have a safe oxygen level, and where that is not reasonably practicable and oxygen is below 19.5% by volume, workers must have air-supplied respiratory equipment (regulation 71). Flammable gas, vapour or mist must be kept below 5% of its lower explosive limit (LEL). Between 5% and 10%, workers come out unless a calibrated, continuous-monitoring flammable gas detector is in use, and at 10% or more they come out immediately (regulation 72). No ignition source may be introduced if it could cause a fire or explosion (regulation 73).
First aid and rescue procedures must be established, practised, and initiated from outside the space. Entry and exit openings must be large enough for emergency access and kept unobstructed (regulation 74), and air-supplied respiratory equipment must be provided to anyone entering to rescue in a bad atmosphere (regulation 75).
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model WHS Regulations (5 December 2025)
Records to keep
The risk assessment must be kept until at least 28 days after the work it relates to is completed, and the entry permit at least until the work is completed. If a notifiable incident occurs in connection with the work, both must be kept for at least 2 years after the incident, available for inspection and to any relevant worker on request (regulation 77).
Training in the hazards, the controls, PPE, the permit and the emergency procedures must be given to anyone who could enter or work in the space, to anyone with a function in the work or the rescue procedures, and to their supervisors, and a record of that training must be kept for 2 years (regulation 76).
Sources: Safe Work Australia: model WHS Regulations (5 December 2025)
Key facts you can cite
Under regulation 5 of the model WHS Regulations, a confined space must meet three tests: not designed primarily for occupancy, at normal atmospheric pressure, and a risk from atmosphere, contaminants or engulfment.
Source: Safe Work Australia, model WHS Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
Regulation 67 bars a business from directing a worker into a confined space to work unless it has issued a written entry permit completed by a competent person.
Source: Safe Work Australia, model WHS Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
Workers must have air-supplied respiratory equipment where a safe oxygen level cannot reasonably be achieved and oxygen is below 19.5% by volume (regulation 71).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model WHS Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
Workers must leave a confined space immediately if a flammable gas, vapour or mist reaches 10% of its lower explosive limit (regulation 72).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model WHS Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
A confined space risk assessment must be kept for at least 28 days after the work is completed, or 2 years after a notifiable incident (regulation 77).
Source: Safe Work Australia, model WHS Regulations, checked 21 September 2026
Reuse these lines with attribution: cite the named primary source, and link this page if the summary helped.
Why it matters
Confined space incidents have a disproportionately high fatality rate, often killing not only the initial entrant but also would-be rescuers who enter without proper protection. Australian WHS Regulations require a risk assessment, a documented entry permit, atmospheric monitoring, trained personnel, and a rescue plan before any confined space entry. Failure to follow these requirements is a serious breach that can result in prosecution.
How MapTrack helps
MapTrack manages confined space entry workflows through digital permits, atmospheric monitoring logs, and rescue plan checklists linked to the specific asset or location, ensuring every entry is authorised, documented, and retrievable for audit.
Related guides
Stay ahead of every inspection deadline
Automated reminders, digital checklists and audit-ready records in MapTrack.
- No credit card required
Frequently asked questions
What makes a space a confined space under Australian WHS law?
Under regulation 5 of the model WHS Regulations, a confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed space that is not designed or intended primarily to be occupied by a person, is or is designed to be at normal atmospheric pressure while anyone is in it, and is or is likely to be a risk to health and safety from an atmosphere without a safe oxygen level, contaminants that may cause fire or explosion, harmful concentrations of airborne contaminants, or engulfment. All three tests must be met. Mine shafts and mine workings are excluded, and entrapment alone does not make a space a confined space under the model Regulations.
What is required before entering a confined space?
Before entry, the PCBU must have a competent person conduct and record a risk assessment (regulation 66), and issue a written entry permit naming the space, the people allowed in, the time period and the control measures (regulation 67). Signs must be posted at each entry (regulation 68), and there must be continuous communication with the entrant and a standby person monitoring from outside (regulation 69). The atmosphere must meet the oxygen and flammable-gas limits in regulations 71 and 72, first aid and rescue procedures must be established and practised (regulation 74), and everyone involved must be trained (regulation 76).
Why are confined space rescues so dangerous?
A large proportion of confined space fatalities involve would-be rescuers who enter without respiratory protection or a rescue plan. The same atmospheric hazard that incapacitated the first entrant affects the rescuer within seconds. Effective rescue requires pre-planned procedures, trained rescue personnel, appropriate respiratory equipment, and retrieval systems that allow extraction without entering the space. Spontaneous, unplanned rescue attempts are the single largest cause of multiple fatalities in confined space incidents.
Related terms
Permit to work software
Permit to work software is a digital system for managing high-risk work permits such as hot work, confined space entry, working at heights, electrical isolation and excavation. It replaces paper-based permit books with electronic permits that are created, approved, issued and closed out within a single auditable platform.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining control measures that eliminate the risk or, where that is not reasonably practicable, minimise it so far as is reasonably practicable. It follows the hierarchy of controls (elimination; substitution, isolation or engineering controls; administrative controls; PPE) and produces a documented record of identified risks and the measures taken to manage them.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is a safety procedure used to ensure that equipment is properly shut down, isolated from all energy sources, and cannot be restarted until maintenance or repair work is completed. Lockout involves physically locking energy isolation devices (such as circuit breakers or valves) in the off position, while tagout involves attaching a warning tag to the isolation point. LOTO protects workers from the unexpected release of hazardous energy during servicing.
Permit to Work (PTW)
A permit-to-work system is a formal, documented procedure used to control activities that are identified as potentially hazardous and require specific safety precautions beyond standard operating procedures. The permit authorises named individuals to carry out defined work at a specific location during a specified time period, subject to documented safety conditions. Common permit types include hot work permits, confined space entry permits, electrical isolation permits, excavation permits, and working-at-heights permits. The permit process typically involves a request from the performing authority, a review and approval by the issuing authority (usually an area or operations supervisor), verification that all safety conditions have been met, the execution of the work, and a formal close-out that confirms the worksite has been left in a safe condition. Permits are time-limited and must be reissued if the work extends beyond the original period, if conditions change materially, or if different workers are assigned to the task, ensuring that the safety assessment remains current throughout the duration of the work.
Cite this definition
Writing about this topic? You’re welcome to quote this definition. Here’s the wording to use so your readers can find the original.
A confined space is an enclosed or partially enclosed area that is not designed or intended for continuous human occupancy, has limited entry and exit points, and may pose a risk to health and safety from atmospheric hazards (oxygen deficiency, toxic gases, flammable vapours), engulfment, entrapment, or other dangers.
- Short attribution
- MapTrack Glossary: Confined Space, https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/confined-space
- Reference list
- MapTrack. (2026). Confined Space [Glossary definition]. Retrieved from https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/confined-space
Free to reuse with credit under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. If you’d rather link straight to it, the page is https://www.maptrack.com/glossary/confined-space.
See how MapTrack handles confined space
Ready to track every asset?
Join construction, mining and field service teams across Australia.
4.9 on G2 · 5.0 on Capterra, GetApp & Software Advice
- No credit card required