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PS&M

Training

Confined space training for every entry. And every exit.

A tank, vault, pit, or manhole looks routine right up until the atmosphere inside it isn't. PS&M's confined space training prepares entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors to work to 29 CFR 1910.146 and 1926 Subpart AA — identifying permit-required and non-permit spaces, testing the atmosphere before anyone crosses the plane of the opening, running disciplined entry procedures, and responding when the rescue clock starts. More than half of confined space fatalities are would-be rescuers. We train your crews so no one improvises.

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Delivery
On-site at your facility or jobsite
Audience
Construction contractors and GCs · Manufacturing and processing facilities · Utility and municipal crews · Entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors
Standards
29 CFR 1910.146 · 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA

What the training covers

PS&M builds the course around what 29 CFR 1910.146 and 1926 Subpart AA actually require of a compliant entry:

  • Recognizing the space — what makes a space confined, and what makes it permit-required: actual or potential hazardous atmospheres, engulfment hazards, converging walls and entrapment configurations, and any other recognized serious hazard
  • Permit vs non-permit classification — how spaces are classified, when they can be reclassified, and what changes the moment a hazard is introduced
  • Atmospheric testing and monitoring — oxygen first, then flammables, then toxics, with calibrated instruments, before entry and for the duration of it
  • Entry procedures — isolation, purging, ventilation, communication, and the entry permit that ties them together
  • Entrant, attendant, and entry supervisor duties — each role trained to the responsibilities the standard assigns it, not a generic overview
  • Emergency response — non-entry retrieval systems, rescue service requirements, and the discipline that keeps a would-be rescuer from becoming the second victim

For construction crews, we teach the Subpart AA requirements that trip up contractors working under both standards — including the competent person evaluation and continuous monitoring duties in 29 CFR 1926.1203 and 1926.1204.

Who needs confined space training?

Everyone with a role in a permit space entry — authorized entrants, attendants, entry supervisors, and anyone who tests or monitors atmospheres. 29 CFR 1910.146(g) and 1926.1207 require training before first assignment, before any change in assigned duties, and whenever hazards change or procedures break down, with certification of who was trained, when, and by whom.

The obligation reaches further than most employers assume. If your workers encounter tanks, vaults, pits, manholes, sewers, silos, or boilers — in construction, manufacturing, utilities, or municipal work — the standard requires you to evaluate those spaces, post them, and train before anyone goes in. California employers carry the parallel duty under Cal/OSHA’s 8 CCR 5157. Utility crews working below grade stack these hazards on top of excavation risk — pair this course with trenching and excavation competent person training and cover both.

Delivered on your site, built around your spaces

We train at your facility or jobsite, around the spaces your crews actually enter — your vaults, your tanks, your permit procedures, never from boilerplate. Programs scale from awareness-level training for workers near permit spaces to full authorized entrant, attendant, and entry supervisor training, customized to construction, manufacturing, utility, and municipal operations.

Need a foundation before the hands-on work? PS&M’s online confined space course runs approximately three hours, spans four OSHA standards — general industry, construction, shipyards, and respiratory protection — and issues a certificate of completion for your training records.

Training is half the standard

1910.146 does not stop at training. Permit-required entry demands a written permit space program, and an inspector will ask for it before they ask anything else. Our written safety program development builds permit space programs that match how your crews actually work, and our OSHA compliance consulting pressure-tests the whole system before an inspection does. Every PS&M class leaves your records documented, dated, and defensible.

Request a consultation or call 213.290.3013. Tell us what your crews enter — we will build the class around it.

Part of a bigger gap? See OSHA Compliance Consulting →

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FAQ

Questions we hear

What makes a confined space permit-required?

A confined space is large enough to enter, has limited means of entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous occupancy. It becomes permit-required under 29 CFR 1910.146 when it adds a hazardous or potentially hazardous atmosphere, an engulfment hazard, an internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate, or any other recognized serious hazard. Permit spaces demand a written program, entry permits, atmospheric testing, and an attendant posted outside.

What does OSHA require for atmospheric testing?

Test before entry and in a fixed order — oxygen first, then flammable gases and vapors, then potential toxic contaminants — using calibrated direct-reading instruments. Entrants have the right to observe the testing and review the results. On construction sites, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA goes further than general industry and requires continuous atmospheric monitoring whenever it is feasible.

Do entrants, attendants, and entry supervisors need different training?

Yes. Each role carries distinct duties under the standard — entrants must know the hazards, use the equipment, and self-rescue at the first warning sign; attendants monitor conditions, keep the entrant count, and summon rescue without ever entering; entry supervisors verify the permit, authorize entry, and terminate it when conditions change. PS&M trains each role against its own duty list, plus awareness-level training for employees who work near permit spaces but never enter.

Can PS&M deliver the training at our site?

Yes, and it works better that way. We build the class around the spaces your crews actually enter — your tanks, vaults, pits, and manholes — and your permit procedures, across construction, manufacturing, utility, and municipal environments. Programs run from awareness level through full authorized entrant, attendant, and entry supervisor training.

Is there an online confined space option?

Yes. PS&M offers an online confined space course of approximately three hours that spans four OSHA standards — general industry confined spaces, construction, shipyards, and respiratory protection — and includes a downloadable certificate of completion. Many clients use it as the foundation, then add instructor-led training on their own spaces.

Start the conversation

Train your crew before OSHA asks

On-site delivery, tailored to your equipment and your hazards. Request a quote — we respond within one business day.

Request this trainingor call (213) 290-3013