Legislation

Under domestic law (the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974) employers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their employees and others. This responsibility is reinforced by regulations.

• The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
  Apply where the assessment identifies risks of serious injury from work in confined spaces.

These regulations contain the following key duties:

• avoid entry to confined spaces, e.g. by doing the work from the outside;
• if entry to a confined space is unavoidable, follow a safe system of work; and
• put in place adequate emergency arrangements before the work start

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
  Require employers and self-employed people to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks for all work activities for the purpose of deciding what measures are necessary for safety. For work in confined spaces this means identifying the hazards present, assessing the risks and determining what precautions to take.

Further information

• Safe work in confined spaces - 'Approved Code of Practice, Regulations and Guidance
  Priced guidance available from HSE Books