Duties of Attendants and Entrants
Confined space entry is a team operation with defined roles — and the boundaries between those roles must never blur.
The entrant enters the space and is responsible for communicating their condition, alerting the attendant to hazards they recognize, and evacuating when directed or when unsafe conditions develop.
The attendant stays outside, maintains contact with the entrant, monitors atmospheric conditions continuously, and is the only person authorized to summon rescue — they do not enter to attempt rescue themselves.
The entry supervisor issues and signs the permit, verifies conditions are safe, authorizes entry, knows how to cancel the entry, and ensures the entry team is properly equipped.
An attendant's most dangerous action is entering the space to attempt rescue — attendant-led attempted rescues are the leading cause of confined space multiple-fatality events.
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