Working in Confined Spaces
When working in confined spaces, clear responsibilities are essential to ensure risks are properly managed. The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 place specific duties on employers and the self employed to ensure that safe systems of work are in place and that legal requirements are met.
These duties are not limited to those directly carrying out the work. They also extend to those who control, manage, or commission work activities, particularly where confined space entry is involved.
Understanding who is responsible, and to what extent, is a key part of ensuring safe and compliant confined space operations.
Who Has Duties Under the Regulations?
The Confined Spaces Regulations place duties on two main groups:
- Employers
- Self employed persons
These responsibilities apply both to their own work and, in certain circumstances, to the work of others who may be affected by or involved in the activity.
Employer responsibilities
Every employer has a duty to ensure compliance with the Confined Spaces Regulations in relation to work undertaken by their employees. This includes making sure the work has been properly assessed, appropriate control measures are in place and suitable emergency arrangements have been established before confined space work begins.
An employer’s responsibilities may also extend to people who are not directly employed by them. Where an employer controls the workplace, the equipment, access to the confined space or a particular part of the work activity, they must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that those aspects of the operation are managed safely.
For example, a principal contractor may appoint a specialist subcontractor to enter a tank, chamber or vessel. The subcontractor may be responsible for the competence of its operatives and the way the task is carried out, but the principal contractor or site operator may still control access, isolations, site information and coordination with other trades. Both parties therefore have responsibilities, and these must be clearly agreed before work begins.
Appointing a competent contractor is important, but it does not automatically remove the responsibilities of the organisation commissioning or controlling the work. Relevant information must be shared, roles must be understood and arrangements must be coordinated so that no aspect of the operation is overlooked.
Self employed responsibilities
Self employed individuals also have duties under the Confined Spaces Regulations. They must comply with the Regulations in relation to their own work and, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that their activities do not place other people at risk.
A self employed specialist may, for example, be engaged to inspect, clean or maintain equipment within a confined space. They remain responsible for working within the agreed safe system, using equipment correctly, following entry procedures and reporting any change in conditions that could affect safety.
Where the self employed person controls part of the operation, such as specialist equipment, a work method or the supervision of others, their responsibilities extend to those areas as well. They must cooperate with the client, site operator, principal contractor and any other organisations involved so that everyone understands how the work will be managed.
This is why responsibilities should never be assumed. They should be discussed, allocated and documented before the confined space operation begins.
What “Reasonably Practicable” Means in Confined Space Work
Where duties extend beyond direct employees, the Regulations use the principle of “so far as is reasonably practicable.”
In the context of working in confined spaces, this means dutyholders must take proportionate steps to manage risk, taking into account:
- The level of risk involved
- The degree of control they have over the work
- The measures available to reduce or eliminate the risk
This does not remove responsibility where other parties are involved. Instead, it requires dutyholders to take realistic but effective steps to ensure safe working practices are in place.
Shared Responsibility in Confined Space Work
Confined space work often involves multiple organisations or contractors working together. In these situations, responsibilities may overlap, making cooperation essential.
Dutyholders are expected to liaise with others involved in the work to:
- Clarify who is responsible for each aspect of the operation
- Agree on control measures and safe systems of work
- Ensure that everyone understands their duties under the Regulations
Without clear coordination, gaps in responsibility can occur, increasing the risk of unsafe practices or miscommunication during confined space operations.
The Importance of Competent Contractors
A key requirement of safe working in confined spaces is the selection of competent contractors.
Dutyholders should take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that any contractors engaged are suitable for the work being carried out. This includes confirming that they have the necessary knowledge, experience, and resources to work safely in confined environments.
Competence is not only about technical ability. It also includes understanding legal duties, risk controls, and emergency arrangements associated with confined space entry.
Clear Allocation of Responsibilities
One of the most important aspects of confined space safety is ensuring that responsibilities are clearly defined before work begins.
Those in control of the work must be clear about:
- What they are responsible for
- What others are responsible for
- How different roles interact within the confined space operation
This clarity helps ensure that all legal duties are met and that safety measures are properly implemented and maintained throughout the work activity.
Cooperation Between Dutyholders
Where multiple employers or contractors are involved, cooperation is essential to meeting the requirements of the Regulations.
Dutyholders must work together to:
- Share relevant information about the confined space
- Agree on procedures and safety measures
- Coordinate emergency arrangements
- Ensure consistent understanding of risk controls
This cooperation is a practical requirement of safe confined space management and is particularly important where control of the work is shared between different organisations.
Why This Matters for Working in Confined Spaces
Confined spaces present unique and often serious risks. These risks are not limited to a single organisation or individual, especially where multiple parties are involved in planning, managing, or carrying out the work.
Clear responsibility, effective communication, and cooperation between dutyholders are all essential components of safe working in confined spaces. Without these elements, even well planned work can become unsafe.
How Rescue2 can support dutyholders
Understanding and managing responsibilities under the Confined Spaces Regulations is essential for maintaining safe operations. Early engagement allows more time to identify potential hazards, establish who is responsible for each part of the work and put suitable arrangements in place before operatives arrive on site. This supports a safer working environment while also helping clients reduce avoidable delays, resolve practical issues earlier and deliver the work more efficiently.
Rescue2 provides an end to end confined space service covering consultation, classification, training, and safety and rescue provision. Rather than treating each requirement as a separate activity, our specialists work with clients to develop a joined-up approach that reflects the confined space, the work being undertaken and the people involved.
Consultation
Our support can begin during the earliest stages of planning. Rescue2 can work alongside dutyholders, project managers, principal contractors and site teams to understand the proposed work, review the available information and identify areas that may require further assessment.
This early consultation can include guidance relating to confined space procedures, risk assessments, safe systems of work, access and egress, equipment requirements and emergency arrangements. It also provides an opportunity to clarify responsibilities between the organisations involved, particularly on complex projects where several contractors or specialist teams may be working together.
Involving Rescue2 before the work begins means that safety and rescue requirements can be considered as part of the wider project plan, rather than being addressed shortly before entry is due to take place.
Classification
Correctly identifying and classifying a confined space is an important part of determining how the work should be planned and controlled. Rescue2 can support clients by reviewing the space, its foreseeable hazards, the proposed task, the method of entry and the potential consequences of an emergency.
Where required, our specialists can attend the site to examine the working environment and provide guidance tailored to the conditions present. This helps clients determine the level of competence, supervision, training, equipment and rescue provision likely to be required.
Classification should be based on the actual risks associated with the space and the planned work. Conditions may differ between locations and can also change when new substances, equipment or work activities are introduced. A space should not therefore be assumed to present the same level of risk simply because similar work has previously been completed there.
Training
Once the requirements of the work have been established, Rescue2 can help ensure that the people involved have training appropriate to their roles and the risks they may encounter.
Our confined space training is delivered by experienced specialists with practical emergency service and industrial knowledge. Training can be provided at our West Sussex facility, at suitable client locations or through our mobile training provision, helping organisations train their teams in environments that reflect the realities of their work.
Depending on the requirements of the organisation, training may cover confined space entry, supervision, emergency procedures, the use of specialist equipment and rescue responsibilities. Rescue2 offers accredited training routes, helping clients develop and maintain the competence needed to undertake and oversee confined space work safely.
Training is not limited to the people entering the space. Those authorising, supervising or supporting the work must also understand their roles, the agreed procedures and the actions required if conditions change or an emergency occurs.
Safety and rescue provision
Where confined space entry is unavoidable, suitable safety and emergency arrangements must be in place before work begins. Rescue2 can provide competent safety and rescue personnel, specialist equipment and practical on site support suited to the identified risks and the nature of the operation.
Our teams can support individual entries, short term projects, planned shutdowns and complex multi contractor programmes across the UK. The provision can be planned around the site, work activity, access arrangements and foreseeable rescue scenarios, rather than relying on a standard response that may not reflect the circumstances of the project.
Avoiding entry into a confined space is always the preferred approach where the work can be completed safely by other means. When entry cannot be avoided, careful planning and suitable control measures become essential.
Rescue2 has an end-to-end approach, working with clients during the planning stage to assess confined space activities and determine the safest approach. From consultation and confined space classification through to workforce training, safety management and specialist rescue provision, we provide practical support that helps organisations carry out confined space work safely and compliantly.
Our experienced team can assist throughout the planning process, helping reduce risk before work begins as the largest confined space rescue company in the UK. Our knowledge, provision and capability ensure your safety at every step.
To discuss your confined space requirements, contact Rescue2 or explore our full range of consultation, training, safety and rescue services.
To learn more about the legal requirements for working in confined spaces, you can also view the full HSE guidance document as a PDF here.
Rescue2 Ltd, The Old Stables, Decoy Lane, Arundel Road, Poling, West Sussex BN18 9QA
FAQs – Working in Confined Spaces
1. Who has responsibilities under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997?
The Regulations impose duties on both employers and the self employed. They are responsible for ensuring compliance with respect to their own work and, where reasonably practicable, with respect to work carried out by others within their control.
2. What responsibilities do employers have when working in confined spaces?
Employers must ensure the Confined Spaces Regulations are followed for work carried out by their employees. They must also take reasonably practicable steps to ensure compliance where other people are working under conditions they control.
3. What does ‘reasonably practicable’ mean in confined space work?
Where dutyholders have responsibilities for people who are not their employees, they must take reasonably practicable steps to manage risks within the areas they control. This often involves working with other organisations to ensure responsibilities are clearly understood.
4. Why is cooperation important when working in confined spaces?
Confined space work often involves multiple employers or contractors. Cooperation helps ensure responsibilities are agreed upon, risk controls are coordinated, and everyone involved understands their role in maintaining a safe working environment.
5. Why is it important to appoint competent contractors for confined space work?
Dutyholders should take reasonably practicable steps to engage competent contractors with the appropriate knowledge, experience, and understanding of confined space safety requirements. This helps ensure work is carried out safely and in compliance with the Regulations.
6. How can responsibilities be managed effectively during confined space work?
Responsibilities should be agreed upon before work begins, with clear communication between everyone involved. Defining who is responsible for each aspect of the work helps ensure legal duties are met and confined space operations are carried out safely.
