The Confined Space Entry Permit: What It Must Contain and Who Signs It

A permit is not paperwork for its own sake. It forces the entry team to work through every hazard and control before entry, and it tells everyone at the opening exactly what conditions are acceptable and what to do if they change.

The permit system

Under 1910.146(e):

• Before entry is authorized, the employer documents the completion of the required measures by preparing an entry permit.
• The entry supervisor signs the permit to authorize entry.
• The completed permit is made available at the time of entry to all authorized entrants, by posting it at the entry portal or by another equally effective means, so entrants can confirm pre-entry preparations are complete.
• The duration of the permit may not exceed the time required to complete the assigned task or job identified on the permit.
• The entry supervisor terminates entry and cancels the permit when the operations are completed or when a condition that isn't allowed under the permit arises in or near the space.
• The employer retains each canceled permit for at least 1 year to facilitate the annual program review. Problems encountered during entry are noted on the permit.

What the permit must contain

1910.146(f) lists what the permit must identify:

1. The permit space to be entered.
2. The purpose of the entry.
3. The date and authorized duration of the permit.
4. The authorized entrants, by name or by other means (such as tracking rosters) that enable the attendant to know who is inside.
5. The personnel, by name, currently serving as attendants.
6. The individual, by name, currently serving as entry supervisor, with a space for the signature or initials of the entry supervisor who originally authorized entry.
7. The hazards of the permit space.
8. The measures used to isolate the space and to eliminate or control hazards before entry, such as lockout or tagging of equipment and procedures for purging, inerting, ventilating and flushing.
9. The acceptable entry conditions.
10. The results of initial and periodic tests, accompanied by the names or initials of the testers and by an indication of when the tests were performed.
11. The rescue and emergency services that can be summoned and the means (such as the equipment to use and the numbers to call).
12. The communication procedures used by entrants and attendants to maintain contact during entry.
13. Equipment to be provided, such as PPE, testing equipment, communications equipment, alarm systems and rescue equipment.
14. Any other information needed, given the circumstances of the space, to ensure employee safety.
15. Any additional permits, such as for hot work, issued to authorize work in the space.

Print a ready-to-use version with our confined space entry permit template.

Acceptable entry conditions

The permit spells out the conditions that must exist for entry to begin and continue, for example:

Anything outside those conditions is a prohibited condition, and entrants must exit.

Cancel, don't stretch

When the job is done, or something not allowed by the permit happens, the entry supervisor cancels the permit. A new entry, a new shift's different crew, or a new task generally means a new permit, or at least a fresh review and documented transfer of the supervisor role as allowed by your program.

The annual review

1910.146(d)(14) requires the employer to review the permit space program at least annually, using the canceled permits kept for a year, and revise it as needed. Permits that note problems are the most useful part of that review.

Key takeaways

• The entry supervisor signs the permit to authorize entry.
• The permit lists the space, purpose, date and duration, people, hazards, isolation and controls, acceptable conditions, test results, rescue, communications, equipment and other permits.
• Post it at the entry portal, limit it to the time needed for the task, and cancel it when done or when conditions change.
• Keep canceled permits at least 1 year and use them in the annual review.

Last reviewed: October 25, 2026 · Free general education based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA. It does not replace the site-specific training, written program and hands-on evaluation your employer must provide, and it does not issue a certificate. Nothing you enter on this page is saved or sent.