Confined Space Entry Permit Generator
Fill out the permit below and the document builds itself as you type. It carries every element 29 CFR 1910.146(f) requires on a permit-required confined space entry permit, plus the two elements 29 CFR 1926.1206 adds on construction sites. Print it or save it as a PDF, then have the entry supervisor sign it before entry begins. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.
Nothing you type is sent to our servers. A draft is kept in this browser until you clear it.
Template for informational purposes only. This document must be reviewed and adapted by a competent or qualified person for your specific jobsite, equipment, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements. It does not constitute legal, engineering, or safety advice and does not by itself establish compliance with OSHA or any other standard. SteelToeTools assumes no liability for its use. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.
How to use this permit
- 1Confirm it is a permit-required space. On construction sites a competent person must identify the confined spaces before work begins and the space must be posted with a danger sign (29 CFR 1926.1203(a)–(b)). In general industry the employer evaluates the workplace under 1910.146(c)(1).
- 2Isolate and test before anyone enters. Lock out energy, blank lines, ventilate, then test the atmosphere from outside in the order oxygen → combustibles → toxics, at the top, middle and bottom of the space where the entrant will go.
- 3Fill out the four steps. The document on the right updates as you type and carries every element 1910.146(f) requires.
- 4Print or save the PDF, then sign. The entry supervisor signs to authorize entry before it begins (1910.146(e)(2)), and posts the permit at the entrance so entrants and the attendant can see the conditions.
- 5Cancel it and keep it. The entry supervisor terminates entry and cancels the permit when the job is done or a condition not allowed arises; cancelled permits are kept at least one year for the annual program review (1910.146(e)(5)–(6)).
What OSHA requires on the permit
| Element | Citation | On this permit |
|---|---|---|
| The permit space to be entered | 1910.146(f)(1) | Space & entry |
| The purpose of the entry | 1910.146(f)(2) | Space & entry |
| The date and the authorized duration of the permit | 1910.146(f)(3) | Space & entry |
| The authorized entrants, by name or by a roster or tracking system the attendant can use | 1910.146(f)(4) | Roles |
| The personnel currently serving as attendants, by name | 1910.146(f)(5) | Roles |
| The individual currently serving as entry supervisor, by name | 1910.146(f)(6) | Roles + signature |
| The hazards of the permit space | 1910.146(f)(7) | Hazards |
| The measures used to isolate the space and to eliminate or control its hazards | 1910.146(f)(8) | Isolation |
| The acceptable entry conditions | 1910.146(f)(9) | Atmosphere |
| The results of initial and periodic tests, with the names or initials of the testers and when the tests were performed | 1910.146(f)(10) | Test log |
| The rescue and emergency services that can be summoned and the means for summoning them | 1910.146(f)(11) | Rescue |
| The communication procedures used by entrants and attendants | 1910.146(f)(12) | Roles |
| Equipment provided — testing, communications, PPE, lighting, barriers, ingress and egress, rescue | 1910.146(f)(13) | Equipment |
| Any other information necessary to ensure employee safety | 1910.146(f)(14) | Roles |
| Any additional permits, such as hot work | 1910.146(f)(15) | Space & entry |
On construction sites, 29 CFR 1926.1206 keeps these elements and adds the means of detecting an increase in atmospheric hazard levels if the ventilation system stops working; 1926.1204(e) requires continuous atmospheric monitoring unless the employer demonstrates it is not feasible, and an early-warning system where engulfment hazards are not isolated. State Plan states may go further — check your state rules.
Frequently asked questions
29 CFR 1910.146(f) lists 15 elements: the space, the purpose of entry, the date and authorized duration, the authorized entrants, the attendants, the entry supervisor, the hazards of the space, the measures used to isolate the space and control hazards, the acceptable entry conditions, the results of initial and periodic tests with the names or initials of the testers and when the tests were performed, the rescue and emergency services and how to summon them, the communication procedures, the equipment provided, any other information needed for safety, and any additional permits such as hot work. This generator has a field for every one of them.
Yes. 29 CFR 1926.1206 keeps the same elements and adds the means of detecting an increase in atmospheric hazard levels in the event the ventilation system stops working. 1926.1204(e)(2) also requires continuous atmospheric monitoring unless the employer can demonstrate that continuous monitoring equipment is not commercially available or that periodic monitoring is of sufficient frequency, and 1926.1204(e)(1)(iii) requires an early-warning system for non-isolated engulfment hazards.
OSHA does not set one universal number, but 1910.146(b) defines a hazardous atmosphere as an oxygen concentration below 19.5 percent or above 23.5 percent, or a flammable gas, vapor or mist above 10 percent of its lower flammable limit. The sample permits in 1910.146 Appendix D use exactly those limits and add carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide lines. Your entry supervisor sets the acceptable entry conditions for the specific space, and the fields here are editable.
Test first for oxygen, then for combustible gases and vapors, and then for toxic gases and vapors (29 CFR 1910.146(d)(5)(iii)). The order matters because most combustible gas indicators need oxygen to read correctly. Each authorized entrant or their authorized representative must be given the results of any testing, and may ask the employer to reevaluate the space in their presence if they believe the evaluation was not adequate (1910.146(d)(5)(v) and (vi)).
The duration may not exceed the time required to complete the assigned task or job identified on the permit (1910.146(e)(4)). The entry supervisor terminates the entry and cancels the permit when the work is done, or as soon as a condition not allowed by the permit arises (1910.146(e)(5)). Cancelled permits must be kept at least one year for the annual review of the program (1910.146(e)(6)).
Before entry begins, the entry supervisor identified on the permit signs it to authorize entry (1910.146(e)(2)). Many programs also have the attendant and each authorized entrant sign in and out, and have the entry supervisor sign the cancellation line at the end. The document produced here has all of those lines.
No. A permit is one document inside a written permit-required confined space program, which 1910.146(c)(4) requires the employer to develop and make available to employees. The program also covers training, rescue arrangements, equipment, and the annual review of cancelled permits. Have a competent or qualified person adapt this template to your spaces before using it.
No. The permit is built in your browser and the PDF is generated on your device. Nothing is transmitted to us or stored by us. A draft stays in this browser until you clear the form.
Sources & references
- 29 CFR 1910.146 — Permit-required confined spaces (general industry)
- 29 CFR 1910.146 App. D — Sample confined space pre-entry check list and entry permits
- 29 CFR 1926.1203 — General requirements: competent person identifies confined spaces, danger signs
- 29 CFR 1926.1204 — Permit-required confined space program (construction): continuous monitoring, early-warning system
- 29 CFR 1926.1206 — Entry permit contents (construction)
- OSHA — Confined Spaces safety and health topics page
Content checked against these sources — last reviewed August 27, 2026.