This white paper, “Evidence-Based Confined Space Identification and Categorisation”, sets out a structured method for determining whether a space is legally a confined space, its hazard profile, and the level of operational and rescue capability required for entry.
The aim is to close a recurring gap in UK practice in which asset names, inherited site labels, or single sector entry classes are used as substitutes for evidential decisions anchored in regulation 1(2) of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and the wider duties under L101, MHSWR 1999, COSHH, DSEAR, HSG53 and HSG250.
The classification system separates legal status, hazard characteristics, and operational complexity into distinct, recorded layers, so that each decision can be supported by its own evidence rather than absorbed into a single global judgement.
That separation is what makes rescue arrangements defensible. Once the hazard profile and access types are recorded independently of the asset name, the Regulation 5 duty for suitable, sufficient and immediate rescue can be matched to the actual casualty state and entry conditions, rather than to a label inherited from the asset register.
The white paper provides the reasoning, structure, and audit trail that allow a duty holder to demonstrate, if challenged, that the rescue provision matched the risk.
Download the white paper here
