1
Set the scene
Start with context
Fill the frame
2–3 ft for close-ups; keep ladders, cords and workers fully in view.
Confined space signs
Confined space signs — when a permit space needs a danger sign, and what the sign should say
If your workplace has permit-required confined spaces, OSHA's rule 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2) requires you to tell exposed employees about each one — where it is and the danger it poses — by posting danger signs or by another equally effective means. OSHA's note gives sample wording: 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER' or similar language. Construction has the same rule in 29 CFR 1926.1203(b)(1). A sign informs; it doesn't prevent entry. If your employees won't enter permit spaces, you must also take effective measures to keep them out, and an open entrance must be guarded by a railing, temporary cover, or barrier. OSHA Scan does not classify spaces. It scans photos for open hatches with no barrier, signs that aren't posted, and ventilation that isn't set up. The free checklist below covers each step.
Photo scan: no account needed (you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass) · Template downloads: free account required
A confined space sign tells people the danger is there — it doesn't keep them out
Permit-required confined spaces — tanks, pits, vaults, silos, manholes — can trap or overcome workers quickly, and would-be rescuers are often among the victims. OSHA's general industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.146, starts with two steps: evaluate the workplace to find permit spaces, then inform exposed employees about each one by posting danger signs or using another equally effective method. The note to the rule offers sample wording — 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER' — and similar language works too. Construction follows the same approach under 29 CFR 1926.1203, where a competent person identifies the spaces before work begins.
A sign is the first layer, not the last. If your employees will not enter permit spaces, OSHA requires effective measures to prevent entry in addition to the sign. And when a cover comes off, the opening needs a railing, temporary cover, or barrier right away. In the example photo, a manhole sits open with nothing around it, the danger sign leans against a bucket instead of being posted, and a ventilation blower lies unused. OSHA Scan flags those conditions with a possibly related standard and a fix. It doesn't classify spaces or replace your entry permit; it shows you what an open space looks like to the next person walking by.
Signs, covers, and barriers: what each one does at a confined space
OSHA's confined space rules separate three jobs. Signs inform: they tell exposed employees that a permit space exists, where it is, and what the danger is. Covers and locks prevent: when your employees aren't supposed to go in, effective measures keep them out. Barriers protect: when a cover comes off for entry, a railing, temporary cover, or barricade keeps people from falling in and keeps objects from falling on the entrant. A site that relies on a sign for all three jobs has a gap, and that gap usually shows when a cover has been left off.
The sign itself is simple to get right. Post it at each entrance, facing the direction people approach from. Use clear wording — OSHA's example is 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER' — and add the specific hazard and a second language where it helps. Replace signs that fade or come loose, and re-evaluate when a space changes. A routine photo scan of tank rooms, pits, and vault areas helps you catch loose signs and open covers before someone walks up to them.
How to sign and secure a permit-required confined space
Run through these steps before crews start — each one covers a visible gap the AI can help you catch.
- 1
Identify the space
Evaluate the workplace and list each permit-required confined space, with its hazards and entrances.
- 2
Post a danger sign at each entrance
Use wording like 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER', mounted where people approaching will see it.
- 3
Secure spaces that aren't entered
If your employees won't enter, bolt, lock, or otherwise secure the entrance so a sign isn't the only thing in the way.
- 4
Guard openings during entry
When a cover comes off, set up a railing, temporary cover, or barricade right away, and keep loose items away from the edge.
- 5
Re-check regularly
Look for faded or loose signs and covers left off, and re-evaluate spaces when their use changes. A dated photo scan documents each check.
What a photo scan checks around confined spaces
A scan can't classify a space or test its air, but it can see the conditions around an entrance that put people at risk.
Open entrances with no barrier
Manholes, hatches, and pits with the cover off and no railing, temporary cover, or barricade around them.
Signs that aren't doing their job
Danger signs lying loose, facing the wrong way, faded, or missing at entrances that look like permit spaces.
Entry equipment out of place
Ventilation blowers, ducts, and tripods sitting unused while an entrance is open — a cue to confirm testing and ventilation before entry.
A fix for each finding
Each flagged item comes with a possibly related OSHA standard and a corrective action, ranked by risk, so the open hole gets guarded first.
Demo: the report a scanned photo comes back with
Scan a photo like the one above and this is the report you get — score, findings, OSHA references, and fixes. It is an illustrative example, clearly marked — not live scan data.
Example report
Illustrative — not live scan dataCompliance score
72
Lower means more potential hazards found
Score uses visible confirmed findings only. Not a safety certification.
3 confirmed · 0 need review · 0 positive
1 High1 Medium1 Low3 locked
1Manhole left open with the cover slid aside and no railing, cover, or barrier around the opening
HighPossibly related to guarding open entrances (29 CFR 1910.146(c)(5)(ii)(B) and (d)(3)(v)) and floor holes (29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3))
Observed condition: Anyone walking past can step into the opening, and tools or debris can fall onto anyone inside. OSHA's confined space rule calls for the opening to be guarded by a railing, temporary cover, or other barrier as soon as the cover comes off.
Corrective action: Put the cover back if no one is entering. If entry is under way, set up a guardrail or barricade around the opening, post an attendant, and keep loose items away from the edge.
High confidence
2Danger sign leaning against a bucket on the floor instead of posted at the entrance
MediumPossibly related to informing employees about permit spaces with danger signs (29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2))
Observed condition: A sign on the floor is easy to miss, easy to knock over, and this one doesn't say what the danger is. OSHA expects exposed employees to be told where each permit space is and the danger it poses — a posted sign is one way to do that.
Corrective action: Mount a sign at the entrance where people approaching will see it, with wording like 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER'. Mark the tank manway the same way if it is also a permit space.
High confidence
3Ventilation blower and duct lying unused beside the tank while the manhole is open
LowPossibly related to testing conditions before permit space entry (29 CFR 1910.146(d)(5))
Observed condition: An open cover suggests entry is planned or under way. A blower switched off and coiled on the floor is a reason to confirm the air was tested and ventilation is running before anyone goes in.
Corrective action: Before entry, test the atmosphere with a calibrated meter — oxygen first, then flammable gases and vapors, then toxic gases and vapors — then run the blower into the space and keep monitoring as your permit requires.
Medium confidenceNot fully clear from the photo — verify on site.
AI-generated analysisThese findings are potential hazards flagged by AI from a single photo. They are a starting point for your own review — not an official OSHA determination. Verify conditions on site with a qualified person before acting.
Try it free
Now scan your own photo — free
Upload a photo like the one above and get a compliance score and hazard count. No account needed to scan, though you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass — create a free account to unlock the full report.
- Open manholes, hatches, and pits in your photo with no railing, cover, or barrier
- Danger signs that are missing, loose, or not posted at the entrance
- A possibly related OSHA standard and a fix for each finding — not a space classification
Live OSHA hazard analysis
One lifetime free photo scanPhoto scan — freeVideo walkthrough scan — free account
1Upload photo
2AI analysis
3See report
Use the real site or facility name. If you save the scan after signup, it becomes the report name.
Three angles, one deeper scan
Only the wide shot is required — every extra angle gives the AI more places to look.
Required: Set the scene — one wide shot lets the AI sweep the whole area at once
Stand at the entry point and capture corner to corner: floors, ladders, scaffolds, and everyone at work
or choose from your library
Drop a job-site photo or walkthrough video
Click to upload, drag & drop, or snap a photo on site. Photos scan free with no signup and no card — you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass. Video walkthroughs (up to 3 min) run on a free account.
References relevant OSHA standardsPrivate - deleted in 48h unless you save it
Accuracy boosters
Small habits, sharper scans
2
Capture clearly
Make the frame usable
Light it right
Keep the sun or lights behind you — glare and shadows hide hazards.
Tap to focus
Tap the hazard on screen and hold still one second — blur can't be flagged.
3
Choose the useful view
Give the AI room to understand
Go landscape
Turn your phone sideways — a wider frame catches more of the scene.
No job-site photo handy?
or scan with video
Only upload photos you have permission to use, and avoid images showing personal, customer, or confidential information. Demo photos and results are held privately for up to 48 hours so you can save them to a free account; unclaimed photos are deleted automatically. Results are an AI-assisted preliminary review, not an official OSHA determination.
New: Video walkthrough scans
Record up to 3 minutes of your site — the AI extracts frames and categorizes findings with exact timestamps. Free account required.
Get the best results
Wide shot first
Stand at the entrance and photograph the entire work area so AI sees the full context
Hazard areas
Photograph elevated surfaces, equipment, electrical panels, and anywhere workers are active
Close-ups last
Move in close on anything damaged, missing, or that looks risky — the AI catches more detail
The 10-point confined space sign checklist
From finding your permit spaces to keeping people out of them. The first four are free — create a free account to unlock the rest and scan your own site for open hatches and missing signs.
- 1
Find every permit space
Evaluate the workplace to identify permit-required confined spaces (1910.146(c)(1)) — tanks, vaults, pits, silos, manholes, and similar spaces with a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment, entrapment, or other serious hazard. In construction, a competent person does this before work begins (1926.1203(a)).
- 2
Tell exposed employees
Inform exposed employees of each permit space's existence, location, and danger by posting danger signs or by another equally effective means (1910.146(c)(2), 1926.1203(b)(1)).
- 3
Use clear wording
OSHA's note gives an example: 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER', or similar language. Add the specific hazard if it helps, and a second language if your workers need one.
- 4
Post the sign at the entrance
Mount it where anyone approaching the opening will see it — on the hatch, cover, manway, or a post beside it, not leaning on the floor.
Free printable templatePDF · US Letter
Confined Space Sign Checklist
Use this form to check every permit-required confined space on your list: its sign, its cover or guard, and how entry is controlled. Check again after any change to the space or the work.
On the form
- 10 checklist items with Yes / No / N/A boxes and room for notes
- 4 points to confirm separately with records or a qualified person
- A corrective-action log and sign-off lines
- Federal references checked against the eCFR on October 10, 2026
A free account is required to download it.
Non-English documents are automated translations, not official OSHA translations. Citations, limits and names are kept as written.
OSHA Scan template — not an official government form and not legal advice.
Keep a confined space register for each site
Record each space and answer questions based on the confined space definitions in 29 CFR 1910.146 and 1926.1203. You record the permit-required decision yourself; the app never makes it for you. For a permit-required space, make a prefilled DANGER sign in English, Spanish, or both, and open the permit template. The app doesn't issue entry permits. A free account includes the on-screen register, sign downloads, and one site report download.
Start your confined space register freeWhat the AI can and can't detect
OSHA Scan reads a single photo. That makes it fast and easy for anyone on site — but it also means it has real limits. Here's an honest look at both.
What it can catch from a photo
- Open manholes, hatches, and pits with no barrier or cover
- Danger signs lying loose, missing, or faded at entrances
- Ventilation and entry equipment sitting unused near an open space
- Loose items close to the edge of an opening
What a photo can't tell it
- Whether a space is a permit-required confined space
- The atmosphere inside a space, or whether it was tested
- Whether an entry permit, attendant, or rescue plan is in place
- Small or distant sign text
OSHA Scan gives an AI-assisted preliminary review from a photo. It does not replace an on-site inspection by a qualified safety professional, and a compliance score is not an official OSHA determination.
AI photo hazard review
Snap a photo of the job site, and the AI categorizes findings against OSHA standards.
Consistent corrective actions & JHA
Each finding includes consistent corrective actions and structured JHA outputs. Check items off as your crew resolves them.
Compliance scoring
Every inspection gets a deterministic 0-100 compliance score derived from hazard severity, so you can track sites at a glance.
A prioritization aid based on recorded findings—not a certification or a complete measure of site safety.
PDF & Excel exports
Generate detailed inspection reports and export data to Excel for record-keeping and stakeholders.
A qualified person must review AI-flagged items before making safety decisions. Do not replace required comprehensive safety walkthroughs with AI reports. Features, limits, and downloads depend on your account’s plan and permissions.
OSHA Scan in Action
See the workflow click into place
Illustrative AI-assisted workflows. Review the findings; they are not a compliance certification.
Always confirmed by a person on site
A scan is a fast first look, not the final word. Before treating this kind of area as safe, a competent person should still confirm:
- Every permit space has been identified, and exposed employees know where each one is
- Each permit space entrance has a posted danger sign or an equally effective warning
- Spaces your employees won't enter are physically secured, not just signed
- Open entrances are guarded, and every entry has a permit, testing, and an attendant
People also ask
Does OSHA require signs at permit-required confined spaces?
OSHA requires you to inform exposed employees of the existence, location, and danger of each permit space — by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means (29 CFR 1910.146(c)(2); in construction, 29 CFR 1926.1203(b)(1)). Signs are the most common way to do it, but the rule allows other equally effective methods.
What should a confined space sign say?
OSHA's note to the rule says a sign reading 'DANGER — PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER' or using similar language would satisfy the sign requirement. Many employers add the specific hazard, such as a toxic atmosphere or engulfment, and a second language if their workers need one.
Is a sign enough to keep employees out of a permit space?
Not by itself. If your employees won't enter permit spaces, OSHA requires effective measures to prevent entry, in addition to informing them (29 CFR 1910.146(c)(3)). Bolted or locked covers and barriers around open entrances are common examples. A sign tells people the danger is there; it doesn't stop someone who doesn't read it.
Do non-permit confined spaces need signs?
OSHA's sign requirement applies to permit-required confined spaces. A non-permit confined space doesn't contain the serious hazards that make a space permit-required, so the rule doesn't call for a danger sign there. If its use or configuration changes in a way that could increase the hazards, it must be re-evaluated (29 CFR 1910.146(c)(6)). Many employers label all confined spaces so workers can tell which is which.
Can OSHA Scan tell whether a space is a permit space?
No. Classifying a space takes an evaluation of its hazards, which a photo can't do. OSHA Scan reviews a photo for visible conditions — an open manhole with no barrier, a danger sign lying on the floor, a blower that isn't running — and gives each a possibly related standard and a corrective action. It's an AI-assisted second set of eyes and is not affiliated with OSHA.
Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial
This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.
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