1910.146(d)(4): Permit Space Equipment at No Cost
Employers must provide, maintain and ensure proper use of permit-required confined space equipment at no cost to employees, including testing and monitoring, ventilating, communications, lighting, barriers, ladders for entry and exit, rescue and emergency equipment, PPE where controls are not enough, and any other equipment needed for safe entry and rescue.
Key takeaways
- 1910.146(d)(4) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart J).
- OSHA cited it 66 times in the last 3 years, in 48 inspections, with $283,519 in current penalties.
- 4 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: TX (13), OH (7), TN (6).
- Related part: 1910.146(d) Permit-required confined space program (480 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.146(d)(4) is one requirement inside 1910.146 Permit-required confined spaces, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart J). It includes 9 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(4) Provide the following equipment (specified in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) through (d)(4)(ix) of this section) at no cost to employees, maintain that equipment properly, and ensure that employees use that equipment properly: 66 citations
(i) Testing and monitoring equipment needed to comply with paragraph (d)(5) of this section; Open (d)(4)(i) 33 citations
(ii) Ventilating equipment needed to obtain acceptable entry conditions; 8 citations
(iii) Communications equipment necessary for compliance with paragraphs (h)(3) and (i)(5) of this section; 3 citations
(iv) Personal protective equipment insofar as feasible engineering and work practice controls do not adequately protect employees;
(v) Lighting equipment needed to enable employees to see well enough to work safely and to exit the space quickly in an emergency;
(vi) Barriers and shields as required by paragraph (d)(3)(v) of this section.
(vii) Equipment, such as ladders, needed for safe ingress and egress by authorized entrants; Open (d)(4)(vii) 4 citations
(viii) Rescue and emergency equipment needed to comply with paragraph (d)(9) of this section, except to the extent that the equipment is provided by rescue services; and Open (d)(4)(viii) 6 citations
(ix) Any other equipment necessary for safe entry into and rescue from permit spaces. Open (d)(4)(ix) 2 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.146.
Injuries linked to this rule
4 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.146(d)(4).
At approximately 9:34 a.m. on January 10, 2025, an employee was directed to enter a 23,737-gallon rail tank car containing residues of PCBs and transformer oil to obtain wipe samples of the interior surfaces. The rail tank car was a permit-required confined space. The employee…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2025 | 16 |
| 2026 | 25 |
Top states: TX (13), OH (7), TN (6), IL (6), KS (4)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| CLEAN HARBORS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC. | TWINSBURG, OH | $49,650 |
| H2O INNOVATION OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE, LLC | TRINITY, TX | $33,100 |
| GREAT LAKES TANK & VESSEL LLC | LODI, OH | $32,265 |
| FLEETPRIDE INC. | CORPUS CHRISTI, TX | $16,550 |
| PSC CUSTOM, LLC | FRIENDLY, WV | $15,000 |
Free toolbox talk
A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.146(d)(4), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.146(d)(4).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.146(d) Permit-required confined space program 480 citations
- 1910.146(d)(3) 107 citations
- 1910.146(d)(5) 91 citations
- 1910.146(d)(9) 63 citations
- 1910.146(d)(5)(i) 58 citations
- 1910.146(d)(2) 40 citations
- 1910.146(d)(4)(i) 33 citations
- 1910.146(d)(6) 31 citations
- 1910.146(d)(14) 23 citations
- 1910.146(d)(10) 17 citations
- 1910.146(d)(1) 16 citations
- 1910.146(d)(3)(iii) 15 citations
Get your crew competent
Trainers on Black Belt Safety: Marc Harvey, Dana Reyes
Trainers and suppliers: feature your business on this rule for $25/month.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for confined space equipment?
The employer must provide it at no cost to employees.
What equipment is required?
Testing and monitoring, ventilating, communications, PPE, lighting, barriers and shields, ingress and egress equipment such as ladders, rescue and emergency equipment, and any other needed equipment.
When is PPE required?
Insofar as feasible engineering and work practice controls do not adequately protect employees.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.146 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.