A non-permit required confined space entry form is the written record showing that a confined space has been evaluated, tested, and confirmed free of hazards capable of causing death or serious physical harm before workers go inside. To fill one out correctly, test the atmosphere in the right order, verify every hazard category is absent, then record the space’s identification, the entry details, the test readings, the isolation controls in place, the names of authorized entrants, and the signature of a qualified entry supervisor before anyone crosses the opening.
The form is federally mandated in one specific scenario: when an employer reclassifies a previously permit-required space to non-permit under 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(7). For spaces that were never permit-required, OSHA does not prescribe a form, but most employers use one anyway because a written record protects the company and the workers if anything goes wrong.1Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces
Confirm the Space Actually Qualifies as Non-Permit
Before filling out anything, verify the space is genuinely non-permit. A non-permit confined space is a confined space that does not contain, and for atmospheric hazards does not have the potential to contain, any hazard capable of causing death or serious physical harm.1Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces All four hazard categories must be absent:
- No hazardous atmosphere: no toxic gases, flammable vapors, combustible dust, oxygen below 19.5 percent, or oxygen above 23.5 percent.
- No engulfment risk from loose materials such as grain, sand, or water.
- No converging walls or downward-sloping floors that could trap a worker.
- No other serious hazards such as unguarded machinery, exposed electrical components, or extreme temperatures.
External hazards count. If vehicle exhaust, a nearby chemical vent, or a connected pipe could introduce a dangerous atmosphere into the space, it does not qualify as non-permit no matter what the readings show at the moment of testing. One more limit worth flagging: controlling an atmospheric hazard with forced-air ventilation does not eliminate it. A space managed through ventilation alone stays permit-required, and OSHA provides a separate alternate-entry procedure under paragraph (c)(5) for those situations.2eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: 1910.146(c)(7) Note
If any hazard exists or could develop while someone is inside, stop. This is not the right form.
What Goes in Each Field
A thorough non-permit entry form covers the following, in enough detail that a reader who was not there could reconstruct what conditions existed at the time of entry.
Space identification. Write the exact name and physical location of the space. Be specific enough that no one could confuse it with a different area on the same site: building, floor, tank number, equipment tag, the works.
Date, time, and duration. Record when work will begin and how long it is expected to last. If the work extends into a new shift or a new day, the space should be re-evaluated and the form re-issued.
Purpose of entry. State what work is being done inside: routine cleaning, equipment inspection, painting, and so on. The nature of the work affects what hazards could develop during entry.
Atmospheric test results. Record oxygen concentration, combustible gas level, and toxic gas readings. Note the time each reading was taken and identify the instrument used. Numbers matter here; write down the actual values, not just “acceptable” or “safe.”
Hazard controls in place. Describe every step taken to isolate energy sources: lockout/tagout on electrical breakers, closed and tagged valves on connected piping, blanked pipe connections, secured mechanical equipment.3Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: Isolation Definition A generic “LOTO applied” is thin; identify what was locked out and by whom.
Names of entrants. List every person authorized to enter during that work period. Anyone not on the list should not go in.
Supervisor authorization. The entry supervisor or safety officer signs to certify the space is safe. Each authorized entrant should also sign to acknowledge they understand the conditions.
OSHA’s appendices to 1910.146 include example permit forms, and many employers adapt those into a simplified non-permit template maintained by their safety department.
Atmospheric Testing: What to Do Before You Write the Numbers
Even though a non-permit space should be free of atmospheric hazards, pre-entry testing confirms the assumption with hard numbers. Test in this order: oxygen first, then combustible gases and vapors, then toxic contaminants. The order exists because instruments for combustible gases need adequate oxygen to read accurately, and some toxic gas sensors behave the same way.4Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1926.1204 – Permit-Required Confined Space Program
Acceptable readings for a non-permit space:
- Oxygen between 19.5 and 23.5 percent by volume.
- Combustible gas below 10 percent of its lower explosive limit.
- Toxic substances below OSHA’s permissible exposure limits for each specific contaminant.1Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces
Any reading outside those ranges means the space fails non-permit classification. You need a full permit program, not this form.
The instrument matters as much as the numbers. OSHA recommends verifying a direct-reading monitor’s operational capability before each day of use and performing calibration checks with a known traceable gas concentration daily, or more often as conditions warrant.5Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Calibrating and Testing Direct-Reading Monitors Keep calibration records for the life of each monitor; drifting instruments give dangerously wrong readings before they fail outright.
Sign It, Post It, Then Enter
Fill out the form after testing but before anyone enters. Record the readings while they are fresh and note the exact time each measurement was taken. The entry supervisor or a qualified safety officer reviews the completed form, confirms the readings and controls are adequate, and signs. Each authorized entrant signs to acknowledge the conditions.
Once signed, post the form at the entrance to the space so it is visible to anyone approaching the opening. Leave it posted for the duration of the work. When the job is done and everyone has exited, remove the form and file it.
Who Is Qualified to Sign
The person signing off is not just anyone with a clipboard. For reclassification determinations, OSHA requires the person making the determination to sign the certification, which implies knowledge and authority to assess hazards competently. OSHA defines a competent person as someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the work environment and who has the authority to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them.6Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Clarification of Competent and Qualified Person, as it Relates to Subpart P That means hands-on experience with the specific types of spaces at your site, not just a training certificate.
Reclassifying a Permit Space to Non-Permit
This is the scenario where the form crosses from best practice into federal requirement. Under 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(7), if a permit-required space has no atmospheric hazards and all other hazards have been eliminated without anyone entering, the employer may reclassify it as non-permit for as long as the hazards stay eliminated.7eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: 1910.146(c)(7)
If someone has to enter the space to remove the hazards, that initial entry must follow the full permit-required procedures under paragraphs (d) through (k) of the standard. Only after testing and inspection during that entry confirm the hazards are gone can the space be reclassified.8eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: 1910.146(c)(7)(ii)
The written certification for a reclassification must contain three specific elements: the date of the determination, the location of the space, and the signature of the person making the determination.9Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: 1910.146(c)(7)(iii) The certification must also document the basis for concluding all hazards have been eliminated, and it must be available to every employee entering the space or their authorized representative. Posting it at the entrance is the easiest way to satisfy that requirement.
If Conditions Change During Entry
If any hazard develops in a space that was reclassified from permit-required to non-permit, every employee inside must exit immediately. The employer then re-evaluates the space and determines whether it needs to go back to permit-required status.10Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.146 – Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Section: 1910.146(c)(7)(iv)
Even in a space that was never permit-required, unexpected conditions can emerge: a broken pipe introduces fumes, a temperature change shifts oxygen readings, nearby work generates combustible dust. Train workers to recognize warning signs like unusual odors, dizziness, or difficulty breathing and to leave without hesitation. Re-test the atmosphere before allowing anyone back in. If the readings no longer support non-permit status, stop work and bring in the permit-required program.
How Long to Keep the Form
For non-permit entry forms, the regulation does not set a minimum retention period. Reclassification certifications under paragraph (c)(7) must remain available for as long as the reclassification is in effect. Keeping completed non-permit entry forms on file for at least a year is a widely followed best practice; during an inspection, those records demonstrate that the company evaluated each space before sending workers inside.
As of January 2025, OSHA can assess up to $16,550 per serious or other-than-serious violation and up to $165,514 for willful or repeated violations.11Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA Penalties Confined space citations frequently land in the serious category because the potential consequences are inherently life-threatening. An accurate, signed, and filed entry form is one of the simplest ways to show an inspector that the program is functioning.