Confined Space Safety Programs & Entry-Permit Audits in Ontario
Written programs, permits and rescue plans that stand up to a Ministry of Labour inspection, delivered at a fixed fee.
Why Confined Space Programs Get Employers Charged
Most confined space charges in Ontario come down to paperwork that did not match what happened at the entry point. A missing hazard assessment, an entry permit that was never completed, or a rescue plan nobody had tested are the usual findings. Fines follow when a worker is hurt, but inspectors find the same gaps in routine visits.
O. Reg. 632/05 (Confined Spaces) requires employers to identify every confined space, assess its hazards, write an entry plan, issue a written permit, train workers and have rescue arrangements ready before anyone goes in. Construction projects fall under O. Reg. 213/91 instead, and some sites have both.
If a peer in your industry was recently fined, the useful question is not whether it could happen to you. It is whether your paperwork would hold up if it did.
A recent Ontario conviction
On September 1, 2026, Algoma Steel pleaded guilty in Sault Ste. Marie to failing to ensure compliance with section 17 of the confined spaces regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It was fined $200,000, plus a $50,000 victim surcharge. The charge followed the June 2023 death of Damien Bryant, a contract worker employed by a Sudbury contractor, who was found unconscious inside a coke oven gas pipeline during a planned shutdown. Warning signs were not in place at the time. (Source: Northern Ontario Business, September 2, 2026.)
The court heard the workers had training and had been told not to enter the pipe. The conviction turned on a basic control: securing the space or posting warnings. It is the kind of gap an audit finds before an inspector does.
Quick Facts
What the Program and Permit Audit Covers
One scoped engagement, one price, a ranked list of what to fix.
Inventory & Hazard Assessments
We walk your sites, confirm which spaces qualify, and check each written assessment against what is physically there.
Entry Plans & Permits
We test your entry plan and sample completed permits for gas testing, isolation, attendant and communication records.
Rescue & Training
We check that rescue arrangements are realistic and practised, and that worker and attendant training records are current.
Where gaps exist, we write the missing program documents ourselves. Workers can complete Confined Space Awareness training online. For a wider review, see our Ontario COR certification guide or all consulting services.
Get a Fixed-Fee Quote for Your Sites
Tell us how many sites and confined spaces you have. We will confirm scope on a short call and send one price.
Confined Space FAQs
Does Ontario require a written entry permit for confined spaces?
Under O. Reg. 632/05, employers must assess each confined space, prepare a written entry plan, and issue a written entry permit before a worker enters. Construction projects are covered by the separate requirements in O. Reg. 213/91, so the right rules depend on your workplace.
What does an entry-permit audit cover?
We review your confined space inventory, hazard assessments, written plans, permits from recent entries, atmospheric testing records, attendant and rescue arrangements, and worker training records. You get a gap list ranked by risk.
How is the fixed fee set?
The fee depends on the number of confined spaces and sites, and how much documentation already exists. We scope it after a short call and quote one price before work starts.
Do you replace our rescue provider?
No. We check that your rescue plan is realistic and tested, and that the provider you rely on can reach each space in time. We do not provide on-site rescue.