6160 Confined spaces scheme overview

The 6160 Confined Spaces Scheme has made a clear demarcation between ‘Entrants’ and ‘Supervisors’. Entrants are the workers going inside the chambers. ‘Supervisors’ and ‘Managers’, are those controlling people going inside the chambers and / or office staff.

01 low risk, 02 medium risk, 03 high risk and 08 rescue team members, these are for Entrant courses. They concentrate on the equipment required and how to perform the entry into the various levels of chambers. The 01, 02, 03, are all entry level and standalone courses. The 03 high risk is a prerequisite for the 08 rescue team member course. Delegates for the 03 and 08 courses must be clean shaven.

04 entry controller, 05 supervising teams undertaking work, 06 plan manage review legislation and safety, 07 direct emergency rescue and recovery of casualties. These are all supervisory and managerial courses. They concentrate on the paperwork required and the formalities of getting people in and out of the chambers safely.

The 04 entry controller is a standalone entry level course.

The 02 medium risk or 03 high risk are prerequisites for the 05 supervising teams undertaking work in confined spaces.

The 06 Plan manage and review legislative and safety compliance is primarily an office-based job. Suited for an experienced confined space worker & health and safety worker. They will hold a portfolio of work experience and you must hold a formal H&S qualification.

The 08 rescue team member is a prerequisite for the 07 direct emergency rescue & recovery.

It also looks at controlling paperwork and documentation for large sites such as hospitals, universities and MOD establishments. These will all control multiple confined spaces. In some cases, this will be the duty of your H&S experts also known as an ‘AP’ Authorised Person.