Plan for Controlling Hazards
Once the hazards have been identified in the assessment, a competent person must develop a plan to eliminate or control the hazards.

How does the law define a “Competent Person”?

Competent Person means a person who:
a) is qualified because of knowledge, training and experience to organize
the work and its performance
b) is familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the
regulations that apply to the work, and
c) has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health and safety in
the workplace.

The primary objective of the plan is to eliminate the hazard before entry.

If this is not possible, then controls, measures, and procedures must be put in place to ensure that workers are not in danger.
If confined spaces are of similar construction and present the same hazards, a single plan can be used. Still, the individual confined spaces must be identified in both the hazard assessment and the plan.

The Plan is the program element with the most regulatory requirements
attached to it. The regulation outlines 11 mandatory requirements that must be contained in the plan:
1. Duties of workers
2. Coordination document (prepared by the constructor) if workers of more than one contractor enter the same confined space
3. On-site rescue procedures
4. Rescue equipment (inspected by a competent worker) and methods of
communication
5. Protective clothing and protective equipment
6. Isolation of energy and control of material movement
7. Attendants
8. Adequate means of access and egress (entry and exit)
9. Atmospheric testing (conducted by a competent worker)
10. Adequate procedures for working in the presence of explosive or
flammable substances
11. Ventilation and purging.
We will review each of these requirements in the following lessons.