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Confined Space Identification on Farms

Many farm workers do not realize that the places they enter every year count as confined spaces. Recognizing them is the first step in staying safe, and this guide explains the general idea.

What is a confined space?

In general terms, a confined space is an area big enough for a person to enter, with limited ways in or out, and not designed for people to stay in. Safety agencies use more detailed definitions, and the official wording is available from OSHA and NIOSH.

The concern is that these spaces can have hazards that are hard to see, such as unsafe air, material that can shift or equipment that can start. Some are also hard to leave quickly if something goes wrong.

The same space can be safe one day and hazardous the next, because conditions such as stored material, weather and nearby work change. Think of any space you must climb into, lower yourself into or crawl through as one to question first.

• Big enough to enter
• Limited openings
• Not made for people to stay in
• Check both inside and just outside openings

Which places on a farm may qualify?

Grain bins, silos, manure pits and tanks, hoppers, feed bins, pump pits, tunnels beneath equipment, large tanks and some trenches or culverts may fit the definition. A place does not need a lid to be dangerous.

Walk your property with fresh eyes and list every space that someone could climb into or crawl through. You may be surprised by how many there are.

Even a space that is only occasionally used, such as a seldom-opened tank, can carry the same risks.

• Grain bins and silos
• Manure pits, tanks and lagoons with covered areas
• Hoppers, bins and tanks
• Wells, pump pits and tunnels

Why do these spaces cause so many deaths?

The hazards are often invisible. Air can lack oxygen or contain gases that cannot be seen or smelled. Material such as grain or manure can trap and bury. Equipment can start. Many of these hazards occur together.

A frequent pattern is a second person entering to rescue the first and being overcome as well. Public safety reports describe this pattern again and again, which is why prevention and outside help matter so much.

• Oxygen shortage
• Toxic gases
• Burial or engulfment
• Moving equipment

How do you mark and control these spaces?

Once identified, spaces can be labeled with signs, covered, locked or otherwise controlled so that nobody enters casually. Make sure everyone knows that entering without a plan is not allowed.

Ask OSHA and your extension office about what labeling and control are appropriate for your operation. Do not assume that a hatch or lid is enough.

Locks and covers help, but they work best when combined with clear rules and training for everyone on the farm.

• Signs at each opening
• Locks or secure covers
• A written rule about entry

What are the rules?

OSHA has rules for confined spaces in general industry and construction, and special attention to agricultural and grain settings. Which rules apply depends on your type of operation, whether you have employees and your state.

Confirm with OSHA or your state safety agency. Do not guess based on what neighbors do.

Employees have rights to training and a safe workplace. Family farms should still consider the guidance, since it protects relatives too.

• OSHA confined space information
• State safety office
• Extension guidance

What should you do instead of entering?

Ask first whether the job can be done from outside. Tools, cameras, extended reach equipment and different scheduling can often remove the need for entry.

If entry is truly needed, treat it as a planned job with a written plan, trained people, air testing and an outside watcher. See the related guides on permits and atmospheric testing.

Document what you decide, so that the next person knows the reason for each restriction.

• Use tools from outside
• Hire trained contractors
• Change the schedule to avoid entry

Where can you learn more?

OSHA, NIOSH, university extension programs and agricultural safety organizations publish farm-specific confined space information and hands-on training.

If someone collapses in a confined space, call 911 and do not enter. Wait for trained responders.

Ask a nearby farm or cooperative whether they have a confined space program you can learn from.

• Hands-on courses near you
• University extension programs
• Cooperative and employer programs

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.