When does limited egress make an enclosed space a confined space? In a Letter of Interpretation (LOI), Occupational Safety and Health Administration has defined the maximum step into a space to be considered limited entry or egress: “some special means of access such as ladders, and temporary, movable, spiral, or articulated stairs are needed to enter the space, they may be considered a limited or restricted means of egress making the space confined under the standard. Therefore, stepping into furnaces, which would require more than one step (9.5 inches) to climb up, may be considered limited or restricted means for entry or exit.” So, if the entrant can step straight in and the lip of the entry is less than 9.5”, the space would not be considered to have limited entry or egress.
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