What this is
What is an entry attendant log?
What is an entry attendant log?
It is the record an attendant keeps, live, throughout a confined space entry: who is inside, when they went in, when they came out, whether communication checks were answered, and whether an evacuation was ever called. It exists to demonstrate that someone was watching the space the entire time anyone was inside it.
Who fills it in?
The attendant, and only the attendant, while stationed at the entry point. It is not completed by the entry supervisor from a distance or reconstructed afterwards, because its value depends on the entries and checks being recorded as they happen, not remembered later.
Why does the log matter if the permit already authorised the entry?
The permit authorises the entry in advance. The log is the evidence of what actually happened during it, which is what an investigation needs if something goes wrong, and what a relief attendant needs to take over safely mid-entry.
Scope
When is an entry attendant log required?
This log records what happened during a confined space entry that a permit already authorised. It is not the permit, the atmospheric record, or the register of the space itself.
Use this template when
- A confined space entry authorised by a permit is about to begin, or is currently under way
- An attendant is stationed at the entry point and needs a live record of entrants, times and checks
- A relief attendant is taking over mid-entry and the handover needs to be documented
- An evacuation is called during an entry and the response needs to be recorded against the entry it interrupted
- A linked permit needs this log to exist as the evidence of attendant coverage
Do not use it for
- Confined Space Entry Permit, which authorises the entry in advance and carries the risk assessment this log does not repeat
- Confined Space Register, which lists every confined space on site, its hazards and its classification, not any single entry
- Atmospheric Test Record, which records the gas readings themselves, referenced here only as a pass or fail
- Confined Space Rescue Drill Record, which records a practised rescue, not a live entry
- General non-entry attendance, such as a standby person on a routine permit, which belongs on that permit's own compliance record
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.146(i) requirements does this satisfy?
OSHA 1910.146(i) sets out the attendant's duties in specific, enumerated terms, which makes this one of the few instruments in the permit-to-work programme with a genuinely prescriptive clause behind almost every field.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant remains outside the permit space during entry operations, relief only by a properly briefed replacement | Header |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant maintains an accurate count of authorised entrants and knows who is inside the space at all times | Entry and exit |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant maintains communication with entrants as necessary to monitor their status and to alert them of the need to evacuate | Communication checks |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant orders evacuation whenever a prohibited condition, behavioural effect or other hazard requiring evacuation is detected | Events |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant performs non-entry rescue when specified in the permit space program, without entering the space | Events |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant summons rescue and other emergency services as soon as it is determined entrants may need assistance to escape | Events |
| OSHA 1910.146(i) | Attendant confirms all entrants have left the space and the space is secured on completion of entry operations | Closure |
What it does not cover
- The confined space entry permit, which authorises the entry and carries its own hazard assessment, isolation and atmospheric testing requirements ahead of this log.
- Atmospheric testing itself, which is performed and recorded on the dedicated atmospheric test record, referenced here only as a pass, partial or fail result.
- Rescue execution, which is governed by the site's rescue plan and performed by trained rescuers, not documented as a narrative on this log beyond the fact that it was summoned.
- Attendant training itself, which is verified through competency records, this log only confirms the attendant on duty was trained at the point of entry.
- Space classification and hazard register, which live on the confined space register and are assumed correct by the time an entry against this log begins.
Global
Entry Attendant Log requirements by country
Attendant duties are unusually specific and unusually American in origin. Other regimes require a standby function for confined space work but rarely enumerate the attendant's obligations in the same clause-by-clause detail.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146(i), Permit-Required Confined Spaces
Attendant duties are listed explicitly: remain outside, maintain count and communication, order evacuation, summon rescue, perform only non-entry rescue.
Each enumerated duty is independently citable; a log missing checks or headcount evidence exposes a specific, named violation rather than a general inadequacy.
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, and L101 Approved Code of Practice
A safe system of work must include arrangements for a person outside to raise the alarm and initiate rescue, without the same enumerated duty list as OSHA.
UK practice converges on the same behaviour, continuous standby, communication, rescue initiation, but the record can be structured more flexibly than the US format.
ISO 45001, general operational control provisions
No confined-space-specific clause; entry attendance is controlled as a high-risk activity under general management system requirements.
A certified system still needs to show the control operates as designed, and this log is the operating evidence, even where the standard does not name the attendant role.
How to complete it
How to complete an entry attendant log, step by step
Every field on this log maps to a specific attendant duty. The judgement calls below are the ones the fields alone do not enforce.
A cluster of checks with identical timestamps, or all filled in near the end of the entry, is a sign the attendant stepped away from the record even if not from the post. The check's value is entirely in its timing, and timing cannot be reconstructed honestly afterwards.
A communication check exists to catch the entrant who has stopped being all right. Logging a late response and continuing is only correct once the delay is resolved; the safer default is to escalate immediately and downgrade after confirming status.
Coverage at the entry point must never lapse, including during a shift change. Record the relief attendant by name, confirm both agree on who is currently inside, and treat any headcount disagreement as grounds to pause entry.
Closing the log on the assumption that everyone who went in has come out reverses the actual check. The headcount against the entrant list has to be confirmed as a condition of closure, not recorded as a formality once the crew has left.
What auditors find
Most common entry attendant log findings
Because the attendant's duties are so specifically enumerated, findings against this log tend to be findings against a named duty rather than a vague documentation gap.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Gaps in communication checks longer than the entry's stated interval, unexplained. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Set and enforce a maximum interval between checks, and log a reason for any gap that exceeds it. |
| Attendant recorded as away from the entry point with entrants still inside, no relief named. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Treat any unrelieved absence from the entry point as an evacuation trigger, not a brief interruption. |
| Currently Inside status does not match the entry and exit times for the same person. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Reconcile status against times at every check; a mismatch means the headcount cannot be trusted. |
| Relief handover recorded with no headcount agreed between outgoing and incoming attendant. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Require both attendants to confirm the entrant count and sign the handover before the outgoing one leaves. |
| Evacuation called with no record of rescue services being summoned, or of the outcome. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Log the time rescue was summoned and the time the space was confirmed clear, not just that it occurred. |
| Final headcount and space secured recorded without the closing signatures required. | OSHA 1910.146(i) | Do not accept a closure record without both attendant and entry supervisor signature confirming it. |
Case in point
Case in point: the log that stopped ten minutes early
A maintenance crew entered a storage vessel for a routine inspection, with an attendant logging communication checks every ten minutes as the site procedure required. The checks were recorded faithfully for the first forty minutes. With the job apparently winding down, the attendant stepped away to help bring equipment to the vehicle, expecting to be back before the next check was due.
The attendant returned four minutes late and found one entrant unresponsive, overcome by a slow build-up of gas the pre-entry test had not detected. The four-minute gap was the only interruption in an otherwise complete log, and it was the four minutes that mattered. The corrective action was not a stricter checking interval; it was making clear the attendant's post has no acceptable reason to be unstaffed while anyone remains inside.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
5 sections
- Reference
- SAF-107
- Archetype
- Log
- Record ID
- ATT-2026-000
- Scoring
- Not scored
- Direction
- n/a
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.146(i)
- Links
- Links Permit
- Tags
- Confined space
- Sections
- 5
- Fields
- 34
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 2
- Links out
- 4
Header
12 fieldsLog ID*
Auto sequence. Format ATT-2026-0000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Permit ID*
Links to SAF-049 Permit ID
Space ID*
Links to SAF-105 Space ID
Attendant*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
The Attendant Never Leaves
While anybody is inside, the attendant stays at the entry point. Not to fetch a tool, not to answer a radio elsewhere, not to help. This log is the evidence somebody was watching.
Attendant Trained*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Relief Attendant Named
Handover Procedure Understood*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Entry and exit
Repeats5 fieldsEntrant*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Time In*
Time Out
Currently Inside*
Communication checks
Repeats6 fieldsCheck Time*
Method*
Response Received*
- Yes3 pts
- Late1 pt
- No0 pts
Atmosphere Reading Taken*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Reading Within Limits*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Any Concern Noted
Events
4 fieldsEvacuation Called*
- No3 pts
- Yes0 pts
Reason
Everyone Out Within Two Minutes
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Case ID
Thread key
Closure
7 fieldsFinal Headcount Matches Entrant List*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Space Secured*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Log Closed At*
Attendant*
Signature*
Entry Supervisor*
Second Signature*
SAF-107 · record IDs look like ATT-2026-000 · Links Permit
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The log itself is simple to keep. What fails is continuity across handovers and the link back to the permit it belongs to.
Holds the confined space register and permit against this log, and flags an entry with no active attendant log while its permit is still open.
Watches for gaps between communication checks past the stated interval and raises an alert rather than waiting for the closure record to reveal it.
Confirms the attendant on duty holds current confined space attendant training before the entry begins, not after a gap is found.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Entry Attendant Log definitions and key terms
- Attendant
- The person stationed outside a permit-required confined space for the duration of an entry, responsible for monitoring entrants, maintaining communication and initiating evacuation or rescue if needed.
- Non-entry rescue
- Retrieval of an entrant from outside the space, typically using a retrieval line and harness, performed without the attendant entering the space themselves.
- Currently inside
- The live status field tracking whether a named entrant is presently in the space, which must be reconciled against entry and exit times at every check.
- Relief attendant
- A trained replacement who takes over the attendant role during an ongoing entry, with coverage at the entry point required to be continuous through the handover.
- Prohibited condition
- Any condition inside the space not allowed under the permit, such as an atmosphere outside acceptable limits, that requires the attendant to order immediate evacuation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about entry attendant log
Can the attendant step away if all entrants are on a break outside the space?+
Once the space is confirmed empty, the continuous-presence duty for that entry pauses, and this should be logged as such. The risk this log catches is an attendant leaving while entrants are still inside, not one leaving an empty space.
How often should communication checks happen?+
Frequently enough that a problem is caught before it becomes unrecoverable, an interval set by the hazard rather than a fixed default. A vessel with a slow-developing atmospheric risk needs tighter checks than a dry mechanical space, and the interval should be stated on the permit.
What should the attendant do if a communication check gets no response?+
Treat it as possible incapacitation and escalate immediately, calling out again, then ordering evacuation or summoning rescue if there is still no response. The log should show the escalation, not just the failed check.
Does the attendant ever enter the space?+
Only for non-entry rescue, and even that is retrieval from outside using a line, not entry. An attendant entering the space removes the one person monitoring the entry and has caused double-fatality incidents; that is why the duty is written as non-entry.
What happens to the log if the entry is suspended and resumed later the same day?+
Treat resumption as a fresh entry: reconfirm the entrant list, re-verify conditions, and do not assume the earlier checks still apply. Conditions inside a space can change materially between suspension and resumption.
Who signs the log at closure?+
The attendant and the entry supervisor both sign, because closure asserts two things: the attendant's own count matches the entrant list, and the supervisor accepts the space is secured. One signature without the other leaves something unverified.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Permit to Work
Contractor Permit Compliance Check
Checks that a contractor working under permit is doing what the permit says, at the work point
Hot Work Permit
Controls welding, cutting, grinding and any work that makes sparks or heat
Confined Space Entry Permit
Controls entry into tanks, pits, silos and other confined spaces
Energy Isolation Permit
Controls work where machinery must be shut down and locked out
Working at Height Permit
Controls work above the height set by local rules where fall protection is needed
Excavation Permit
Controls digging and trenching, including checks for buried services
More in Confined Spaces
Confined Space Register
Lists every confined space on site, its hazards, its classification and its entry requirements
Atmospheric Test Record
Records gas readings taken before and during confined space entry, covering oxygen, flammables and toxics
Confined Space Rescue Drill Record
Records a practice rescue from a confined space, including time to reach and recover the casualty
Confined Space Reclassification Review
Reviews whether a space can safely be moved to a lower classification, or must be moved up
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146(i) — Duties of attendants, permit-required confined spaces
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146(d) — Permit space program requirements
- Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 (UK) and Approved Code of Practice L101
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.