Permit required confined spaces have long been – and still are – the leading cause of multiple fatalities in the workplace. According to investigations of confined space incidents by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):

• 60% of confined-space fatalities are would-be rescuers.
• 85% of the time a SUPERVISOR was present.
• 29% of the dead were SUPERVISORS.
• 31% had WRITTEN Confined Space Entry PROCEDURES.
• 0% used the WRITTEN PROCEDURES.
• 15% had Confined Space TRAINING.
• 0% had a RESCUE PLAN.
• 60% of “WOULD-BE” RESCUERS died.
• 95% were AUTHORIZED by supervision.
• 0% of the spaces were TESTED prior to entry.
• 0% were VENTILATED.

Source: https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2018/08/01/We-Must-Change-the-Statistics-of-Confined-Space-Injuries-and-Fatalities.aspx?Page=1