Recently we were performing an evaluation of a facility’s Confined Spaces and assessing if any were Permit-Required Confined Spaces and we came across this space. I immediately knew that the winch was NOT intended for personnel and was installed for pulling the pumps in this lift station.
However, my escort, the facility safety person (and I use that term loosely), was just adamant that I was wrong and that the winch was indeed rated for personnel. So to make this a “teaching moment I referred them to 1926.1203(e)(2)(viii) which they did not even know existed. For those not familiar with OSHA’s Construction Standard on Confined Spaces, here is what (e)(2)(viii) states:
1926.1203(e)(2)(viii) The employer must ensure a safe method of entering and exiting the space. If a hoisting system is used, it must be designed and manufactured for personnel hoisting; however, a job-made hoisting system is permissible if it is approved for personnel hoisting by a registered professional engineer, in writing, prior to use.
As you can imagine, I put the burden on them to provide me the documentation from the manufacturer or a Registered PE that the winch is indeed rated as a personnel hoist. As they went to gather their information, I simply knelt down and snapped these two pics for when it came time for me to present my side of the story…
