I am pretty confident in my position, but my friend and one hell of a safety pro has me second-guessing myself. So I thought this would be a good scenario to debate amongst the SAFTENG members. I will not bias the discussion with my position, but I will add mine after a dozen or so of you have stated yours. You can make your comments below “anonymously.”
Scenario:
I have a tank. Tank has a 32″ manway. There is no debate that this tank meets the three (3) criteria of a CS. The tank is a flammable liquid processing vessel, so there is no dispute that it is a PRCS.
The debate comes into play when the facility wants to install a barrier over the manway. Call it a screen/guard that will prevent entry into the PRCS. Whether it’s welded or hinged and locked, personnel will be blocked from entering the space. Of course, someone can cut it off and enter, but that is another debate/discussion.
The question at hand is:
Does the barrier/guard that prevents entry to the space change the classification from PRCS to “nothing”?
I.E., No need for a DANGER sign identifying the space as a PRCS, since no entry will be allowed due to the barrier/guard.