So I posed the question to over 30,000 safety pros across my LinkedIn and Facebook groups and SAFTENG members, and as I suspected, there was a lively debate on this matter. I have received numerous requests to break down the evaluation like I have done for other “tricky” spaces that fall outside the traditional CS/PRCS…...
My Evaluation of the CNC Machine as a CS/PRCS Read More »
The image below is just one I found on the internet, but it is a good representation of the ones I have seen and worked with. Today, during an audit, I was asked by the EHS pro, if I thought there large CNC machines were Confined Spaces/Permit-Required Confined Spaces. At first, I said I did…...
Is a large CNC Machine a PRCS? Read More »
On July 2, 2007, Employee #1, a farmer, was pumping liquid cow manure from a covered holding pit. The pump clogged, and he descended the ladder into the pit to free the pump. Employee #1 was asphyxiated due to a lack of oxygen and the presence of methane from the manure. Employee #2, a farm…...
Two explosions, two hours apart, sent two (2) workers of a storage tank sales and servicing company to the hospital, one with severe burns. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is fining the Des Moines, Wash. business $166,423 for ignoring rules that keep workers safe. A resort on the Kitsap Peninsula hired the…...
If at first you do not fail, try-try again! Read More »
In 2021, I wrote an article regarding OSHA’s Permit-Required Confined Space standard and reclassifying PRCSs to a Non-PRCS status. This article centered on the keyword “potential” when discussing a hazardous atmosphere. The intent of that article (Defining and Quantifying “potential hazardous atmosphere”) was to clarify when/how a POTENTIAL was present to create a Hazardous Atmosphere…....
The owner (58) of an auto wash facility and a worker (54) died of suspected asphyxiation after the duo rescued another worker, who had fainted inside the empty chemical cargo tank of a lorry while cleaning it. According to the police, the tanker lorry driver (48) took the vehicle to the wash facility for cleaning…....
Sad state of affairs… At 2:15 p.m. on December 7, 2023, an employee working as a pipefitter for a shipyard was tasked to inspect JP5 tanks to ensure they were safe for a permit required confined space entry and then assist with troubleshooting a repair connection. The employee entered a tank and was overcome by…...
Entry Supervisor dies in Oxygen-Deficient atmosphere Read More »
This video was produced as a companion product to IL OSHA’s report on the Deming Incident where a 20-year-old maintenance worker drowned in an underground vault during an attempt to repair a water main valve. IL OSHA encourages all municipal water departments that enter confined spaces to supplement their employer-specific training curriculum with this video…...
IL-OSHA PRCS Video (Water Valve Pit) Read More »
In February 2023, a 20-year-old maintenance worker drowned in a water main vault that flooded during the attempted repair of a leaking valve. IL OSHA determined multiple contributing factors led to the drowning, including: ➡️ Lack of compliance with several confined space standards. ➡️ Lack of oversight and auditing by management. ➡️ Lack of rescue…...
IL-OSHA report on 20-year-old maintenance worker who drowned in a water main vault Read More »
Establishment Size: All sizesStandard: 1910.146 Permit-Required Confined Space OSHA’s Data on 1910.146 – October 2023 through September 2024… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
OSHA’s Data on 1910.146 – October 2023 through September 2024 Read More »
A permit-required confined space (PRCS) may be reclassified as a non-permit space under the following conditions as outlined in 1926.1203(g): There is no actual or potential atmospheric hazard within the space.This means that there are no atmospheric hazards in the space, and none will develop during the entry period. Use of forced air ventilation to…...
OSHA Guidance on the Reclassification of Permit-Required Confined Spaces (PRCS) Read More »
Does the Standard impose additional requirements on “permit-required confined spaces” beyond those imposed for “confined spaces”? Yes…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
Finally OSHA says it straight! (PRCS) Read More »
