Permit Required Confined Spaces

At 1:30 p.m. on May 14, 2000, an employee was painting the inside a 200,000-gallon potable water storage tank. At some point, the employee collapsed and was rescued from the space by two coworkers who provided CPR until emergency medical services arrived. The employee died of Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart). Even though this death was NOT…...

On or about May 28th, 2020 at approximately 15:30 hours three (3) employees were exposed to fire and explosion hazards when a remediation repair (on a produced water tank) involved a grinder for preparing the surface and a heat gun for preparing an epoxy on a tank which had accumulated hydrocarbon vapors from the produced…...

At 9:00 a.m. on May 29, 2020, Employee #1 and #2, coworkers, discussed entry into a manhole to clear a blockage. Employee #1 entered into the manhole without personal protective equipment, without training, and without performing any air quality testing. Employee #1 successfully placed the line to clear the blockage and began to climb out…....

At approximately 4:00 a.m. on March 29, 2020, an employee was installing a blind on a flange on a reactor. Then, the probe stem fell inside of the reactor, and the employee tried to fish it out. Using a ladder, the employee went inside the reactor that was NOT cleared for entry because the reactor…...

The word “potential” is defined by Merriam-Webster as: existing in possibility : capable of development into actuality In OSHA’s PRCS standards (both 1910 and 1926 versions) it uses the word “potential” when talking about atmospheric hazards; especially when we are talking about RECLASSIFYING a PRCS to a NON-PRCS using 1910.146(c)(7) or 1926.1203(g) 1926.1203(g)(1) If the permit…...

So OSHA made some serious improvements in their latest Construction Standard, 1926.1201-.1213, for confined spaces.  But there is another option to “upgrade” our efforts for entry safety practices and that is NFPA 326 – Standard for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair. … Membership Required You must be a member to...

At 9:50 a.m. on June 5, 2018, Employee #1 was in an 8 foot by 8-foot pit that was approximately 10 feet deep, cleaning out built-up sediment using a brush and 5-gallon bucket. Employee #1 was being helped by Employee #2, who was dumping the waste outside of the building that the pit was in…....

NOTE: this incident happened long BEFORE OSHA had 1910.146 in place… At about 3:30 p.m. on October 10, 1986, Employee #1, a self contractor, arrived to inspect the sawmill’s fire protection sprinkler system backflow valve located in an underground vault 8 ft deep by 6 ft wide by 12 ft long with a 31 in…....