The Denver Regional Office brought to our attention a fatal accident involving a 20-pound propane cylinder regulator that broke off when the cylinder fell. The regulator was vulnerable to this kind of damage because it protruded past the cylinder’s protective collar. Using unguarded regulators on propane cylinders appears to be a common practice on construction […]
OSHA determined that an Arkansas construction contractor failed to test oxygen levels in the confined space before two workers entered a sewer 20 feet below ground at an Edmund work site and died because of a lack of oxygen. The investigation into the June 14, 2022, incident found that an employee climbed into a newly
MINE FATALITY – On October 7, 2022, a mechanic was fatally injured when engulfed in the material after entering an air separator to clear a blockage. Best Practices
Recently a trade organization issued a guide on working in Permit Required Confined Spaces specific to their industry. The organization took a sentence from NFPA’s Guide on Confined Spaces (NFPA 350) and used it as justification to circumvent OSHA’s minimum standard on entry into PRCSs (1910.146 and 1926.1201-.1213). l have received over a dozen questions
The April 2022 incident that was reported as “two (2) men down on the property” was actually a PRCS accident involving a railcar at the repair facility. IN-OSHA released its findings last month and issued $113,400 to the business. One worker passed away, and the other survived. Here is a breakdown of IN-OSHA’s PRCS citations:
On April 21, 2021, two employees were working inside a rail tank car that had previously contained pressurized propane. The two employees were conducting ultrasonic testing on the welds of the interior of the tank car. Employee one exited the tank manway and expressed concern that he was starting to smell something. Employee three, the
At 4:45 p.m. on August 14, 2015, Employee #1, a maintenance worker, was lowered into a 12-foot tall 8,000-gallon polyethylene tank using a rope with a loop to stand on and the other end connected to a rough terrain forklift operated by the manager of the farm. The tank was used to store liquid whey
At 9:30 a.m. on November 8, 2015, an employee was cleaning the inner lining of a railcar that was previously transporting latex. The employee lost consciousness while inside of a railcar with an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. First responders attempted to rescue the employee but could not revive/resuscitate them. A second employee who entered the railcar lost
At 7:00 a.m. on March 25, 2022, an employee entered a grain bin. The grain bin was 28 feet in diameter. The center of the bin had floor grate(s) with a conveyor underneath turned on to move grain. The grain was not flowing, so the employee entered the bin from a top hatch and climbed
OSHA’s PRCS standard defines the terms Blinding and Blanking in the same definition, but there is actually a difference between these practices. Here is OSHA’s definition: Blanking or blinding means the absolute closure of a pipe, line, or duct by the fastening of a solid plate (such as a spectacle blind or a skillet blind)
OSHA received notification of a construction site fatality on August 5, 2004 – day following the incident Reported that the employee was found at the bottom of a manhole New sewer system under construction – SIC Code 1623
A 48-year-old worker entered a tanker trailer to inspect it as part of an annual U.S. Department of Transportation requirement and was overcome by exposure to bleach and chlorine gas. The worker was found unconscious in the tanker trailer, and he later died of his injuries. An investigation by OSHA determined his employer failed to
