Permit Required Confined Spaces

Over the past several years, I have attempted to convince the SAFTENG members that an Evaporative Condenser in an Ammonia refrigeration process is indeed a Permit-Required Confined Space.  Earlier this year, the IIAR published one of my articles on this topic, hoping to educate the industry about this life safety topic.  I think we have…...

Here is your scenario:  You are evaluating a city water tank/tower.  So you ask the following three questions… (1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and (2) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults,…...

One of the questions that we all seem to get about Confined Spaces is the “service bays” at vehicle repair shops like your quick oil change shops where you position your vehicle over an open pit.  Under the floor, there is a room where the technician enters via a set of stairs in order to…...

After an investigation by OSHA, a grain elevator business in Illinois was cited $205,106 and placed on the Severe Violator Enforcement Program for failing to provide safety protections to its employees. A worker suffered fatal injuries after falling into a grain bin at its Grant Park facility. OSHA cited the business for two willful and…...

OSHA cited a grain, lumber, and supply company for grain-handling safety violations after corn engulfed an employee clearing clumps in a grain storage bin. First responders were able to rescue the worker. The company faces $69,010 in penalties. OSHA cited the company for two willful and four serious violations for exposing employees to engulfment hazards…...

OSHA has cited a manufacturer of steel storage tanks for exposing employees to amputation, confined spaces, and other safety hazards. The company faces $234,528 in penalties. OSHA issued 10 repeated and 12 serious safety and health violations, including failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machines from unintentional startup, provide required machine guarding, and control…...

One of the topics we have debated about 1910.146 is whether (c)(5) and (c)(7) entry methods could be used simultaneously on the same space.  I was a resounding “No” but since we could never get an official answer from OSHA, there were many in our profession who felt it was acceptable to use (c)(5) and…...

This article should have been written 20 years ago as this topic has been misunderstood since OSHA published 1910.146 way back in the early 1990’s.  We still see many facilities misunderstanding what a NON-Permit Required Confined Space and more importantly how one is created.  First, OSHA defines a NON-Permit Required Confined Space in both the…...

At 2:00 p.m. on September 20, 2019, an employee was inside of a 10,000-gallon fiberglass gasoline storage tank and was draining some brine water while cleaning the tank. The employee used a drill while inside the tank and ignited the gasoline vapors, exploding it and setting it on fire. The employee was caught in the…...

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