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...
The short and simple answer is YES. It is, without a doubt, a PRCS. This debate is much like the “Is an Evaporative Condenser a PRCS” discussion. This week, I was presenting at the 2020 Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA) virtual conference, and my presentation was “Evaluating Your Ammonia Refrigeration System to determine if…...
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…....
Does your entry procedures/practices allow for “misaligning or removing sections of lines, pipes, or ducts” as a means to isolate a PRCS? If yes, do your procedures/practices specify the length of “sections of lines, pipes, or ducts” that have to be removed in order to meet the intent of “isolation”? I can not recall where…...
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…....
At 10:45 a.m. on January 11, 2020, Employee #1, employed by an oil and gas operation company, was overseeing a heater treater welding repair. Employee #2 emptied the remaining fluids in the heater treater. Employee #1 power washed the heater treater to remove any remaining flammable materials and ensure that it was safe for welding…....
CAUTION: This interim order is specific to the facility requesting it. Do NOT use these measures at your facility!!! If I had a nickel for every time I have heard the excuse… “its more dangerous to do these isolations than it is to do the entry with lesser isolations,” I would not be writing this…...
On or about January 11, 2020, employees engaged in performing cleaning and maintenance on a heater treater system with a combustible engine power washer within range of flammable material stored within the heater treater were exposed to burn hazards…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...
As the debate continues to rage regarding the types of PRCS rescue and when they are required, OSHA has seen fit to publish the following: (emphasis by me) Effective emergency planning is vital to ensure that any entrant who becomes sick or is injured in a permit space can be evacuated quickly and safely. The…...
This a followup to my earlier posting about OSHA LOI and using both Reclassifications and Alternate procedures on the same space at the same time. I received a lot of questions from that post so I thought I would share the info I shared with those who contacted me. This information is also directly from…...
