I see this set up all the time… a business declares a space a Confined Space (NOT a Permit-Required Confined Space), just a simple space that meets the definition of a CS; however, it does not have a hazard that would make the CS a PRCS. So the question is… Does a “DANGER” sign belong […]
When we talk about Lower Explosive Limits, most people imagine a flash-fire hazard (as they should!). But when a worker is in a flammable atmosphere, they are also being WAY OVER EXPOSED. Take the following OSHA PRCS fatality case, where the worker died from being overexposed to organic vapors. The Atlantic City Fire Department Confined
An accident at a Winery in California may have caused the death of a 20-year-old winery worker on Friday, Jan. 8. He was found inside a 1,500-gallon tank and apparently died from asphyxiation. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened,” said the winery president. “He was a wonderful person, a fabulous worker, and
Of the four crewmembers involved in the incident, two are deceased. The other two crewmembers are reported to be in stable condition. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska command center in Juneau received a mayday call at 9:14 a.m. Sunday that the crew of the tug vessel Chukchi Sea lost contact with four
In our PSM/RMP and OSH audits, we always spend more time on the Life Safety Standards, such as PRCS, LOTO, LEO, Respiratory Protection, etc. One of the most common errors we find in these audits is the lack of training for the attendants. It’s not that they are not meeting 1910.146(i)(1) – 1910.146(i)(10) training obligations;
OSHA has cited a petroleum tank services contractor for exposing workers to chemical and respiratory hazards after an employee was fatally exposed to benzene and toluene when they entered a fuel storage tank in July 2025. Investigators cited the company with 12 serious violations for failing to develop and implement a written permit-required space entry
An OSHA investigation found numerous safety hazards at a worksite where workers were exposed to sewage gases, resulting in two (2) fatalities. Investigators found that on Aug. 11, 2025, three workers were installing and repairing sewer lines inside a manhole when they were overcome by sewer gas and became unresponsive. One (1) worker regained consciousness and
RIP 🙏 Two young men, 20 & 21, die from hydrogen sulfide gas exposure during a well cleaning job. Three others were hospitalized. They were working at a recently sold home when a chemical reaction created deadly hydrogen sulfide gas in the confined space beneath the home’s porch. The workers were using muriatic acid to
This is my favorite brand of meter, the one I have literally used my entire professional career as a safety engineer and emergency responder. I am not naming the brand as I do not want to cause them any issues, but just understand this, ALL brands will have this level of accuracy. Most users of
If you would not issue a PRCS entry permit to enter a space at 19.6% Oxygen, why the hell are we listing this range (19.5% – 23.5%) as acceptable for an unsuspecting entry supervisor? Why would we not just use 20% – 21% for an acceptable O2 concentration for an everyday supervisor who usually gets
Federal workplace safety officials have cited one of OSHA’s Top 5 VPP STAR businesses for multiple serious violations at its Greensboro facility following a fatal accident that killed a longtime employee last summer. The business has 1,006 VPP Sites, and yet, OSHA finds serious LOTO and PRCS issues after a PRCS fatality. The North Carolina
On May 29, 2024, at about 3:15 p.m., several pounds of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide gas were released at a Sugar Cooperative. As a result of the release, one employee was fatally injured, and another employee was seriously injured due to inhalation of the gases. The facility’s investigation found that, at the time of
