Permit Required Confined Spaces

These citations are the FIRST OSHA citations using 1926.1201-1213, OSHA’s confined space in constructionOSHA’s confined space in construction standard.  It is IMPORTANT to point out these citations involved work at a waste-water treatment plant (WWTP) which is normally a workplace that would fall under OSHA’s GENERAL INDUSTRY standards; however, the work being done INSIDE the 54″ pipe…...

OSHA fines New Orleans tank cleaner $226K for willful, repeat violations after a worker died, and two others were hospitalized, while they cleaned a rail tank car. The three workers were overcome by a lack of oxygen inside the rail tanker on Oct. 8, 2015. OSHA found the company failed to test the atmosphere inside…...

An employee at a food manufacturing plant was instructed to enter and clean the insides of a 3,000-gallon tank containing vinegar on Sept. 28, 2015. Once inside, he was overcome by acetic acid vapors created by the vinegar in the tank. He was rescued but was hospitalized for five days. An OSHA inspection found that…...

OSHA conducted a sweeping inspection of a company that employs about 300 workers at an array of businesses, including a dairy and creamery, farm, concrete plant, auto repair, welding shop, restaurants and lodging, a telecommunications company, graphic design firm and a convenience store.  This company has had three (3) fatalities since 2012 within their businesses and…...

U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationDirectorate of Technical Support and Emergency ManagementOffice of Science and Technology Assessment Introduction Many electric power plants now use hydrogen gas-cooled electric generators versus air- or water-cooled generators. To prevent injury or fatality, employers must ensure hydrogen gas is completely purged from generator housings and bushing boxes before…...

As we know, 1910.146 gives employers three (3) methods to enter Permit-Required Confined Spaces: 1) Full permitted entry following (d)-(k), 2) alternative entry methods prescribed in (c)(5), and 3) reclassification of the PRCS to a non-permit space by following (c)(7). However, in the past year or so, we have come across another method… using BOTH…...

Date of Incident  Employer/Address of Incident  Hazard Description  Inspection #  12/4/15 Sulzer Chemtech USA Inc., 39018 Hwy 3089, Donaldsonville, LA  70346 Worker died from exposure to argon while retrieving tool from tank. 1110099 12/1/15 Alexander Petroleum, 612 County Rd.  326, West Jourdanton, TX  78026 Worker asphyxiated while cleaning tank that previously held Petroleum Distillate. 1109329…...