Permit Required Confined Spaces

Several recent accidents with fatal outcomes occurring during the discharge of logs and wood chips from ships in Swedish ports indicate the need to understand better the atmospheric conditions in holds and connecting stairways. The principal aim of the present study was to assess the air levels of oxygen and toxic gases in confined spaces…...

A post I made on another board regarding a discussion about what makes an atm a hazardous atm… just exceeding a PEL does not make the atm hazardous under the PRCS std.  You are correct that OSHA has stated an atmosphere that contains a substance at a concentration exceeding a permissible exposure limit intended solely…...

It appears we may be blending 1910.146(c)(5) and (c)(7) in our attempt to reclassify a PRCS to a non-permit status.  We must follow (c)(7) in our reclassification efforts.  It does sound as if our PRCS may be able to be reclassified; however, I am not familiar with the type of space or specific situation.  OSHA…...

A space is a CONFINED SPACE when ALL THREE (3) of the following characteristics are true about the space: Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; AND it has limited or restricted means for entry or exit; AND it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy…...

A post I made in regards to “Fall hazards being part of a hazard making a space a PRCS” Falls are NOT considered to be a hazard for consideration in evaluating a “confined space” for hazards that would make it a Permit-Required Confined Space. See the MEMORANDUM FOR:… Membership Required You must be a member...

There is a lot of confusion on reclassifying Permit-Required Confined Spaces to Non-Permit Spaces, which is allowed on spaces with NO KNOWN or POTENTIAL hazardous atmospheres. 1910.146(c)(7) covers this practice. The key DIFFERENCE between “reclassifying” a space using section (c)(7) and using “alternative entry methods,” which is covered under section (c)(5) is ELIMINATION vs. CONTROL…....

So, who has to do Confined Space Evaluations, and when must this evaluation be done? The short answers are ALL General Industry (1910) employers and at the time the standard was promulgated and before each entry. Let me explain…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...

One of the most asked-about standards is OSHA’s Permit-Required Confined Space (PRCS) standard. The standard can be difficult to decipher, so this post attempts to break down an employer’s entry options. We should view the standard as offering three (3) entry options. Each option has its own set of rules and pros and cons. Once…...

A Purdue University report showed 51 grain bin accidents last year, up from 38 in 2009 and the most since tracking began in 1978. Twenty-five people died, and five of them were children under the age of 16. The previous record for grain bin accidents was 42 in 1993. The accidents prompted the OSHA to…...

The Final Rule for Permit-Required Confined Spaces was published in the Federal Register on January 14, 1993, and became effective on April 15, 1993. The standard is based on years of gathering information on confined space fatalities and on testimony about the hazards of confined spaces from all sectors of industry and labor. Because it…...

I could have sworn I had already written about this hazard, but I’m guessing it was inside one of my social media groups.  So BUCKLE UP, Butter Cup, as this is going to make a lot of folks unhappy.  Question:  Do I have to isolate my fixed fire suppression system protecting my PRCS?… Membership Required...