Permit Required Confined Spaces

OSHA issues $257K in PRCS citations (2 entrants died from H2S)

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

H2S claims two (2) lives in PRCS (1 entrant & 1 would-be rescuer)

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Another reason to change our ATM limits for our PRCS program (O2 sensor accuracy)

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

It’s worth saying again… MAKE THE CHANGE TODAY!

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Is VPP what it used to be?

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Line Break in Pit (PRCS) fatality (H2S/CO; Would Be Rescuer dies)

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…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Flash Fire in PRCS (improper atm monitoring)

On September 5, 2023, at approximately 7:30 p.m., an accidental release of butadiene vapor occurred inside a decanting tank (“tank”). The butadiene vapors ignited, resulting in a fire that seriously injured one employee. The incident occurred in a latex production area during a maintenance shutdown. Employees were tasked with removing an internal part (a “baffle”)…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Triple Fatality in Sewer by Asphyxiation (Video)

The three Syrian workers who died of suffocation in the Marj area of West Bekaa, Lebanon in an incident that occurred around August 14, 2025, were not identified by name in the initial news reports. News coverage confirmed that the bodies of the three men were removed from the manhole by the Masnaa Civil Defense…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

EPA issues RMP GDC for PRCS Fatality @ Water Treatment Plant

On April 26, 2024, there was an incident at the Facility that resulted in the fatality of one (1) worker while working in a scum pit. EPA sent an informal questionnaire to the Respondent, and the Respondent provided documentation and information concerning the Incident and the Respondent’s compliance with Section 112(r) of the CAA and…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Isolating piping passing through a PRCS (OSHA LOI)

Well, it’s not often that I disagree with the OSHA technical team that writes LOIs, but this one is a MAJOR MISTAKE. I have debated this topic for 30 years and now my argument just got squashed by the agency. In their 2025 LOI, OSHA stated: If the employer’s evaluation of the space determines that…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Cell Phones in the workplace… just a bad idea!

On the evening of Christmas Eve, the Jackson Fire Department was alerted to a worker trapped inside a hopper at a local factory. Jackson Police Department, Jackson County EMS, Jackson Sheriff’s Office, Liberty Fire, and Jackson Fire units, including Jackson’s Rescue, Tower, and two engines, responded to the scene. The worker was attempting to retrieve…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) kills 2 workers in pit accident

Three (3) workers were exposed to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) while cleaning a chemical pit at a company, leaving two dead and one hospitalized. Two (2) workers died, and a third was rescued…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Scroll to Top