On February 6th, 2012, a welder entered a 30″ pipe to check the quality of the welds he had just completed. The welder (deceased) asphyxiated and lost consciousness due to the high level of Argon gas, which had created an oxygen-deficient environment inside the pipe.
An emergency response plan for industrial permit-required confined space entry is essential for employee safety and is legally required. However, maintaining a trained confined space rescue team is costly and technically challenging. Some employers turn to public fire departments to meet their emergency response requirements. The confined space emergency response practices of employers and fire
In evaluating these spaces, we first have to determine if they are a Confined Space. Evaluating the compactor shown below, we have to ask ourselves, as it sits there today, does the space meet the definition of a Confined Space? OSHA defines a confined space as a space that: Is large enough and so configured
Could wood chips and logs in a ship container hold produce an IDLH atmosphere? AMAZING STUDY!
Simply stated… We inhale the exact same proportion of oxygen at high altitude as you do at sea level, but because the gas is at a lower pressure, the oxygen molecules are not pushed into our bloodstream with enough force to adequately oxygenate your tissue. Whether you are at sea level or standing on the
This is a version of the presentation I use at the safety conferences I speak at. I attempt to highlight those “little items” that can make a HUGE difference in safely entering a PRCS.
We have all seen a blower the size of a lunch box attempting to ventilate a 500,000-gallon vessel! The permit calls for a “blower,” so to meet the permit conditions; the team grabs the nearest available blower and NOT necessarily the CORRECT BLOWER! However, on the other side of the argument, most written CS entry
EVERY business that has workers entering Permit-Required Confined Spaces should seriously consider updating their written program to include this type of detail and specifications. COUPLED WITH OSHA’s 1910.146, these requirements regarding the means used to isolate the space and test the atmosphere are an EXCEPTIONAL improvement over OSHA’s basic definition of “isolation” and atmospheric testing.
Most of the permit-required confined space standard requirements are in place to ensure that employees can safely enter and work inside permit spaces. The hazards within the space MUST be eliminated or controlled BEFORE entry is allowed. Testing and monitoring MUST be performed in order to ensure that entry conditions are acceptable before entry and that
There is significant confusion among businesses about how the “reclassification” method under 1910.146(c)(7) should be applied. I always suggest that safety professionals take the time to read OSHA’s preamble to any standard that has one. The preamble to 1910.146 is an EXCELLENT source of information, as it is where OSHA justifies the requirements in the
There is a lot of confusion amongst businesses in how the “alternative entry” method using 1910.146(c)(5) is to be applied. I always suggest that safety professionals take the time to read OSHA’s Pre-amble to any standard that has one. The pre-amble for 1910.146 is an EXCELLENT source of information as, like all pre-ambles, it is
We have all used or seen them used on countless CS entries. A tripod and winch set-up is by far the most common non-entry rescue system used in the USA. Because of this, it is also the most misunderstood and misused rescue system in the USA. Tripods are a GREAT tool when the entry is
