Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: CONFINED

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: a) Severe lacerations, amputation, and/or death from the hazard of inadvertant activation of the rotating floor sugar while feeding sawdust into the auger which supplies fuel to the boiler. b) Suffocation and/or death from hazards of collapsing walls of accumulated impacted sawdust while attempting to feed sawdust into floor auger to fuel the boiler. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct these hazards is to establish a written confined space entry program that will contain as a minimum, but not necessarily limited to, the following elements: 1) Written procedures covering a permit system, rescue procedures, and employee training. 2) The completion ad posting of a confined space entry permit which requires authorization and approval in writing that specifies the location and type of work to be done and certifies that all existing and potential hazards have been evaluated by a qualified person and necessary protective measures have been taken to assure the safety of each worker. 3) Disconnecting the power source of any equipment, machine or process to be set-up, adjusted, repaired, serviced, cleaned, installed or where maintenance work is to be performed and unintended motion or release of energy would cause personal injury. Sources of stored energy such as springs, air, hydraulic, capacitors and steam shall be evaluated in advance to determine whether to retain or relieve the energy prior to starting the work. 4) Emergency resuce procedures with a requirement that trained personnel are available and are stationed outside the confined space with proper equipment to provide rescue of persons entering the space, as determined necessary as described in (2) above. Such equipment must include safety harnesses and lifelines with provisions for hoisting employees from the confined space. If entry is required for rescue, the rescuing employee(s) must be equipped with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or other equivalent respiratory plus other appropriate personal protective equipment. 5) Training of any and all employees required to enter the confined space. This training shall include the procedures required prior to entry and th hazards associated with work in confined spaces. This would include the wearing of a body harness and tended lifeline attached to a hoist or jib; work practices to be followed while working; and locking out any moving augers, etc., before work is allowed to begin.