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 RECOGNISED HAZARDS THAT WERE CAUSING OR LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM TO EMPLOYEES IN THAT EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO: A) EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO POTENTIAL ASPHYXIATION DUE TO OXYGEN DEFICIENCY OR TOXIC ATMOSPHERE WHEN ENTERING CONFINED SPACED SUCH AS SEVEN UNDERGROUND PIT-TANKS, A SULFIDE AND A LIME BALL PRECIPITATOR, AND THREE SULFATE TANKS. E.G., PERFORMING MAINTENANCE, REPAIR WORK IN THE MIDDLE SULFIDE TANK BY THE WEST PLAN WALL IN NOVEMBER, 1990, USE ENTRY PROCEDURES/STEPS SUCH AS: 1) IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENTRY PERMIT SYSTEM. 2) AVAILABILITY OF MECHANICAL VENTILATION EQUIPMENT TO VENTILATE TANK WITH CLEAN MAKEUP AIR. 3) TESTING OF AIR IN CONFINED SPACE BEFORE ENTRY IS MADE. 4) AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS LIFELINES AND HARNESSES, AND, 5) AVAILABILITY OF TRAINED SCBA (SELF CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS) EQUIPPED STANDBY PERSON(S) WERE NOT TAKEN. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS IS TO ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE AN ADEQUATE PLANT CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURE SUCH AS THAT STIPULATED BY ANSI Z117.1- 1989. AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD FOR WORKING IN TANKS AND OTHER CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PRECEDURE WOULD INCLUDE: 1) HAZARD IDENTIFICATION - IDENTIFY AND EVAULATE EACH HAZARD OF THE PERMIT SPACES, INCLUDING DETERMINATION OF SEVERITY; 2) HAZARD CONTROL - ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT THE MEANS, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES BY WHICH THE PERMIT SPACES CAN BE ENTERED SAFELY; 3) PERMIT SYSTEM - ESTABLISH A WRITTEN PERMIT SYSTEM FOR THE PROPER PREPARATION, ISSUANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ENTRY PERMITS; 4) EMPLOYEE INFORMATION - SIGNS SHALL BE POSTED NEAR PERMIT SPACES TO NOTIFY EMPLOYEES WHAT HAZARDS MAY BE PRESENT AND THAT ONLY AUTHORIZED ENTRANTS MAY ENTER THE PERMIT SPACES; 5) PREVENTION OF UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY - PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED EMPLOYEE ENTRY THROUGH SUCH MEASURES AS TRAINING OR BY POSTING SIGNS AND BARRIERS AS NECESSARY; 6) EMPLOYEE TRAINING - TRAIN EMPLOYEES SO THAT ATTENDENTS, AUTHORIZED ENTRANTS AND PERSONNEL AUTHORIZING IN CHARGE OF ENTRY CAN WORK SAFETY IN AND AROUND THE PERMIT SPACE; 7) EQUIPMENT - PROVIDE, MAINTAIN AND ENSURE THE PROPER USE OF THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR SAFE ENTRY, INCLUDING TESTING, MONITORING, COMMUNICATION AND PESONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT; 8) RESCUE - ENSURE THAT THE PROCEDURES AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO RESCUE ENTRANTS FROM PERMIT SPACES ARE IMPLEMENTED AND PROVIDED; 9) PROTECTION FROM EXTERNAL HAZARDS - ENSURE THAT AL PEDESTRIAN, VEHICLE VEHICLE OR OTHER BARRIES NECESSARY TO PROTECT ENTRANTS FROM EXTERNAL HAZARDS ARE PROVIDED; 10) DUTY TO OTHER EMPLOYERS - ENSURE THAT, WHEN AN EMPLOYER, SUCH AS A CONTRACTOR, PLANS TO SEND EMPLOYEES INTO A PERMIT SPACE WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF ANOTHER EMPLOYER