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

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 the hazards of engulfment, physical multilation and/or asphyxia when the enter the mulling machine to perform work without following confined space entry procedures: FOUNTRY AREA: THE EMPLOYER FAILED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN ADEQUATE CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURE TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES FORM THE HAZARDS OF ENGULFMENT, PHYSICAL MULTILATION AND/OR ASPHYXIA, WHEN THE ENTER THE MULLING MACHINE TO CLEAN IT AS A ROUTINE PART OF THEIR WORK ASSIGN- MENTS. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THESE HAZARDS IS TO DEVELOP STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR SAFE ENTRY INTO CONFINED SPACES SUCH AS PERMITS. THESE SHOULD INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: 1. ENTRY INTO CONFINED SPACES SHALL BE BY PERMIT ONLY: A. PERMIT SHALL CARRY TEH DATE AND DURATION OF ENTRY B. PERMIT SHALL BE SPECIFIC AS TO LOCATION (I.E., SPECIFIC MACHINE) AND TYPE OF WORK TO BE ACCOMPLISHED C. PERMIT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE: I. MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO CONTROL POTENTIAL HAZARDS II. MEASURES, INCLUDING A CHECKLIST, TO ISOLATE ALL TYPES OF POTENTIAL ENERGY (I.E., LOCKOUT/TAGOUT) III. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED IV. PROCEDURES FOR ATMOSPHERIC TESTING (I.E., OXYGEN DEFICIENCY) V. CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR SAFE ENTRY VI. PERSONNEL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS VII. DESIGNATION OF TRAINED AND AUTHORIZED ENTRANTS AND STANDBY PERSONNEL VIII. COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES AND METHODS IX. EMERTGENCY PROCEDURES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: A. EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS B. COORDINATION WITH LOCAL RESCUE AUTHORITIES C. LOCATION OF "IN HOUSE" RESCUE EQUIPMENT AND FIRST AID SUPPLIES 2. TRAINED ENTRANTS SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY HARNESSES, SAFETY LINES AND/OR OTHER EQUIVALENT RETRIEVAL GEAR TO FACILITATE RESCUE. 3. A TRAINED STANDBY PERSON, WITH APPROPRIATE RESCUE GEAR, SHALL BE PROVIDED. 4. CONSTANT COMMUNICATIONS MUST BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN ENTRANT AND STANDBY PERSON AND RESCUE PERSONNEL. 5. ENTRY INTO A CONFINED SPACE SHALL BE PROHIBITED UNTIL INITIAL TESTING OF ATMOSPHERE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED FROM THE OUTSIDE AS FOLLOWS: A. OXYGEN B. FLAMMABLE GAS (I.E., PERCENT OF LEL)(WHERE APPLICABLE) C. TOXIC LEVELS (WHERE APPLICABLE) 6. FURTHER TESTS REQUIRED BEFORE ENTRY IS ALLOWED INTO MULLING MACHINE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: A. LOCKOUT/TAGOUT IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE NO RESIDUAL ENERGY REMAINS TO START UP THE MULLING AGITATOR WEIGHTS. B. LOCKOUT/TAGOUT IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE NO RESIDUAL ENERGY REMAINS TO START UP THE SAND BUCKET ELEVATOR, ALLOWING SAND TO BE DUMPED INTO MACHINE. C. VISUAL OBSERVATION IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE SAND SILO IS EMPTY. 7. ALL ENTRANCES TO CONFINED SPACES SHALL BE POSTED. SIGNS SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: DANGER CONFINED SPACE ENTRY BY PERMIT ONLY 8. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, INCLUDING EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS, SHALL BE POSTED CONSPICUOUSLY IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE CONFINED SPACE(S) AND AT THE TELEPHONE(S) FROM WHICH EMERGENCY HELP WOULD BE SUMMONED. 9. EMPLOYEES SHALL REVIEW AND BE TRAINED IN THE GUIDELINES FOR SAFE ENTRY AND EXIT FROM CONFINED SPACE(S). ITEMS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING, SHALL BE ADDRESSED IN THE GUIDELINES: A. ATMOSPHERIC TESTING B. PURGING AND VENTILATION C. ISOLATION/LOCKOUT/TAGOUT OF POTENTIAL ENERGY D. SAND BUCKET ELEVATOR DISCONNECTION E. SAND SILO CLEARING F. CLEANING G. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT H. EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE WORK