Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001A 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 potential hazards of oxygen deficiency, toxic substances, and flammable gases on or about October 12, 1990, when employees entered a confined space (furnace interior) to perform maintenance. Feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard include but are not limited to: 1) Conduct testing of the atmospheric conditions of ther interior of the furnace to ensure that the oxygen content of the atmosphere is at least 19.5 percent and that flammable gases area at safe levels. 2) Use mechanical ventilation to thoroghly ventilate the confined space before entry and during the work period to ensure safe conditions. Test the atmosphere of the furnace periodically to ensure conditions are safe. 3) Train employees in the measures (such as lockout/tagout, air testing ventilation, etc) that should be used to remove or control potential hazards and in methods to protect themselves (wearing of personal protective equipment, life lines, etc.) Develop a program through which the employer identifies all conditions which must be evaluated before confined space entry occurs and issues a written entry permit only after all conditions are determined to be acceptable.