Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 003 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 the hazards associated with working in confined spaces: (a) BOILER ROOM: EMPLOYEES WITH THE JOB TITLE OF THIRD CLASS ENGINEERS AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSIDE CLEANING OF THE CHAMBERS IN FURANC E #6 ON OR ABOUT 5-28-91 WERE EXPOSED TO THE HAZARDS OF CONFINED SPACE ENTRY. BEFORE ENTRY THE STEAM LINES WERE NOT LOCKED/TAGGEDOUT, SPACE NOT CHECKED FOR AIR CONTAMINANTS AND/OR OXYGEN DEFICIENCY, PROVISIONS NOT MADE FOR EMERGENCY STANDBY EQUIPMENT SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO SAFETY LINE HARNESS ARRANGEMENT AND RESPIRATORS, CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURES NOT POSTED AND WORKERS WERE NOT TRAINED, RELATIVE TO CONFINED SPACE ENTRY AND RESCUE. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE METHOD TO REDUCE THIS HAZARD IS TO ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE ADEQUATE CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURES SUCH AS THOS E STIPULATED BY AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE (ANSI), SAFETY REQUIRE- MENTS FOR CONFINED SPACES, ANSI Z117.1-1989. ELEMENTS ESSENTIAL TO AN ACCEPTABLE CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURE INCLUDE AT A MINIMUN: (1) INSTRUCTION AS TO THE NATURE OF THE HAZARDS INVOLVED AND NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EMPLOYEES RELATIVE TO CONTINED SPACE ENTRY. (2) POSTING OF WRITTEN CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURES ADJACENT TO PITS, TANKS, VESSELS OR OTHER CONFINED SPACE AREAS WHICH MAY BE ENTERED. (3) USE OF CLEANING, PURGING, AND VENTILATING PROCEDURES TO REMOVE SLUDGE AND OTHER RESIDUE PRIOR TO CONFINED SPACE ENTRY. (4) IMPLEMENTATION OF ESTABLISHED LOCKOUT/TAGOUT AND ISOLATION PROCEDURES, WHERE APPLICABLE, AND ISSUANCE OF A PROPER ENTRY PERMIT PRIOR TO CONFINED SPACE ENTRY. (5) USE OF ATMOSPHERIC TESTING PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OF HAZARDOUS AIR CONTAMINANTS AND POTENTIAL OXYGEN DEFICIENCY PRIOR TO ENTR Y INTO THE CONFINED SPACE. (6) WHERE IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE CONFINED SPACE CONTAINS A HAZARDOUS CONCENTRATION OF AN AIR CONTAMINANT AND/OR AN OXYGEN DEFICIENCY , USE OF MECHANICALLY INDUCED VENTILATION IN THE CONFINED SPACE BEFORE ENTRY AND DURING OCCUPANCY AND/OR USE OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHICH PROVIDES ADEQUATE PROTECTION AGAINST THE HAZARDS ENCOUNTERED. (7) USE OF APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, WHERE APPLICABLE. (8) PROVISIONS FOR A STANDBY OBSERVER LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CONFINED SPACE INCLUDING A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE WORKER INSIDE THE CONFINE D SPACE AND A MEANS OF OBTAINING IMMEDIATE HELP IN AN EMERGENCY. (9) PROVISIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR READILY AVAILABLE EMERGENCY STANDBY EQUIPMENT CONSISTING OF A SAFETY LINE AND HARNESS ARRANGEMENT AND A SELF-CONTAINED POSITIVE PRESSURE BREATHING APPARATUS CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (NIOSH) AND THE MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (MSHA). (10) IMPLEMENTATION OF PERIODIC TRAINING SESSIONS FOR EMPLOYEES RELATIVE TO CONFINED SPACE ENTRY, RESCUE, AND FIRST-AID PROCEDURES.