Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 003 Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.146(d)(5)(i): Under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not test conditions in the permit space to determine if acceptable entry conditions existed before entry was authorized to begin and the employer did not continuously monitor in the areas where authorized entrants were working: (a) Envirotech Services, Inc. at 6850 47th Ave, Evans, CO: On 12/5/2017, under the permit-required confined space program required by 29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4), the employer did not test conditions in the permit space to determine if acceptable entry conditions existed before entry was authorized to begin and the employer did not continuously monitor in the areas where authorized entrants were working. Two employees were tasked with cleaning a railway tank car that previously contained glycerol. The employer determined the railway tank car was a permit required confined space. While working in the railway tank car the entrant collapsed. The attendant also collapsed after entering the railway tank car. The responding rescue agency determined that the percent oxygen inside the tank car was approximately 5%. The railway tank car contained an Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) atmosphere. The permit space conditions were not tested prior to entry and the entry conditions were not continuously monitored. This condition exposed three employees to an IDLH atmosphere.