Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 005A Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.146(c)(4): When the employer decided that its employees would enter permit spaces, the employer did not develop and implement a written permit space program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146: On or about May 1, 2019, employees were assigned to perform cleaning activities inside of weld box vessels #s (1,2,3,4,5) located within the Melt Shop #1. Neither the employer's written permit space program nor the employer's written procedures for the dry weld box vessels included specific information related to the dry weld box vessels such as, but not limited to: A. The specification of acceptable entry conditions such as, but not limited to, the isolation of inerting gases, the isolation of mechanical hazards, the isolation of electrical hazards, the removal of hazardous layers of combustible metal dust residues inside the vessel through a safe method from outside of the space, safe levels of any flammable gases and safe levels of any toxic gases. B. Opportunities for authorized entrants (or their authorized representatives) to observe monitoring and testing of the permit space. C. Isolation of the permit spaces from inert gas system hazards, mechanical hazards, and electrical hazards. D. Ventilation of the permit spaces as necessary to eliminate or control atmospheric hazards such as oxygen deficiency (i.e. via forced air ventilation) and combustible metal dust residues that could become airborne at a hazardous concentration (i.e. via pre-entry vacuum removal via approved immersion separator wet-type vacuums).