Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 007 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 entry program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146: a) On or about November 29, 2012, Phoenix Industrial Cleaning, Inc. did not develop and implement a written permit space program that complied with 29 CFR 1910.146 prior to entry into a 6,000 gallon 16 foot vertical chemical storage tank at Sunnyside Corporation in Wheeling, Illinois. This tank was last used by Sunnyside Corporation to store methylene chloride. For the permit space entered, the employer's written program lacked; 1) Adequate procedures for identifying and evaluating atmospheric hazards, 2) Adequate procedures for specifying acceptable entry conditions, 3) A procedure for providing the authorized entrant(s) the opportunity to observe monitoring or testing of the permit space, including pre-entry and subsequent testing or monitoring, 4) The testing and monitoring equipment available for adequate evaluation of the permit space conditions, 5) The ventilation equipment available to obtain acceptable entry conditions, 6) The equipment necessary to perform a non-entry rescue, 7) The specific order of testing atmospheric components (i.e., oxygen, combustible gases and vapors, and toxic gases and vapors) when testing for atmospheric hazards, 8) A procedure for reevaluating the permit space when requested by the authorized entrant(s), 9) A procedure for providing the authorized entrant(s) the test results of the required testing performed, 10) The designation of employees who had an active role in the entry operation and the identification of their duties, 11) Adequate procedures for summoning rescue and emergency services and providing necessary emergency services to rescued employees, 12) An adequate system for the preparation, issuance, use and cancellation of entry permits, 13) A procedure for concluding the entry after the entry operations have been completed, 14) A process for a review of the entry operations when there is reason to believe the measures taken under the permit space program may not protect employees and a revision of the program to correct deficiencies found to exist before subsequent entries are authorized, and 15) A process for a review of the permit space program using cancelled permits within 1 year after entry and a revision of the program, if necessary, to ensure employees participating in entry operations are protected from permit space hazards.