Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 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: Oxygen deficient and/or hazardous toxic vapor atmospheres resulting from an inadequately implemented and enforced confined space entry program where the atmospheres of grain storage bins were not tested prior to entry by employees. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to implement and enforce a confined space entry procedure as stipulated in Section 4 of ANSI Standard Z117.1-1977, American National Standard for Working in Tanks and Other Confined Spaces, requiring atmospheres of grains bins to be tested bya qualified person prior to entry by employees. If test results show the presence of oxygen deficient and/or hazardous concentrations of flammable or toxic vapors, the space shall be ventilated until it is determined to be safe to enter and/or employee(s) shall be provided with appropriate respiratory protection (such as self-contianed breathing apparatus or airline respirators) with escape provisions while working in the space.