Confined space entry hazardous work

Supportive safety procedures are utilized to ensure that there are necessary controls in place for safe maintenance and repairs that importantly includes nonroutine hazardous work. These procedures encompass rules governing lockout and tagout, confined space entry, elevated work, electrical work, etc. The committee found some minor problems in these supportive procedures and differences among the sites, especially when some of the work is done by subcontractors, who may have their own practices. 

Included ia the OSHA regulations are standards for safe work practices such as lock-out/tag-out and confined space entry, personal protective equipment, storage of hazardous materials, welding process, forklift operation, and requirements for fire protection. Basically, all activities within a chemical facihty are covered by OSHA standards. 

The contractors SSAHPs at Sites B, F, and K had general confined space provisions but lacked site-specific confined space procedures. For example, SSAHPs for the Site K contractor and subcontractor had written confined space entry programs, but the programs did not establish site-specific rescue procedures or identify the confined space hazards present on the site. The job hazard analyses for both programs failed to address site maintenance tasks that could involve confined space entry and hot work hazards. The programs also failed to identify the specific person or position responsible for supervising confined space entry procedures and the location of permit-required confined spaces on site. Interviews with both contractors indicated confusion about rescue procedures. 

Contract employees must perform their work safely. Considering that contractors often perform very specialized and potentially hazardous tasks, such as confined space entry activities and nonroutine repair activities, their work must be controlled while they are on or near a process covered by PSM. A permit system or work authorization system for these activities is helpful for all affected employers. The use of a work authorization system keeps an employer informed of contract employee activities. Thus, the employer has better coordination and more management control over the work being performed in the process area. 

Safe work practices for hazards control lockout/tagout, confined space entry, procedures for opening process boundaries and entrance control for maintenance... 

The hazards of management-controlled nonroutine work in the process areas must be communicated to affected individuals. The work permit prescribes the procedures that must be followed to get the permit. Work authorization procedures specify lockout/tagout, line breaking., confined space entry, and hot work authorization through clear steps leading to job completion, closure, and return to normal. 

Practices that concern process and persoimel safety such as steps for controlling hazardous energy, vessel entry, line opening, confined space entry, and flame or spark-producing work (hot work) should be addressed in procedures either as steps or as references. 

CFR1910.119(f)(4) 29CFR1910.120(d) and (g)(1) 40CFR68.69(d) 4.2.1.3 Safe work practices shall be implemented such as lockout/tagout permitted confined space entry removal of non-essential persoimel from hazardous material areas and site and building access control. 

The employer shall develop and implement safe work practices to provide for the control of hazards during operations such as lockout/tagout confined space entry opening process equipment or piping and control over entrance into a facility by maintenance, contractor, laboratory, or other support personnel. These safe work practices shall apply to employees and contractor employees. 

Contract employees must perform their work safely. Considering that contractors often perform very specialized and potentially hazardous tasks such as confined space entry activities and nonroutine repair activities, it is quite important that their activities be controlled while they are working on or near a covered process. 

Nomoutine work which is conducted in process areas needs to be controlled by the employer in a consistent manner. Hie hazards identified involving the wmk that is to be accomplished must be communicated to those doing the work, but also to those operating personnel whose work could affect the safety of the process. A work authorization notice or permit must have a procedure that describes the steps the maintenance supervisor, contractor representative, or other person needs to follow to obtain the necessary clearance to get the job started. The work authorization procedures need to reference and coordinate, as applicable, lockout/tagout procedures, line breaking procedures, confined space entry procedures, and hot work authorizations. This procedure also needs to provide clear steps to follow once the job is completed in order to provide closure far those that need to know the job is now completed and equipment can be returned to normal. 

In the second type of buddy system, only one of the pair is exposed to the hazard. The other s sole duty is to protect and assist the person in danger, should the need arise. A common example in industrial work occurs during confined space entry. When a worker must enter a tank for cleaning or repair purposes, a buddy is stationed outside to monitor the wellbeing of the person inside. The buddy may provide warnings of any adverse condition noted, assist the worker if aid is needed, or call for outside assistance. The outside buddy in this system should have no duty except that of monitoring the worker in danger. 

Before conducting work that involves confined space entry, work on energy systems, and ground disturbance in locations where buried hazards may exist, or hot work in potentially explosive environments, a permit must be obtained that ... 

In the list above, the committee developed what it judges to be among the more expected, or typical, hazards of a wind farm project life cycle. Many of these hazards— such as confined space entry, crane and lifting operations, electrical injury, working at heights, fire protection, human factors safety issues, and slips and trips—are common to land-based wind farms and are addressed by federal regulations and industry consensus standards, examples of which are included in Table 4-1. The... 

Station at least one attendant outside during entry and coordinate actions with contractors used to conduct rescue procedures. Establish a written permit system and review the effectiveness of the system annually. OSHA also requires training to ensure that employees involved in confined space work can perform their job functions safely. This training covers specific items for the authorized entrant, the attendant, and the entry supervisor. Training will cover the following authorized entrant responsibilities (1) hazards involved in confined space entry, (2) use of appropriate PPE for confined space entry, (3) communication policies with the attendant, (4) requirement to leave... 

In evaluating confined space accidents in the past, certain scenarios seem to continuously occur. These included the failure to recognize an area as a confined space failure to test, evaluate, and monitor for hazardous atmospheres failure to train workers regarding safe entry and failure to establish rescue procedures. At times, either natural or mechanical ventilation is enough to make the space safe, which can be provided prior to confined space entry. Appropriate atmospheric tests must be performed to check for oxygen deficiency, explosive concentrations, and toxic substances in the confined space before entry. The atmosphere inside the confined space mnst be frequently tested or continuously monitored during the conduct of work. 

The employer shall develop and implement safe work practices to provide for the control of hazards during operations such as lock-out/tagout confined space entry opening... 

Permit systems are designed to protect workers from dangers involved in hazardous energy, hot work, opening and blinding, confined-space entry, and cold work. A good permit system can easily be integrated into normal operations to protect employees, equipment, and the environment. 

Since permit-required confined spaces contain hazards that are capable of causing death or serious physical harm to employees, entry into the space is not a one person job. It requires a team of individuals who work together and have the knowledge and skills necessary to complete the job safely. 

Develop a confined space entry rescue and retrieval plan before working in any confined space. The plan should identify all potential hazards and related rescue scenarios. Confined space deaths often hrqrpen during rescue situations because rescuers are put at considerable risk. There are three categories of confined space rescue ... 

Permit to work (P.T.W) is a formal written system to control certain types of work which are identified as potentially hazardous. This system may need to be used in high-risk jobs such as hot works, confined space entry, carrying hazardous substances, and electrical or mechanical isolation. In this system, responsible persons should assess the work and check safety at all stages. Moreover, permits are effectively a means of communication between site management, plant supervisors and operators, and those who carry out the work. The people doing the job sign the permit to show that they understand the risks and precautions necessary. 

Systems of work often operate under the control of a permit system, known as a permit-to-work. Because of the administration needed to run them, permit systems are relatively uncommon in construction. They are more common in industries where the hazards are associated with high risk levels and their use is well established in many organisations. They require certain precautions to be taken in order to control them. Examples include hot work permits, electrical lock-out systems and vessel or other confined space entry systems. 

Eliminate the need for confined space entry or the use of hazardous materials by design, or by selection of alternative methods of work or materials. Common construction industry confined space situations include (but are not restricted to) sewer work, paint or solvent spraying in confined areas, tunnelling, and work in compressed air environments. 

In the event that employees must enter a confined space, or work in environments with hazardous substances that would be dangerous to life or health, each employee should wear the required SCBA for the environment. Employees are to follow the established emeigency re nse program for hazardous materials and/or confined space entry program when applicable. 

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