PERMIT REQUIRED CONFINED PERMIT REQUIRED CONFINED SPACESSPACES

29 CFR 1910.146

(Code of Federal Regulations for General Industry)

US DOC Occupational Safety and Health Program Manual Chapter 16

PURPOSE OF PROGRAMPURPOSE OF PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY & EXPOSE INHERENT DANGER OF

CONFINED SPACES

PROVIDE STRICT GUIDELINES TO PERSONNEL OPERATING IN A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENT

GREATLY REDUCE THE RISK OF POTENTIAL INJURY AND/OR DEATH

SCOPE AND APPLICATION

Requirements to protect employees in from the hazards of entry into

“permit-required” confined spaces.

SCOPE AND APPLICATION

DOES NOT APPLY TO:

Agriculture (29 CFR 1928) Construction (29 CFR 1926) Shipyard employment (29 CFR

1915)

SPACES THAT ARE :

NOT DESIGNED FOR ROUTINE OCCUPANCY

LIMITED OR RESTRICTED MEANS FOR ENTRY OR EXIT

PERSONNEL CAN ENTER TO PERFORM ASSIGNED JOB-RELATED TASKS

ANY PART OF THE ENTRANT’S BODY THAT BREAKS THE PLANE OF AN OPENING TO A “PERMIT-REQUIRED” CONFINED SPACE

Atmosphere that may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue, injury or acute illness from one or more of the following:

Flammable gas, vapor or mist in excess of 10 % of its lower explosive limit

Airborne combustible dust at a concentration that meets or exceeds its lower explosive limit

Atmospheric oxygen concentration below 19.5 % or above 23.5 %

A concentration of any substance that exceeds the permissible exposure limits

EMPLOYER’S WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION TO PERFORM

OPERATIONS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING A SOURCE OF IGNITION

(for example: riveting, welding, cutting, burning and heating)

Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health

Any condition that poses an immediate or delayed threat to life or that would cause irreversible adverse health

effects

A confined space that does not contain or have the potential to contain any hazard capable of

causing death or serious physical harm

ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING

LESS THAN 19.5 % OXYGEN DEATH CAN

OCCUR

ATMOSPHERE CONTAINING MORE THAN

23.5 % OXYGEN DEATH CAN

OCCUR

This is a space that contains one or more of the following

characteristics : Contains or has the potential to contain a Contains or has the potential to contain a

hazardous atmospherehazardous atmosphere Contains a material that has the potential for Contains a material that has the potential for

engulfing an entrantengulfing an entrant Has an internal configuration that could trap or Has an internal configuration that could trap or

asphyxiate an entrant asphyxiate an entrant Contains any other recognized serious safety or Contains any other recognized serious safety or

health hazardhealth hazard

AN INDIVIDUAL (SUCH AS FOREMAN, OIC, CHIEF, ETC.)

RESPONSIBLE FOR: DETERMINING IF ACCEPTABLE ENTRY

CONDITIONS ARE PRESENT AUTHORIZING ENTRY OVERSEEING ENTRY OPERATIONS

AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS AUTHORIZED BY THE EMPLOYER TO ENTER A

PERMIT SPACE

AN INDIVIDUAL STATIONED OUTSIDE ONE OR MORE PERMIT SPACES

WHO MONITORS THE AUTHORIZED ENTRANTS AND WHO PERFORMS

ALL ATTENDANT’S DUTIES ASSIGNED IN THE WRITTEN PERMIT

SPACE PROGRAM

Knows the hazards that may be faced during entry

Verifies by checking that the appropriate tests specified by the permit have been conducted

Ensures all procedures and equipment specified by the permit are in place

Terminates the entry and cancels the permit as required

Verifies rescue services are available and means for summoning them are operable

Removes unauthorized personnel who attempt to enter the permit space

Ensures entry operations remain consistent with terms of the entry permit

Know the hazards that may be faced during entry

Properly use equipment (i.e. testing, ventilating, communications, PPE, lighting, barriers, rescue and emergency)

Communicate with attendants as necessary

Alert attendant when:» He/she recognizes

any warning sign or symptom of exposure

» He/she detects a prohibited condition

Exit from the permit space as quickly as possible whenever:

An order to evacuate is given

He/she recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure

He/she detects a prohibited condition

An evacuation alarm is activated

Knows hazards that may be faced during entry

Is aware of possible behavioral effects of exposure in authorized entrants

Continuously maintains an accurate count of authorized entrants

Remains outside the permit space during entry operations

Ensures that the means used to identify authorized entrants accurately identifies who is in the permit space

Communicates with authorized entrants to monitor entrant status

Alert entrants of the need to evacuate space if needed

Monitors activities inside and outside the space to determine if it is safe for entrants to remain in space and orders authorized entrants to evaluate the permit space immediately under any of the following conditions:

Detection of a prohibited condition

If the authorized entrant exhibits behavioral changes

Detection outside the space that could endanger the authorized entrants

If the attendant cannot effectively and safety perform all of his/her duties

PERMITPERMIT ONE COPY TO BE POSTED

AT THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE TO THE SPACE

ONE COPY TO BE POSTED AT ALL OTHER ENTRY POINTS WHICH ARE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONNEL

TRAINING REQUIREMENTSTRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Qualified persons using direct reading instruments are required to be trained in:» Calibrating and using monitoring equipment» Determining appropriate engineering methods to

eliminate hazards» Determining severity of hazards» Developing entry plan» How to train entrants and attendants and

supervisors

CONFINED SPACE EMERGENCIES

CONFINED SPACE CONFINED SPACE EMERGENCIES (CONT)EMERGENCIES (CONT)

DO NOT ENTER DO NOT ENTER THE SPACE TO SAVE THE SPACE TO SAVE THE VICTIM!!THE VICTIM!!

REMOVE/HOIST PERSONNEL BY REMOVE/HOIST PERSONNEL BY LIFELINE WHEN AVAILABLE LIFELINE WHEN AVAILABLE

CALL EMERGENCY RESCUE CALL EMERGENCY RESCUE IMMEDIATELYIMMEDIATELY

CONFINED SPACE CONFINED SPACE EMERGENCIES (CONT)EMERGENCIES (CONT)

STATE THAT A CONFINED SPACE STATE THAT A CONFINED SPACE EMERGENCY HAS OCCURREDEMERGENCY HAS OCCURRED

GIVE SPECIFIC LOCATION AND ANY GIVE SPECIFIC LOCATION AND ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATIONOTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

REQUEST EMERGENCY RESPONSE REQUEST EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM TEAM

QUESTIONS

IF YOU DO HAVE A CONFINED SPACE OR A “PERMIT REQUIRED”

CONFINED SPACE AND NEED HELP, CONTACT YOUR

REGIONAL SAFETY MANAGER