[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1910.146]
[Page 462-483]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1910_OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS--Table of Contents
Subpart J_General Environmental Controls
Sec. 1910.146 Permit-required confined spaces.
(a) Scope and application. This section contains requirements for
practices and procedures to protect employees in general industry from
the hazards of entry into permit-required confined spaces. This section
does not apply to agriculture, to construction, or to shipyard
employment (Parts 1928, 1926, and 1915 of this chapter, respectively).
(b) Definitions.
Acceptable entry conditions means the conditions that must exist in
a permit space to allow entry and to ensure that employees involved with
a permit-required confined space entry can safely enter into and work
within the space.
Attendant means an individual stationed outside one or more permit
spaces who monitors the authorized entrants and who performs all
attendant's duties assigned in the employer's permit space program.
Authorized entrant means an employee who is authorized by the
employer to enter a permit space.
Blanking or blinding means the absolute closure of a pipe, line, or
duct by the fastening of a solid plate (such as a spectacle blind or a
skillet blind) that completely covers the bore and that is capable of
withstanding the maximum pressure of the pipe, line, or duct with no
leakage beyond the plate.
Confined space means a space that:
(1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily
enter and perform assigned work; and
(2) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example,
tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are
spaces that may have limited means of entry.); and
(3) Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
Double block and bleed means the closure of a line, duct, or pipe by
closing and locking or tagging two in-line valves and by opening and
locking or tagging a drain or vent valve in the line between the two
closed valves.
Emergency means any occurrence (including any failure of hazard
control or monitoring equipment) or event internal or external to the
permit space that could endanger entrants.
Engulfment means the surrounding and effective capture of a person
by a liquid or finely divided (flowable) solid substance that can be
aspirated to cause death by filling or plugging the respiratory system
or that can exert enough force on the body to cause death by
strangulation, constriction, or crushing.
Entry means the action by which a person passes through an opening
into a permit-required confined space. Entry includes ensuing work
activities in that space and is considered to have occurred as soon as
any part of the entrant's body breaks the plane of an opening into the
space.
[[Page 463]]
Entry permit (permit) means the written or printed document that is
provided by the employer to allow and control entry into a permit space
and that contains the information specified in paragraph (f) of this
section.
Entry supervisor means the person (such as the employer, foreman, or
crew chief) responsible for determining if acceptable entry conditions
are present at a permit space where entry is planned, for authorizing
entry and overseeing entry operations, and for terminating entry as
required by this section.
Note: An entry supervisor also may serve as an attendant or as an
authorized entrant, as long as that person is trained and equipped as
required by this section for each role he or she fills. Also, the duties
of entry supervisor may be passed from one individual to another during
the course of an entry operation.
Hazardous atmosphere means an atmosphere that may expose employees
to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-
rescue (that is, escape unaided from a permit space), injury, or acute
illness from one or more of the following causes:
(1) Flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10 percent of its
lower flammable limit (LFL);
(2) Airborne combustible dust at a concentration that meets or
exceeds its LFL;
Note: This concentration may be approximated as a condition in which
the dust obscures vision at a distance of 5 feet (1.52 m) or less.
(3) Atmospheric oxygen concentration below 19.5 percent or above
23.5 percent;
(4) Atmospheric concentration of any substance for which a dose or a
permissible exposure limit is published in Subpart G, Occupational
Health and Environmental Control, or in Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous
Substances, of this part and which could result in employee exposure in
excess of its dose or permissible exposure limit;
Note: An atmospheric concentration of any substance that is not
capable of causing death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-
rescue, injury, or acute illness due to its health effects is not
covered by this provision.
(5) Any other atmospheric condition that is immediately dangerous to
life or health.
Note: For air contaminants for which OSHA has not determined a dose
or permissible exposure limit, other sources of information, such as
Material Safety Data Sheets that comply with the Hazard Communication
Standard, Sec. 1910.1200 of this part, published information, and
internal documents can provide guidance in establishing acceptable
atmospheric conditions.
Hot work permit means the employer's written authorization to
perform operations (for example, riveting, welding, cutting, burning,
and heating) capable of providing a source of ignition.
Immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) means any condition
that poses an immediate or delayed threat to life or that would cause
irreversible adverse health effects or that would interfere with an
individual's ability to escape unaided from a permit space.
Note: Some materials--hydrogen fluoride gas and cadmium vapor, for
example--may produce immediate transient effects that, even if severe,
may pass without medical attention, but are followed by sudden, possibly
fatal collapse 12-72 hours after exposure. The victim ``feels normal''
from recovery from transient effects until collapse. Such materials in
hazardous quantities are considered to be ``immediately'' dangerous to
life or health.
Inerting means the displacement of the atmosphere in a permit space
by a noncombustible gas (such as nitrogen) to such an extent that the
resulting atmosphere is noncombustible.
Note: This procedure produces an IDLH oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Isolation means the process by which a permit space is removed from
service and completely protected against the release of energy and
material into the space by such means as: blanking or blinding;
misaligning or removing sections of lines, pipes, or ducts; a double
block and bleed system; lockout or tagout of all sources of energy; or
blocking or disconnecting all mechanical linkages.
Line breaking means the intentional opening of a pipe, line, or duct
that is or has been carrying flammable, corrosive, or toxic material, an
inert gas, or any fluid at a volume, pressure, or temperature capable of
causing injury.
Non-permit confined space means a confined space that does not
contain
[[Page 464]]
or, with respect to atmospheric hazards, have the potential to contain
any hazard capable of causing death or serious physical harm.
Oxygen deficient atmosphere means an atmosphere containing less than
19.5 percent oxygen by volume.
Oxygen enriched atmosphere means an atmosphere containing more than
23.5 percent oxygen by volume.
Permit-required confined space (permit space) means a confined space
that has one or more of the following characteristics:
(1) Contains or has a potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere;
(2) Contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an
entrant;
(3) Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be
trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor which
slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross- section; or
(4) Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.
Permit-required confined space program (permit space program) means
the employer's overall program for controlling, and, where appropriate,
for protecting employees from, permit space hazards and for regulating
employee entry into permit spaces.
Permit system means the employer's written procedure for preparing
and issuing permits for entry and for returning the permit space to
service following termination of entry.
Prohibited condition means any condition in a permit space that is
not allowed by the permit during the period when entry is authorized.
Rescue service means the personnel designated to rescue employees
from permit spaces.
Retrieval system means the equipment (including a retrieval line,
chest or full-body harness, wristlets, if appropriate, and a lifting
device or anchor) used for non-entry rescue of persons from permit
spaces.
Testing means the process by which the hazards that may confront
entrants of a permit space are identified and evaluated. Testing
includes specifying the tests that are to be performed in the permit
space.
Note: Testing enables employers both to devise and implement
adequate control measures for the protection of authorized entrants and
to determine if acceptable entry conditions are present immediately
prior to, and during, entry.
(c) General requirements. (1) The employer shall evaluate the
workplace to determine if any spaces are permit- required confined
spaces.
Note: Proper application of the decision flow chart in appendix A to
Sec. 1910.146 would facilitate compliance with this requirement.
(2) If the workplace contains permit spaces, the employer shall
inform exposed employees, by posting danger signs or by any other
equally effective means, of the existence and location of and the danger
posed by the permit spaces.
Note: A sign reading ``DANGER--PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO
NOT ENTER'' or using other similar language would satisfy the
requirement for a sign.
(3) If the employer decides that its employees will not enter permit
spaces, the employer shall take effective measures to prevent its
employees from entering the permit spaces and shall comply with
paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(6), and (c)(8) of this section.
(4) If the employer decides that its employees will enter permit
spaces, the employer shall develop and implement a written permit space
program that complies with this section. The written program shall be
available for inspection by employees and their authorized
representatives.
(5) An employer may use the alternate procedures specified in
paragraph (c)(5)(ii) of this section for entering a permit space under
the conditions set forth in paragraph (c)(5)(i) of this section.
(i) An employer whose employees enter a permit space need not comply
with paragraphs (d) through (f) and (h) through (k) of this section,
provided that:
(A) The employer can demonstrate that the only hazard posed by the
permit space is an actual or potential hazardous atmosphere;
(B) The employer can demonstrate that continuous forced air
ventilation alone is sufficient to maintain that permit space safe for
entry;
[[Page 465]]
(C) The employer develops monitoring and inspection data that
supports the demonstrations required by paragraphs (c)(5)(i)(A) and
(c)(5)(i)(B) of this section;
(D) If an initial entry of the permit space is necessary to obtain
the data required by paragraph (c)(5)(i)(C) of this section, the entry
is performed in compliance with paragraphs (d) through (k) of this
section;
(E) The determinations and supporting data required by paragraphs
(c)(5)(i)(A), (c)(5)(i)(B), and (c)(5)(i)(C) of this section are
documented by the employer and are made available to each employee who
enters the permit space under the terms of paragraph (c)(5) of this
section or to that employee's authorized representative; and
(F) Entry into the permit space under the terms of paragraph
(c)(5)(i) of this section is performed in accordance with the
requirements of paragraph (c)(5)(ii) of this section.
Note: See paragraph (c)(7) of this section for reclassification of a
permit space after all hazards within the space have been eliminated.
(ii) The following requirements apply to entry into permit spaces
that meet the conditions set forth in paragraph (c)(5)(i) of this
section.
(A) Any conditions making it unsafe to remove an entrance cover
shall be eliminated before the cover is removed.
(B) When entrance covers are removed, the opening shall be promptly
guarded by a railing, temporary cover, or other temporary barrier that
will prevent an accidental fall through the opening and that will
protect each employee working in the space from foreign objects entering
the space.
(C) Before an employee enters the space, the internal atmosphere
shall be tested, with a calibrated direct-reading instrument, for oxygen
content, for flammable gases and vapors, and for potential toxic air
contaminants, in that order. Any employee who enters the space, or that
employee's authorized representative, shall be provided an opportunity
to observe the pre-entry testing required by this paragraph.
(D) There may be no hazardous atmosphere within the space whenever
any employee is inside the space.
(E) Continuous forced air ventilation shall be used, as follows:
(1) An employee may not enter the space until the forced air
ventilation has eliminated any hazardous atmosphere;
(2) The forced air ventilation shall be so directed as to ventilate
the immediate areas where an employee is or will be present within the
space and shall continue until all employees have left the space;
(3) The air supply for the forced air ventilation shall be from a
clean source and may not increase the hazards in the space.
(F) The atmosphere within the space shall be periodically tested as
necessary to ensure that the continuous forced air ventilation is
preventing the accumulation of a hazardous atmosphere. Any employee who
enters the space, or that employee's authorized representative, shall be
provided with an opportunity to observe the periodic testing required by
this paragraph.
(G) If a hazardous atmosphere is detected during entry:
(1) Each employee shall leave the space immediately;
(2) The space shall be evaluated to determine how the hazardous
atmosphere developed; and
(3) Measures shall be implemented to protect employees from the
hazardous atmosphere before any subsequent entry takes place.
(H) The employer shall verify that the space is safe for entry and
that the pre-entry measures required by paragraph (c)(5)(ii) of this
section have been taken, through a written certification that contains
the date, the location of the space, and the signature of the person
providing the certification. The certification shall be made before
entry and shall be made available to each employee entering the space or
to that employee's authorized representative .
(6) When there are changes in the use or configuration of a non-
permit confined space that might increase the hazards to entrants, the
employer shall reevaluate that space and, if necessary, reclassify it as
a permit-required confined space.
(7) A space classified by the employer as a permit-required confined
space
[[Page 466]]
may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space under the following
procedures:
(i) If the permit space poses no actual or potential atmospheric
hazards and if all hazards within the space are eliminated without entry
into the space, the permit space may be reclassified as a non-permit
confined space for as long as the non-atmospheric hazards remain
eliminated.
(ii) If it is necessary to enter the permit space to eliminate
hazards, such entry shall be performed under paragraphs (d) through (k)
of this section. If testing and inspection during that entry demonstrate
that the hazards within the permit space have been eliminated, the
permit space may be reclassified as a non-permit confined space for as
long as the hazards remain eliminated.
Note: Control of atmospheric hazards through forced air ventilation
does not constitute elimination of the hazards. Paragraph (c)(5) covers
permit space entry where the employer can demonstrate that forced air
ventilation alone will control all hazards in the space.
(iii) The employer shall document the basis for determining that all
hazards in a permit space have been eliminated, through a certification
that contains the date, the location of the space, and the signature of
the person making the determination. The certification shall be made
available to each employee entering the space or to that employee's
authorized representative.
(iv) If hazards arise within a permit space that has been
declassified to a non-permit space under paragraph (c)(7) of this
section, each employee in the space shall exit the space. The employer
shall then reevaluate the space and determine whether it must be
reclassified as a permit space, in accordance with other applicable
provisions of this section.
(8) When an employer (host employer) arranges to have employees of
another employer (contractor) perform work that involves permit space
entry, the host employer shall:
(i) Inform the contractor that the workplace contains permit spaces
and that permit space entry is allowed only through compliance with a
permit space program meeting the requirements of this section;
(ii) Apprise the contractor of the elements, including the hazards
identified and the host employer's experience with the space, that make
the space in question a permit space;
(iii) Apprise the contractor of any precautions or procedures that
the host employer has implemented for the protection of employees in or
near permit spaces where contractor personnel will be working;
(iv) Coordinate entry operations with the contractor, when both host
employer personnel and contractor personnel will be working in or near
permit spaces, as required by paragraph (d)(11) of this section; and
(v) Debrief the contractor at the conclusion of the entry operations
regarding the permit space program followed and regarding any hazards
confronted or created in permit spaces during entry operations.
(9) In addition to complying with the permit space requirements that
apply to all employers, each contractor who is retained to perform
permit space entry operations shall:
(i) Obtain any available information regarding permit space hazards
and entry operations from the host employer;
(ii) Coordinate entry operations with the host employer, when both
host employer personnel and contractor personnel will be working in or
near permit spaces, as required by paragraph (d)(11) of this section;
and
(iii) Inform the host employer of the permit space program that the
contractor will follow and of any hazards confronted or created in
permit spaces, either through a debriefing or during the entry
operation.
(d) Permit-required confined space program (permit space program).
Under the permit space program required by paragraph (c)(4) of this
section, the employer shall:
(1) Implement the measures necessary to prevent unauthorized entry;
(2) Identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces before
employees enter them;
[[Page 467]]
(3) Develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices
necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including, but not
limited to, the following:
(i) Specifying acceptable entry conditions;
(ii) Providing each authorized entrant or that employee's authorized
representative with the opportunity to observe any monitoring or testing
of permit spaces;
(iii) Isolating the permit space;
(iv) Purging, inerting, flushing, or ventilating the permit space as
necessary to eliminate or control atmospheric hazards;
(v) Providing pedestrian, vehicle, or other barriers as necessary to
protect entrants from external hazards; and
(vi) Verifying that conditions in the permit space are acceptable
for entry throughout the duration of an authorized entry.
(4) Provide the following equipment (specified in paragraphs
(d)(4)(i) through (d)(4)(ix) of this section) at no cost to employees,
maintain that equipment properly, and ensure that employees use that
equipment properly:
(i) Testing and monitoring equipment needed to comply with paragraph
(d)(5) of this section;
(ii) Ventilating equipment needed to obtain acceptable entry
conditions;
(iii) Communications equipment necessary for compliance with
paragraphs (h)(3) and (i)(5) of this section;
(iv) Personal protective equipment insofar as feasible engineering
and work practice controls do not adequately protect employees;
(v) Lighting equipment needed to enable employees to see well enough
to work safely and to exit the space quickly in an emergency;
(vi) Barriers and shields as required by paragraph (d)(3)(iv) of
this section;
(vii) Equipment, such as ladders, needed for safe ingress and egress
by authorized entrants;
(viii) Rescue and emergency equipment needed to comply with
paragraph (d)(9) of this section, except to the extent that the
equipment is provided by rescue services; and
(ix) Any other equipment necessary for safe entry into and rescue
from permit spaces.
(5) Evaluate permit space conditions as follows when entry
operations are conducted:
(i) Test conditions in the permit space to determine if acceptable
entry conditions exist before entry is authorized to begin, except that,
if isolation of the space is infeasible because the space is large or is
part of a continuous system (such as a sewer), pre-entry testing shall
be performed to the extent feasible before entry is authorized and, if
entry is authorized, entry conditions shall be continuously monitored in
the areas where authorized entrants are working;
(ii) Test or monitor the permit space as necessary to determine if
acceptable entry conditions are being maintained during the course of
entry operations; and
(iii) When testing for atmospheric hazards, test first for oxygen,
then for combustible gases and vapors, and then for toxic gases and
vapors.
(iv) Provide each authorized entrant or that employee's authorized
representative an opportunity to observe the pre-entry and any
subsequent testing or monitoring of permit spaces;
(v) Reevaluate the permit space in the presence of any authorized
entrant or that employee's authorized representative who requests that
the employer conduct such reevaluation because the entrant or
representative has reason to believe that the evaluation of that space
may not have been adequate;
(vi) Immediately provide each authorized entrant or that employee's
authorized representative with the results of any testing conducted in
accord with paragraph (d) of this section.
Note: Atmospheric testing conducted in accordance with appendix B to
Sec. 1910.146 would be considered as satisfying the requirements of
this paragraph. For permit space operations in sewers, atmospheric
testing conducted in accordance with appendix B, as supplemented by
appendix E to Sec. 1910.146, would be considered as satisfying the
requirements of this paragraph.
(6) Provide at least one attendant outside the permit space into
which
[[Page 468]]
entry is authorized for the duration of entry operations;
Note: Attendants may be assigned to monitor more than one permit
space provided the duties described in paragraph (i) of this section can
be effectively performed for each permit space that is monitored.
Likewise, attendants may be stationed at any location outside the permit
space to be monitored as long as the duties described in paragraph (i)
of this section can be effectively performed for each permit space that
is monitored.
(7) If multiple spaces are to be monitored by a single attendant,
include in the permit program the means and procedures to enable the
attendant to respond to an emergency affecting one or more of the permit
spaces being monitored without distraction from the attendant's
responsibilities under paragraph (i) of this section;
(8) Designate the persons who are to have active roles (as, for
example, authorized entrants, attendants, entry supervisors, or persons
who test or monitor the atmosphere in a permit space) in entry
operations, identify the duties of each such employee, and provide each
such employee with the training required by paragraph (g) of this
section;
(9) Develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue and
emergency services, for rescuing entrants from permit spaces, for
providing necessary emergency services to rescued employees, and for
preventing unauthorized personnel from attempting a rescue;
(10) Develop and implement a system for the preparation, issuance,
use, and cancellation of entry permits as required by this section;
(11) Develop and implement procedures to coordinate entry operations
when employees of more than one employer are working simultaneously as
authorized entrants in a permit space, so that employees of one employer
do not endanger the employees of any other employer;
(12) Develop and implement procedures (such as closing off a permit
space and canceling the permit) necessary for concluding the entry after
entry operations have been completed;
(13) Review entry operations when the employer has reason to believe
that the measures taken under the permit space program may not protect
employees and revise the program to correct deficiencies found to exist
before subsequent entries are authorized; and
Note: Examples of circumstances requiring the review of the permit
space program are: any unauthorized entry of a permit space, the
detection of a permit space hazard not covered by the permit, the
detection of a condition prohibited by the permit, the occurrence of an
injury or near-miss during entry, a change in the use or configuration
of a permit space, and employee complaints about the effectiveness of
the program.
(14) Review the permit space program, using the canceled permits
retained under paragraph (e)(6) of this section within 1 year after each
entry and revise the program as necessary, to ensure that employees
participating in entry operations are protected from permit space
hazards.
Note: Employers may perform a single annual review covering all
entries performed during a 12-month period. If no entry is performed
during a 12-month period, no review is necessary.
Appendix C to Sec. 1910.146 presents examples of permit space programs
that are considered to comply with the requirements of paragraph (d) of
this section.
(e) Permit system. (1) Before entry is authorized, the employer
shall document the completion of measures required by paragraph (d)(3)
of this section by preparing an entry permit.
Note: Appendix D to Sec. 1910.146 presents examples of permits
whose elements are considered to comply with the requirements of this
section.
(2) Before entry begins, the entry supervisor identified on the
permit shall sign the entry permit to authorize entry.
(3) The completed permit shall be made available at the time of
entry to all authorized entrants or their authorized representatives, by
posting it at the entry portal or by any other equally effective means,
so that the entrants can confirm that pre-entry preparations have been
completed.
(4) The duration of the permit may not exceed the time required to
complete the assigned task or job identified on the permit in accordance
with paragraph (f)(2) of this section.
[[Page 469]]
(5) The entry supervisor shall terminate entry and cancel the entry
permit when:
(i) The entry operations covered by the entry permit have been
completed; or
(ii) A condition that is not allowed under the entry permit arises
in or near the permit space.
(6) The employer shall retain each canceled entry permit for at
least 1 year to facilitate the review of the permit-required confined
space program required by paragraph (d)(14) of this section. Any
problems encountered during an entry operation shall be noted on the
pertinent permit so that appropriate revisions to the permit space
program can be made.
(f) Entry permit. The entry permit that documents compliance with
this section and authorizes entry to a permit space shall identify:
(1) The permit space to be entered;
(2) The purpose of the entry;
(3) The date and the authorized duration of the entry permit;
(4) The authorized entrants within the permit space, by name or by
such other means (for example, through the use of rosters or tracking
systems) as will enable the attendant to determine quickly and
accurately, for the duration of the permit, which authorized entrants
are inside the permit space;
Note: This requirement may be met by inserting a reference on the
entry permit as to the means used, such as a roster or tracking system,
to keep track of the authorized entrants within the permit space.
(5) The personnel, by name, currently serving as attendants;
(6) The individual, by name, currently serving as entry supervisor,
with a space for the signature or initials of the entry supervisor who
originally authorized entry;
(7) The hazards of the permit space to be entered;
(8) The measures used to isolate the permit space and to eliminate
or control permit space hazards before entry;
Note: Those measures can include the lockout or tagging of equipment
and procedures for purging, inerting, ventilating, and flushing permit
spaces.
(9) The acceptable entry conditions;
(10) The results of initial and periodic tests performed under
paragraph (d)(5) of this section, accompanied by the names or initials
of the testers and by an indication of when the tests were performed;
(11) The rescue and emergency services that can be summoned and the
means (such as the equipment to use and the numbers to call) for
summoning those services;
(12) The communication procedures used by authorized entrants and
attendants to maintain contact during the entry;
(13) Equipment, such as personal protective equipment, testing
equipment, communications equipment, alarm systems, and rescue
equipment, to be provided for compliance with this section;
(14) Any other information whose inclusion is necessary, given the
circumstances of the particular confined space, in order to ensure
employee safety; and
(15) Any additional permits, such as for hot work, that have been
issued to authorize work in the permit space.
(g) Training. (1) The employer shall provide training so that all
employees whose work is regulated by this section acquire the
understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance
of the duties assigned under this section.
(2) Training shall be provided to each affected employee:
(i) Before the employee is first assigned duties under this section;
(ii) Before there is a change in assigned duties;
(iii) Whenever there is a change in permit space operations that
presents a hazard about which an employee has not previously been
trained;
(iv) Whenever the employer has reason to believe either that there
are deviations from the permit space entry procedures required by
paragraph (d)(3) of this section or that there are inadequacies in the
employee's knowledge or use of these procedures.
(3) The training shall establish employee proficiency in the duties
required by this section and shall introduce new or revised procedures,
as necessary, for compliance with this section.
[[Page 470]]
(4) The employer shall certify that the training required by
paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(3) of this section has been accomplished.
The certification shall contain each employee's name, the signatures or
initials of the trainers, and the dates of training. The certification
shall be available for inspection by employees and their authorized
representatives.
(h) Duties of authorized entrants. The employer shall ensure that
all authorized entrants:
(1) Know the hazards that may be faced during entry, including
information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the
exposure;
(2) Properly use equipment as required by paragraph (d)(4) of this
section;
(3) Communicate with the attendant as necessary to enable the
attendant to monitor entrant status and to enable the attendant to alert
entrants of the need to evacuate the space as required by paragraph
(i)(6) of this section;
(4) Alert the attendant whenever:
(i) The entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure
to a dangerous situation, or
(ii) The entrant detects a prohibited condition; and
(5) Exit from the permit space as quickly as possible whenever:
(i) An order to evacuate is given by the attendant or the entry
supervisor,
(ii) The entrant recognizes any warning sign or symptom of exposure
to a dangerous situation,
(iii) The entrant detects a prohibited condition, or
(iv) An evacuation alarm is activated.
(i) Duties of attendants. The employer shall ensure that each
attendant:
(1) Knows the hazards that may be faced during entry, including
information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the
exposure;
(2) Is aware of possible behavioral effects of hazard exposure in
authorized entrants;
(3) Continuously maintains an accurate count of authorized entrants
in the permit space and ensures that the means used to identify
authorized entrants under paragraph (f)(4) of this section accurately
identifies who is in the permit space;
(4) Remains outside the permit space during entry operations until
relieved by another attendant;
Note: When the employer's permit entry program allows attendant
entry for rescue, attendants may enter a permit space to attempt a
rescue if they have been trained and equipped for rescue operations as
required by paragraph (k)(1) of this section and if they have been
relieved as required by paragraph (i)(4) of this section.
(5) Communicates with authorized entrants as necessary to monitor
entrant status and to alert entrants of the need to evacuate the space
under paragraph (i)(6) of this section;
(6) Monitors activities inside and outside the space to determine if
it is safe for entrants to remain in the space and orders the authorized
entrants to evacuate the permit space immediately under any of the
following conditions;
(i) If the attendant detects a prohibited condition;
(ii) If the attendant detects the behavioral effects of hazard
exposure in an authorized entrant;
(iii) If the attendant detects a situation outside the space that
could endanger the authorized entrants; or
(iv) If the attendant cannot effectively and safely perform all the
duties required under paragraph (i) of this section;
(7) Summon rescue and other emergency services as soon as the
attendant determines that authorized entrants may need assistance to
escape from permit space hazards;
(8) Takes the following actions when unauthorized persons approach
or enter a permit space while entry is underway:
(i) Warn the unauthorized persons that they must stay away from the
permit space;
(ii) Advise the unauthorized persons that they must exit immediately
if they have entered the permit space; and
(iii) Inform the authorized entrants and the entry supervisor if
unauthorized persons have entered the permit space;
(9) Performs non-entry rescues as specified by the employer's rescue
procedure; and
(10) Performs no duties that might interfere with the attendant's
primary
[[Page 471]]
duty to monitor and protect the authorized entrants.
(j) Duties of entry supervisors. The employer shall ensure that each
entry supervisor:
(1) Knows the hazards that may be faced during entry, including
information on the mode, signs or symptoms, and consequences of the
exposure;
(2) Verifies, by checking that the appropriate entries have been
made on the permit, that all tests specified by the permit have been
conducted and that all procedures and equipment specified by the permit
are in place before endorsing the permit and allowing entry to begin;
(3) Terminates the entry and cancels the permit as required by
paragraph (e)(5) of this section;
(4) Verifies that rescue services are available and that the means
for summoning them are operable;
(5) Removes unauthorized individuals who enter or who attempt to
enter the permit space during entry operations; and
(6) Determines, whenever responsibility for a permit space entry
operation is transferred and at intervals dictated by the hazards and
operations performed within the space, that entry operations remain
consistent with terms of the entry permit and that acceptable entry
conditions are maintained.
(k) Rescue and emergency services. (1) An employer who designates
rescue and emergency services, pursuant to paragraph (d)(9) of this
section, shall:
(i) Evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond to a rescue
summons in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified;
Note to paragraph (k)(1)(i): What will be considered timely will
vary according to the specific hazards involved in each entry. For
example, Sec. 1910.134, Respiratory Protection, requires that employers
provide a standby person or persons capable of immediate action to
rescue employee(s) wearing respiratory protection while in work areas
defined as IDLH atmospheres.
(ii) Evaluate a prospective rescue service's ability, in terms of
proficiency with rescue-related tasks and equipment, to function
appropriately while rescuing entrants from the particular permit space
or types of permit spaces identified;
(iii) Select a rescue team or service from those evaluated that:
(A) Has the capability to reach the victim(s) within a time frame
that is appropriate for the permit space hazard(s) identified;
(B) Is equipped for and proficient in performing the needed rescue
services;
(iv) Inform each rescue team or service of the hazards they may
confront when called on to perform rescue at the site; and
(v) Provide the rescue team or service selected with access to all
permit spaces from which rescue may be necessary so that the rescue
service can develop appropriate rescue plans and practice rescue
operations.
Note to paragraph (k)(1): Non-mandatory appendix F contains examples
of criteria which employers can use in evaluating prospective rescuers
as required by paragraph (k)(1) of this section.
(2) An employer whose employees have been designated to provide
permit space rescue and emergency services shall take the following
measures:
(i) Provide affected employees with the personal protective
equipment (PPE) needed to conduct permit space rescues safely and train
affected employees so they are proficient in the use of that PPE, at no
cost to those employees;
(ii) Train affected employees to perform assigned rescue duties. The
employer must ensure that such employees successfully complete the
training required to establish proficiency as an authorized entrant, as
provided by paragraphs (g) and (h) of this section;
(iii) Train affected employees in basic first-aid and
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The employer shall ensure that at
least one member of the rescue team or service holding a current
certification in first aid and CPR is available; and
(iv) Ensure that affected employees practice making permit space
rescues at least once every 12 months, by means of simulated rescue
operations in which they remove dummies, manikins, or actual persons
from the actual permit spaces or from representative permit spaces.
Representative permit spaces shall, with respect to opening
[[Page 472]]
size, configuration, and accessibility, simulate the types of permit
spaces from which rescue is to be performed.
(3) To facilitate non-entry rescue, retrieval systems or methods
shall be used whenever an authorized entrant enters a permit space,
unless the retrieval equipment would increase the overall risk of entry
or would not contribute to the rescue of the entrant. Retrieval systems
shall meet the following requirements.
(i) Each authorized entrant shall use a chest or full body harness,
with a retrieval line attached at the center of the entrant's back near
shoulder level, above the entrant's head, or at another point which the
employer can establish presents a profile small enough for the
successful removal of the entrant. Wristlets may be used in lieu of the
chest or full body harness if the employer can demonstrate that the use
of a chest or full body harness is infeasible or creates a greater
hazard and that the use of wristlets is the safest and most effective
alternative.
(ii) The other end of the retrieval line shall be attached to a
mechanical device or fixed point outside the permit space in such a
manner that rescue can begin as soon as the rescuer becomes aware that
rescue is necessary. A mechanical device shall be available to retrieve
personnel from vertical type permit spaces more than 5 feet (1.52 m)
deep.
(4) If an injured entrant is exposed to a substance for which a
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or other similar written information
is required to be kept at the worksite, that MSDS or written information
shall be made available to the medical facility treating the exposed
entrant.
(l) Employee participation. (1) Employers shall consult with
affected employees and their authorized representatives on the
development and implementation of all aspects of the permit space
program required by paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Employers shall make available to affected employees and their
authorized representatives all information required to be developed by
this section.
Appendixes to Sec. 1910.146--Permit-required Confined Spaces
Note: Appendixes A through F serve to provide information and non-
mandatory guidelines to assist employers and employees in complying with
the appropriate requirements of this section.
[[Page 473]]
Appendix A to Sec. 1910.146--Permit-Required Confined Space Decision
Flow Chart
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC27OC91.029
Appendix B to Sec. 1910.146--Procedures for Atmospheric Testing
Atmospheric testing is required for two distinct purposes:
evaluation of the hazards of the permit space and verification that
acceptable entry conditions for entry into that space exist.
[[Page 474]]
(1) Evaluation testing. The atmosphere of a confined space should be
analyzed using equipment of sufficient sensitivity and specificity to
identify and evaluate any hazardous atmospheres that may exist or arise,
so that appropriate permit entry procedures can be developed and
acceptable entry conditions stipulated for that space. Evaluation and
interpretation of these data, and development of the entry procedure,
should be done by, or reviewed by, a technically qualified professional
(e.g., OSHA consultation service, or certified industrial hygienist,
registered safety engineer, certified safety professional, certified
marine chemist, etc.) based on evaluation of all serious hazards.
(2) Verification testing. The atmosphere of a permit space which may
contain a hazardous atmosphere should be tested for residues of all
contaminants identified by evaluation testing using permit specified
equipment to determine that residual concentrations at the time of
testing and entry are within the range of acceptable entry conditions.
Results of testing (i.e., actual concentration, etc.) should be recorded
on the permit in the space provided adjacent to the stipulated
acceptable entry condition.
(3) Duration of testing. Measurement of values for each atmospheric
parameter should be made for at least the minimum response time of the
test instrument specified by the manufacturer.
(4) Testing stratified atmospheres. When monitoring for entries
involving a descent into atmospheres that may be stratified, the
atmospheric envelope should be tested a distance of approximately 4 feet
(1.22 m) in the direction of travel and to each side. If a sampling
probe is used, the entrant's rate of progress should be slowed to
accommodate the sampling speed and detector response.
(5) Order of testing. A test for oxygen is performed first because
most combustible gas meters are oxygen dependent and will not provide
reliable readings in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. Combustible gasses
are tested for next because the threat of fire or explosion is both more
immediate and more life threatening, in most cases, than exposure to
toxic gasses and vapors. If tests for toxic gasses and vapors are
necessary, they are performed last.
Appendix C to Sec. 1910.146--Examples of Permit-required Confined Space
Programs
Example 1.
Workplace. Sewer entry.
Potential hazards. The employees could be exposed to the following:
Engulfment.
Presence of toxic gases. Equal to or more than 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide
measured as an 8-hour time-weighted average. If the presence of other
toxic contaminants is suspected, specific monitoring programs will be
developed.
Presence of explosive/flammable gases. Equal to or greater than 10% of
the lower flammable limit (LFL).
Oxygen Deficiency. A concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere equal to
or less than 19.5% by volume.
A. Entry Without Permit/Attendant
Certification. Confined spaces may be entered without the need for a
written permit or attendant provided that the space can be maintained in
a safe condition for entry by mechanical ventilation alone, as provided
in Sec. 1910.146(c)(5). All spaces shall be considered permit-required
confined spaces until the pre-entry procedures demonstrate otherwise.
Any employee required or permitted to pre-check or enter an enclosed/
confined space shall have successfully completed, -as a minimum, the
training as required by the following sections of these procedures. A
written copy of operating and rescue procedures as required by these
procedures shall be at the work site for the duration of the job. The
Confined Space Pre-Entry Check List must be completed by the LEAD WORKER
before entry into a confined space. This list verifies completion of
items listed below. This check list shall be kept at the job site for
duration of the job. If circumstances dictate an interruption in the
work, the permit space must be re-evaluated and a new check list must be
completed.
Control of atmospheric and engulfment hazards.
Pumps and Lines. All pumps and lines which may reasonably cause
contaminants to flow into the space shall be disconnected, blinded and
locked out, or effectively isolated by other means to prevent
development of dangerous air contamination or engulfment. Not all
laterals to sewers or storm drains require blocking. However, where
experience or knowledge of industrial use indicates there is a
reasonable potential for contamination of air or engulfment into an
occupied sewer, then all affected laterals shall be blocked. If blocking
and/or isolation requires entry into the space the provisions for entry
into a permit- required confined space must be implemented.
Surveillance. The surrounding area shall be surveyed to avoid hazards
such as drifting vapors from the tanks, piping, or sewers.
Testing. The atmosphere within the space will be tested to determine
whether dangerous air contamination and/or oxygen deficiency exists.
Detector tubes, alarm only gas monitors and explosion meters are
examples of monitoring equipment that may be used to test permit space
atmospheres. Testing shall be performed by the LEAD WORKER who has
successfully completed the Gas Detector training for the monitor he will
use. The minimum parameters to be monitored
[[Page 475]]
are oxygen deficiency, LFL, and hydrogen sulfide concentration. A
written record of the pre-entry test results shall be made and kept at
the work site for the duration of the job. The supervisor will certify
in writing, based upon the results of the pre-entry testing, that all
hazards have been eliminated. Affected employees shall be able to review
the testing results. The most hazardous conditions shall govern when
work is being performed in two adjoining, connecting spaces.
Entry Procedures. If there are no non-atmospheric hazards present and if
the pre-entry tests show there is no dangerous air contamination and/or
oxygen deficiency within the space and there is no reason to believe
that any is likely to develop, entry into and work within may proceed.
Continuous testing of the atmosphere in the immediate vicinity of the
workers within the space shall be accomplished. The workers will
immediately leave the permit space when any of the gas monitor alarm set
points are reached as defined. Workers will not return to the area until
a SUPERVISOR who has completed the gas detector training has used a
direct reading gas detector to evaluate the situation and has determined
that it is safe to enter.
Rescue. Arrangements for rescue services are not required where there is
no attendant. See the rescue portion of section B., below, for
instructions regarding rescue planning where an entry permit is
required.
B. Entry Permit Required
Permits. Confined Space Entry Permit. All spaces shall be considered
permit-required confined spaces until the pre-entry procedures
demonstrate otherwise. Any employee required or permitted to pre-check
or enter a permit-required confined space shall have successfully
completed, as a minimum, the training as required by the following
sections of these procedures. A written copy of operating and rescue
procedures as required by these procedures shall be at the work site for
the duration of the job. The Confined Space Entry Permit must be
completed before approval can be given to enter a permit-required
confined space. This permit verifies completion of items listed below.
This permit shall be kept at the job site for the duration of the job.
If circumstances cause an interruption in the work or a change in the
alarm conditions for which entry was approved, a new Confined Space
Entry Permit must be completed.
Control of atmospheric and engulfment hazards.
Surveillance. The surrounding area shall be surveyed to avoid hazards
such as drifting vapors from tanks, piping or sewers.
Testing. The confined space atmosphere shall be tested to determine
whether dangerous air contamination and/or oxygen deficiency exists. A
direct reading gas monitor shall be used. Testing shall be performed by
the SUPERVISOR who has successfully completed the gas detector training
for the monitor he will use. The minimum parameters to be monitored are
oxygen deficiency, LFL and hydrogen sulfide concentration. A written
record of the pre- entry test results shall be made and kept at the work
site for the duration of the job. Affected employees shall be able to
review the testing results. The most hazardous conditions shall govern
when work is being performed in two adjoining, connected spaces.
Space Ventilation. Mechanical ventilation systems, where applicable,
shall be set at 100% outside air. Where possible, open additional
manholes to increase air circulation. Use portable blowers to augment
natural circulation if needed. After a suitable ventilating period,
repeat the testing. Entry may not begin until testing has demonstrated
that the hazardous atmosphere has been eliminated.
Entry Procedures. The following procedure shall be observed under any of
the following conditions: 1.) Testing demonstrates the existence of
dangerous or deficient conditions and additional ventilation cannot
reduce concentrations to safe levels; 2.) The atmosphere tests as safe
but unsafe conditions can reasonably be expected to develop; 3.) It is
not feasible to provide for ready exit from spaces equipped with
automatic fire suppression systems and it is not practical or safe to
deactivate such systems; or 4.) An emergency exists and it is not
feasible to wait for pre-entry procedures to take effect.
All personnel must be trained. A self contained breathing apparatus
shall be worn by any person entering the space. At least one worker
shall stand by the outside of the space ready to give assistance in case
of emergency. The standby worker shall have a self contained breathing
apparatus available for immediate use. There shall be at least one
additional worker within sight or call of the standby worker. Continuous
powered communications shall be maintained between the worker within the
confined space and standby personnel.
If at any time there is any questionable action or non- movement by
the worker inside, a verbal check will be made. If there is no response,
the worker will be moved immediately. Exception: If the worker is
disabled due to falling or impact, he/she shall not be removed from the
confined space unless there is immediate danger to his/her life. Local
fire department rescue personnel shall be notified immediately. The
standby worker may only enter the confined space in case of an emergency
(wearing the self contained breathing apparatus) and only after being
relieved by another worker. Safety belt or harness with attached
lifeline shall be used by all workers entering the space with the free
[[Page 476]]
end of the line secured outside the entry opening. The standby worker
shall attempt to remove a disabled worker via his lifeline before
entering the space.
When practical, these spaces shall be entered through side
openings--those within 3 1/2 feet (1.07 m) of the bottom. When entry
must be through a top opening, the safety belt shall be of the harness
type that suspends a person upright and a hoisting device or similar
apparatus shall be available for lifting workers out of the space.
In any situation where their use may endanger the worker, use of a
hoisting device or safety belt and attached lifeline may be
discontinued.
When dangerous air contamination is attributable to flammable and/or
explosive substances, lighting and electrical equipment shall be Class
1, Division 1 rated per National Electrical Code and no ignition sources
shall be introduced into the area.
Continuous gas monitoring shall be performed during all confined
space operations. If alarm conditions change adversely, entry personnel
shall exit the confined space and a new confined space permit issued.
Rescue. Call the fire department services for rescue. Where immediate
hazards to injured personnel are present, workers at the site shall
implement emergency procedures to fit the situation.
Example 2.
Workplace. Meat and poultry rendering plants.
Cookers and dryers are either batch or continuous in their
operation. Multiple batch cookers are operated in parallel. When one
unit of a multiple set is shut down for repairs, means are available to
isolate that unit from the others which remain in operation.
Cookers and dryers are horizontal, cylindrical vessels equipped with
a center, rotating shaft and agitator paddles or discs. If the inner
shell is jacketed, it is usually heated with steam at pressures up to
150 psig (1034.25 kPa). The rotating shaft assembly of the continuous
cooker or dryer is also steam heated.
Potential Hazards. The recognized hazards associated with cookers and
dryers are the risk that employees could be:
1. Struck or caught by rotating agitator;
2. Engulfed in raw material or hot, recycled fat;
3. Burned by steam from leaks into the cooker/dryer steam jacket or the
condenser duct system if steam valves are not properly closed and locked
out;
4. Burned by contact with hot metal surfaces, such as the agitator shaft
assembly, or inner shell of the cooker/dryer;
5. Heat stress caused by warm atmosphere inside cooker/dryer;
6. Slipping and falling on grease in the cooker/dryer;
7. Electrically shocked by faulty equipment taken into the cooker/dryer;
8. Burned or overcome by fire or products of combustion; or
9. Overcome by fumes generated by welding or cutting done on grease
covered surfaces.
Permits. The supervisor in this case is always present at the cooker/
dryer or other permit entry confined space when entry is made. The
supervisor must follow the pre-entry isolation procedures described in
the entry permit in preparing for entry, and ensure that the protective
clothing, ventilating equipment and any other equipment required by the
permit are at the entry site.
Control of hazards. Mechanical. Lock out main power switch to agitator
motor at main power panel. Affix tag to the lock to inform others that a
permit entry confined space entry is in progress.
Engulfment. Close all valves in the raw material blow line. Secure each
valve in its closed position using chain and lock. Attach a tag to the
valve and chain warning that a permit entry confined space entry is in
progress. The same procedure shall be used for securing the fat recycle
valve.
Burns and heat stress. Close steam supply valves to jacket and secure
with chains and tags. Insert solid blank at flange in cooker vent line
to condenser manifold duct system. Vent cooker/dryer by opening access
door at discharge end and top center door to allow natural ventilation
throughout the entry. If faster cooling is needed, use a portable
ventilation fan to increase ventilation. Cooling water may be circulated
through the jacket to reduce both outer and inner surface temperatures
of cooker/dryers faster. Check air and inner surface temperatures in
cooker/dryer to assure they are within acceptable limits before
entering, or use proper protective clothing.
Fire and fume hazards. Careful site preparation, such as cleaning the
area within 4 inches (10.16 cm) of all welding or torch cutting
operations, and proper ventilation are the preferred controls. All
welding and cutting operations shall be done in accordance with the
requirements of 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart Q, OSHA's welding standard.
Proper ventilation may be achieved by local exhaust ventilation, or the
use of portable ventilation fans, or a combination of the two practices.
Electrical shock. Electrical equipment used in cooker/dryers shall be in
serviceable condition.
Slips and falls. Remove residual grease before entering cooker/dryer.
Attendant. The supervisor shall be the attendant for employees entering
cooker/dryers.
[[Page 477]]
Permit. The permit shall specify how isolation shall be done and any
other preparations needed before making entry. This is especially
important in parallel arrangements of cooker/dryers so that the entire
operation need not be shut down to allow safe entry into one unit.
Rescue. When necessary, the attendant shall call the fire department as
previously arranged.
Example 3.
Workplace. Workplaces where tank cars, trucks, and trailers, dry bulk
tanks and trailers, railroad tank cars, and similar portable tanks are
fabricated or serviced.
A. During fabrication. These tanks and dry-bulk carriers are entered
repeatedly throughout the fabrication process. These products are not
configured identically, but the manufacturing processes by which they
are made are very similar.
Sources of hazards. In addition to the mechanical hazards arising from
the risks that an entrant would be injured due to contact with
components of the tank or the tools being used, there is also the risk
that a worker could be injured by breathing fumes from welding materials
or mists or vapors from materials used to coat the tank interior. In
addition, many of these vapors and mists are flammable, so the failure
to properly ventilate a tank could lead to a fire or explosion.
Control of hazards.
Welding. Local exhaust ventilation shall be used to remove welding fumes
once the tank or carrier is completed to the point that workers may
enter and exit only through a manhole. (Follow the requirements of 29
CFR 1910, Subpart Q, OSHA's welding standard, at all times.) Welding gas
tanks may never be brought into a tank or carrier that is a permit entry
confined space.
Application of interior coatings/linings. Atmospheric hazards shall
be controlled by forced air ventilation sufficient to keep the
atmospheric concentration of flammable materials below 10% of the lower
flammable limit (LFL) (or lower explosive limit (LEL), whichever term is
used locally). The appropriate respirators are provided and shall be
used in addition to providing forced ventilation if the forced
ventilation does not maintain acceptable respiratory conditions.
Permits. Because of the repetitive nature of the entries in these
operations, an ``Area Entry Permit'' will be issued for a 1 month period
to cover those production areas where tanks are fabricated to the point
that entry and exit are made using manholes.
Authorization. Only the area supervisor may authorize an employee to
enter a tank within the permit area. The area supervisor must determine
that conditions in the tank trailer, dry bulk trailer or truck, etc.
meet permit requirements before authorizing entry.
Attendant. The area supervisor shall designate an employee to maintain
communication by employer specified means with employees working in
tanks to ensure their safety. The attendant may not enter any permit
entry confined space to rescue an entrant or for any other reason,
unless authorized by the rescue procedure and, and even then, only after
calling the rescue team and being relieved by as attendant by another
worker.
Communications and observation. Communications between attendant and
entrant(s) shall be maintained throughout entry. Methods of
communication that may be specified by the permit include voice, voice
powered radio, tapping or rapping codes on tank walls, signalling tugs
on a rope, and the attendant's observation that work activities such as
chipping, grinding, welding, spraying, etc., which require deliberate
operator control continue normally. These activities often generate so
much noise that the necessary hearing protection makes communication by
voice difficult.
Rescue procedures. Acceptable rescue procedures include entry by a team
of employee-rescuers, use of public emergency services, and procedures
for breaching the tank. The area permit specifies which procedures are
available, but the area supervisor makes the final decision based on
circumstances. (Certain injuries may make it necessary to breach the
tank to remove a person rather than risk additional injury by removal
through an existing manhole. However, the supervisor must ensure that no
breaching procedure used for rescue would violate terms of the entry
permit. For instance, if the tank must be breached by cutting with a
torch, the tank surfaces to be cut must be free of volatile or
combustible coatings within 4 inches (10.16 cm) of the cutting line and
the atmosphere within the tank must be below the LFL.
Retrieval line and harnesses. The retrieval lines and harnesses
generally required under this standard are usually impractical for use
in tanks because the internal configuration of the tanks and their
interior baffles and other structures would prevent rescuers from
hauling out injured entrants. However, unless the rescue procedure calls
for breaching the tank for rescue, the rescue team shall be trained in
the use of retrieval lines and harnesses for removing injured employees
through manholes.
B. Repair or service of ``used'' tanks and bulk trailers.
Sources of hazards. In addition to facing the potential hazards
encountered in fabrication or manufacturing, tanks or trailers which
have been in service may contain residues of
[[Page 478]]
dangerous materials, whether left over from the transportation of
hazardous cargoes or generated by chemical or bacterial action on
residues of non-hazardous cargoes.
Control of atmospheric hazards. A ``used'' tank shall be brought into
areas where tank entry is authorized only after the tank has been
emptied, cleansed (without employee entry) of any residues, and purged
of any potential atmospheric hazards.
Welding. In addition to tank cleaning for control of atmospheric
hazards, coating and surface materials shall be removed 4 inches (10.16
cm) or more from any surface area where welding or other torch work will
be done and care taken that the atmosphere within the tank remains well
below the LFL. (Follow the requirements of 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Q,
OSHA's welding standard, at all times.)
Permits. An entry permit valid for up to 1 year shall be issued prior to
authorization of entry into used tank trailers, dry bulk trailers or
trucks. In addition to the pre-entry cleaning requirement, this permit
shall require the employee safeguards specified for new tank fabrication
or construction permit areas.
Authorization. Only the area supervisor may authorize an employee to
enter a tank trailer, dry bulk trailer or truck within the permit area.
The area supervisor must determine that the entry permit requirements
have been met before authorizing entry.
[[Page 479]]
Appendix D to Sec. 1910.146--Sample Permits
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC27OC91.030
[[Page 480]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC27OC91.031
Appendix E to Sec. 1910.146--Sewer System Entry
Sewer entry differs in three vital respects from other permit
entries; first, there rarely exists any way to completely isolate the
space (a section of a continuous system) to be entered; second, because
isolation is not complete, the atmosphere may suddenly and
[[Page 481]]
unpredictably become lethally hazardous (toxic, flammable or explosive)
from causes beyond the control of the entrant or employer, and third,
experienced sewer workers are especially knowledgeable in entry and work
in their permit spaces because of their frequent entries. Unlike other
employments where permit space entry is a rare and exceptional event,
sewer workers' usual work environment is a permit space.
(1) Adherence to procedure. The employer should designate as
entrants only employees who are thoroughly trained in the employer's
sewer entry procedures and who demonstrate that they follow these entry
procedures exactly as prescribed when performing sewer entries.
(2) Atmospheric monitoring. Entrants should be trained in the use
of, and be equipped with, atmospheric monitoring equipment which sounds
an audible alarm, in addition to its visual readout, whenever one of the
following conditions are encountered: Oxygen concentration less than
19.5 percent; flammable gas or vapor at 10 percent or more of the lower
flammable limit (LFL); or hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide at or
above 10 ppm or 35 ppm, respectively, measured as an 8-hour time-
weighted average. Atmospheric monitoring equipment needs to be
calibrated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The oxygen
sensor/broad range sensor is best suited for initial use in situations
where the actual or potential contaminants have not been identified,
because broad range sensors, unlike substance-specific sensors, enable
employers to obtain an overall reading of the hydrocarbons (flammables)
present in the space. However, such sensors only indicate that a
hazardous threshold of a class of chemicals has been exceeded. They do
not measure the levels of contamination of specific substances.
Therefore, substance-specific devices, which measure the actual levels
of specific substances, are best suited for use where actual and
potential contaminants have been identified. The measurements obtained
with substance-specific devices are of vital importance to the employer
when decisions are made concerning the measures necessary to protect
entrants (such as ventilation or personal protective equipment) and the
setting and attainment of appropriate entry conditions. However, the
sewer environment may suddenly and unpredictably change, and the
substance-specific devices may not detect the potentially lethal
atmospheric hazards which may enter the sewer environment.
Although OSHA considers the information and guidance provided above
to be appropriate and useful in most sewer entry situations, the Agency
emphasizes that each employer must consider the unique circumstances,
including the predictability of the atmosphere, of the sewer permit
spaces in the employer's workplace in preparing for entry. Only the
employer can decide, based upon his or her knowledge of, and experience
with permit spaces in sewer systems, what the best type of testing
instrument may be for any specific entry operation.
The selected testing instrument should be carried and used by the
entrant in sewer line work to monitor the atmosphere in the entrant's
environment, and in advance of the entrant's direction of movement, to
warn the entrant of any deterioration in atmospheric conditions. Where
several entrants are working together in the same immediate location,
one instrument, used by the lead entrant, is acceptable.
(3) Surge flow and flooding. Sewer crews should develop and maintain
liaison, to the extent possible, with the local weather bureau and fire
and emergency services in their area so that sewer work may be delayed
or interrupted and entrants withdrawn whenever sewer lines might be
suddenly flooded by rain or fire suppression activities, or whenever
flammable or other hazardous materials are released into sewers during
emergencies by industrial or transportation accidents.
(4) Special Equipment. Entry into large bore sewers may require the
use of special equipment. Such equipment might include such items as
atmosphere monitoring devices with automatic audible alarms, escape
self-contained breathing apparatus (ESCBA) with at least 10 minute air
supply (or other NIOSH approved self-rescuer), and waterproof
flashlights, and may also include boats and rafts, radios and rope
stand-offs for pulling around bends and corners as needed.
Appendix F to Sec. 1910.146--Rescue Team or Rescue Service Evaluation
Criteria (Non-Mandatory)
(1) This appendix provides guidance to employers in choosing an
appropriate rescue service. It contains criteria that may be used to
evaluate the capabilities both of prospective and current rescue teams.
Before a rescue team can be trained or chosen, however, a satisfactory
permit program, including an analysis of all permit-required confined
spaces to identify all potential hazards in those spaces, must be
completed. OSHA believes that compliance with all the provisions of
Sec. 1910.146 will enable employers to conduct permit space operations
without recourse to rescue services in nearly all cases. However,
experience indicates that circumstances will arise where entrants will
need to be rescued from permit spaces. It is therefore important for
employers to select rescue services or teams, either on-site or off-
site, that are equipped and capable of minimizing harm to both entrants
and rescuers if the need arises.
(2) For all rescue teams or services, the employer's evaluation
should consist of two components: an initial evaluation, in which
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employers decide whether a potential rescue service or team is
adequately trained and equipped to perform permit space rescues of the
kind needed at the facility and whether such rescuers can respond in a
timely manner, and a performance evaluation, in which employers measure
the performance of the team or service during an actual or practice
rescue. For example, based on the initial evaluation, an employer may
determine that maintaining an on-site rescue team will be more expensive
than obtaining the services of an off-site team, without being
significantly more effective, and decide to hire a rescue service.
During a performance evaluation, the employer could decide, after
observing the rescue service perform a practice rescue, that the
service's training or preparedness was not adequate to effect a timely
or effective rescue at his or her facility and decide to select another
rescue service, or to form an internal rescue team.
A. Initial Evaluation
I. The employer should meet with the prospective rescue service to
facilitate the evaluations required by Sec. 1910.146(k)(1)(i) and Sec.
1910.146(k)(1)(ii). At a minimum, if an off-site rescue service is being
considered, the employer must contact the service to plan and coordinate
the evaluations required by the standard. Merely posting the service's
number or planning to rely on the 911 emergency phone number to obtain
these services at the time of a permit space emergency would not comply
with paragraph (k)(1) of the standard.
II. The capabilities required of a rescue service vary with the type
of permit spaces from which rescue may be necessary and the hazards
likely to be encountered in those spaces. Answering the questions below
will assist employers in determining whether the rescue service is
capable of performing rescues in the permit spaces present at the
employer's workplace.
1. What are the needs of the employer with regard to response time
(time for the rescue service to receive notification, arrive at the
scene, and set up and be ready for entry)? For example, if entry is to
be made into an IDLH atmosphere, or into a space that can quickly
develop an IDLH atmosphere (if ventilation fails or for other reasons),
the rescue team or service would need to be standing by at the permit
space. On the other hand, if the danger to entrants is restricted to
mechanical hazards that would cause injuries (e.g., broken bones,
abrasions) a response time of 10 or 15 minutes might be adequate.
2. How quickly can the rescue team or service get from its location
to the permit spaces from which rescue may be necessary? Relevant
factors to consider would include: the location of the rescue team or
service relative to the employer's workplace, the quality of roads and
highways to be traveled, potential bottlenecks or traffic congestion
that might be encountered in transit, the reliability of the rescuer's
vehicles, and the training and skill of its drivers.
3. What is the availability of the rescue service? Is it unavailable
at certain times of the day or in certain situations? What is the
likelihood that key personnel of the rescue service might be unavailable
at times? If the rescue service becomes unavailable while an entry is
underway, does it have the capability of notifying the employer so that
the employer can instruct the attendant to abort the entry immediately?
4. Does the rescue service meet all the requirements of paragraph
(k)(2) of the standard? If not, has it developed a plan that will enable
it to meet those requirements in the future? If so, how soon can the
plan be implemented?
5. For off-site services, is the service willing to perform rescues
at the employer's workplace? (An employer may not rely on a rescuer who
declines, for whatever reason, to provide rescue services.)
6. Is an adequate method for communications between the attendant,
employer and prospective rescuer available so that a rescue request can
be transmitted to the rescuer without delay? How soon after notification
can a prospective rescuer dispatch a rescue team to the entry site?
7. For rescues into spaces that may pose significant atmospheric
hazards and from which rescue entry, patient packaging and retrieval
cannot be safely accomplished in a relatively short time (15-20
minutes), employers should consider using airline respirators (with
escape bottles) for the rescuers and to supply rescue air to the
patient. If the employer decides to use SCBA, does the prospective
rescue service have an ample supply of replacement cylinders and
procedures for rescuers to enter and exit (or be retrieved) well within
the SCBA's air supply limits?
8. If the space has a vertical entry over 5 feet in depth, can the
prospective rescue service properly perform entry rescues? Does the
service have the technical knowledge and equipment to perform rope work
or elevated rescue, if needed?
9. Does the rescue service have the necessary skills in medical
evaluation, patient packaging and emergency response?
10. Does the rescue service have the necessary equipment to perform
rescues, or must the equipment be provided by the employer or another
source?
B. Performance Evaluation
Rescue services are required by paragraph (k)(2)(iv) of the standard
to practice rescues at least once every 12 months, provided that the
team or service has not successfully performed a permit space rescue
within that time. As part of each practice session, the
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service should perform a critique of the practice rescue, or have
another qualified party perform the critique, so that deficiencies in
procedures, equipment, training, or number of personnel can be
identified and corrected. The results of the critique, and the
corrections made to respond to the deficiencies identified, should be
given to the employer to enable it to determine whether the rescue
service can quickly be upgraded to meet the employer's rescue needs or
whether another service must be selected. The following questions will
assist employers and rescue teams and services evaluate their
performance.
1. Have all members of the service been trained as permit space
entrants, at a minimum, including training in the potential hazards of
all permit spaces, or of representative permit spaces, from which rescue
may be needed? Can team members recognize the signs, symptoms, and
consequences of exposure to any hazardous atmospheres that may be
present in those permit spaces?
2. Is every team member provided with, and properly trained in, the
use and need for PPE, such as SCBA or fall arrest equipment, which may
be required to perform permit space rescues in the facility? Is every
team member properly trained to perform his or her functions and make
rescues, and to use any rescue equipment, such as ropes and backboards,
that may be needed in a rescue attempt?
3. Are team members trained in the first aid and medical skills
needed to treat victims overcome or injured by the types of hazards that
may be encountered in the permit spaces at the facility?
4. Do all team members perform their functions safely and
efficiently? Do rescue service personnel focus on their own safety
before considering the safety of the victim?
5. If necessary, can the rescue service properly test the atmosphere
to determine if it is IDLH?
6. Can the rescue personnel identify information pertinent to the
rescue from entry permits, hot work permits, and MSDSs?
7. Has the rescue service been informed of any hazards to personnel
that may arise from outside the space, such as those that may be caused
by future work near the space?
8. If necessary, can the rescue service properly package and
retrieve victims from a permit space that has a limited size opening
(less than 24 inches (60.9 cm) in diameter), limited internal space, or
internal obstacles or hazards?
9. If necessary, can the rescue service safely perform an elevated
(high angle) rescue?
10. Does the rescue service have a plan for each of the kinds of
permit space rescue operations at the facility? Is the plan adequate for
all types of rescue operations that may be needed at the facility? Teams
may practice in representative spaces, or in spaces that are ``worst-
case'' or most restrictive with respect to internal configuration,
elevation, and portal size. The following characteristics of a practice
space should be considered when deciding whether a space is truly
representative of an actual permit space:
(1) Internal configuration.
(a) Open--there are no obstacles, barriers, or obstructions within
the space. One example is a water tank.
(b) Obstructed--the permit space contains some type of obstruction
that a rescuer would need to maneuver around. An example would be a
baffle or mixing blade. Large equipment, such as a ladder or scaffold,
brought into a space for work purposes would be considered an
obstruction if the positioning or size of the equipment would make
rescue more difficult.
(2) Elevation.
(a) Elevated--a permit space where the entrance portal or opening is
above grade by 4 feet or more. This type of space usually requires
knowledge of high angle rescue procedures because of the difficulty in
packaging and transporting a patient to the ground from the portal.
(b) Non-elevated--a permit space with the entrance portal located
less than 4 feet above grade. This type of space will allow the rescue
team to transport an injured employee normally.
(3) Portal size.
(a) Restricted--A portal of 24 inches or less in the least
dimension. Portals of this size are too small to allow a rescuer to
simply enter the space while using SCBA. The portal size is also too
small to allow normal spinal immobilization of an injured employee.
(b) Unrestricted--A portal of greater than 24 inches in the least
dimension. These portals allow relatively free movement into and out of
the permit space.
(4) Space access.
(a) Horizontal--The portal is located on the side of the permit
space. Use of retrieval lines could be difficult.
(b) Vertical--The portal is located on the top of the permit space,
so that rescuers must climb down, or the bottom of the permit space, so
that rescuers must climb up to enter the space. Vertical portals may
require knowledge of rope techniques, or special patient packaging to
safely retrieve a downed entrant.
[58 FR 4549, Jan. 14, 1993; 58 FR 34845, 34846, June 29, 1993, as
amended at 59 FR 26114, May 19, 1994; 63 FR 66038, 66039, Dec. 1, 1998]
