Confined Spaces Flashcards
What are confined spaces?
- limited or restricted means of entry or exit
- Large enough for employees to perform work
- Not designed for continuous occupancy
What are common typical confined spaces?
- boiler, degreaser, furnace
- Pipeline, pit, pumping station
- Reaction or process vessel, mills
- Septic tank, sewage digestor
- Silo, storage tank, barges
etc.
What are atmospheric hazards in confined spaces?
- Oxygen enriched atmosphere
- Oxygen levels above 23.5%
- Causes flammable and combustible materials to burn violently when ignited
- flammable atmosphere
- Three critical factors
- Oxygen Contant in the air
- Presence of flammable, gas, or vapor
- Presence of dust (visibility of 5 inches or less)
- proper air/gas mixture can lead to explosion
- toxic atmospheres
- Product stored in a confined space:
- Gas is released when cleaning
- Materials absorbed into walls of confined space
- Decomposition of materials in the confined space
- Hazardous atmosphere (hydrogen, sulfide, carbon monoxide temperature)
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Carbon monoxide
- Extreme temperature * engulfment hazards
- Noise
- Slick
- Falling objects
Hazards surrounding limited opening for entry and exit?
- openings are small as 18 inches in diameter
- Difficult to enter with SCBA or other life-saving equipment
- Difficult to remove down worker and fold it up or bent over position
- Exit large openings may be difficult due to presence of ladders, hoists, etc
What are the regulatory requirements for confined spaces?
- 29 CFR1910.146
- Employer must:
- Written program
- Assess and evaluate hazards within confined spaces
- instruct hazards and precautionary measures
- Permit
- Inform use of PPE
What are the two types of confined spaces?
Permit required and non-permit required
What are permit-required confined spaces?
- Contains/potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere.
- Contains the material that has the potential to engulf an entrant
- Internal configurations: an entrant could be trapped/officiated by inwardly
converging walls; the floor, that slopes downward, and tapers to small section - Contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard
What are nonpermit required confined spaces?
- must develop and implement safe work procedures
- Example: assess the conditions and precautions needed for safe entry, identify what constitutes a change in conditions, which would require a reevaluation of the confined space
What are entry permit requirements?
- intent- provide systematic review for hazards, communicate that information to all involved and provide an approval process for entry
- permit must be completed prior to entry
- Verifies pre-entry precautions have been taken in the spaces is safe to enter
- Must be signed by entry supervisor
- Name and phone numbers of rescue and emergency services
- Communication procedures
- Special equipment and procedures
* Personal protective equipment
* Alarm procedures
* Rescue equipment
* Respirators
What is atmospheric testing in confined spaces?
- Verify presence of safe work atmosphere
- Oxygen content between 19.5% and 23.5%
- Test all areas - top, middle, bottom:
- Methane is lighter than air
- Carbon monoxide is the same as air
- Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air
- continuously test & monitor all areas before entry & during
- List any toxic materials that could be present and they permissible exposure limits(PEL)
What is the safety procedure for confined spaces?
- authorized entrance can enter a permit space only after it’s been tested and found safe for entry
- The signed entrant has to know what equipment to use and how to use it
- Once prepared, you want to get in and out and do the task quickly and
efficiently as possible - Alert the attendant immediately if you recognize a sign or symptom of
exposure to a dangerous situation
What is the necessary equipment for confined spaces?
- gas meter
- Special (atmospheric)
- Ventilator, and flex duct
- Permit – required
- Communication system,
- Retrieval system,
- Full body harness
- SCBA
What are the duties of the entry supervisor?
- verifies the permit is filled out, and all safety steps listed are taken, then
signs the form - check conditions to ensure they stay safe throughout the work
- Sees that any unauthorized people are removed
- When work is complete, cancels the permit, and concludes the operation
What are duties of the attendent?
- know the hazards, and be aware of behavioral effects of hazards
- Keep count of entrants
- Remain outside permit space until relieved
- Communicate with entrant
- Summon rescue squad
- Warn authorized persons
- Perform non-entry rescues
What are the duties of the entrant
- knows the hazards of the space and signs of exposure
- follows PPE training carefully
- keep in contact with the attendant leave space at once, if instructed to do
so - it’s always ready to evacuate quickly
- Leaves the space, and tells the attendant if there is danger