Confined Space Entry Guide to Compliance

FROM THE PREFACEThis book brings together (in one text) all of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's regulatory requirements for making safe and proper confined space entries. Because confined space entry is a complicated procedure-and a process that contains inherent risks-those concerned with safety in the work place are constantly concerned with how to reduce the risks associated with confined space entry, how to eliminate or decrease the hazards workers face in confined spaces, and how to prevent injuries and fatalities from occurring in confined spaces. But comprehensive materials on confined space entry are difficult to find. Surprisingly little material on the subject is commercially available. Confined Space Entry: A Guide to Compliance collects all of the associated requirements and regulations, including OSHA's Confined Space, Lockout/Tagout, Respiratory Protection Standards and Hot Work Permit requirements in this guidebook. These separate, specific safety standards and requirements have been combined and organized-as they should be, since each is married to the other-in a way that enables you (the user) to easily determine the critical relationship(s) between and among them-but more importantly, to teach you how to enter confined spaces safely-and how to provide workers with effective training for proper confined space entry. Written in user-friendly, jargon-free plain English, this guidebook provides you with clear sample programs to serve as models when you write your own programs. Workers have a growing need for more knowledge of the hazards of their work environments-and especially of confined spaces. To fulfill this imperative need, individuals and government must work together to better inform-and protect-these workers as they are exposed to a variety of complex and potentially life-threatening situations in confined spaces. The message this text delivers is simple: The better both workers and management understand the potential hazards and the implementation of measures to either eliminate or reduce the risks and hazards of confined space entry, the safer the workers and the facility-and the better the relationship between the operating facility, the workers, the community, and the regulators. As a result of no information, misinformation, no training, no supervision, little or no knowledge, confined space fatalities are real-they occur. They occur far too often.

Preface o Prologue Introductiono Setting the Stage o OSHA Standards o References Confined Space Entry: The OSHA Standardo Introduction o Confined Space Entry: Definitions o Example o Reference Evaluating the Workplaceo Introduction o The Evaluation Process o Reference Permit-Required Confined Space Programo Introduction o Permit-Required Confined Space Program o Example o Pre-Entry Requirements o Reference Permit Systemo Introduction o Permit Requirements o Reference Confined Space Trainingo Introduction o Training Requirements for Confined Space Entry o Confined Space Training: The Bottom Line o ReferenceAssignment of On-Site Personnelo Introduction o Duties of Authorized Entrants o Duties of the Attendant o Duties of Entry Supervisors o References Confined Space Rescueo Introduction o Rescue Services o References Alternative Protection Measureso Introduction o "Hierarchy" of Permit-Required Confined Space Entry o Reference Procedures For Atmospheric Testingo Introduction o Testing Procedures o Air Monitoring and OSHA o Other OSHA Permit-Required Confined Space Audit Items o References Written Permit-Required Confined Space Entry Programo Introduction o Confined Space Pre-Entry Checklist o Written Confined Space Program (A Sample) o Purpose o General Program Management o Methods of Compliance o Appendix A: Chemical Exposure Limit List o Appendix B: Department Qualified Person List o References o Recommended References For Confined Space Entry Lockout/Tagouto Introduction o Lockout/Tagout Key Definitions o Lockout/Tagout Program (A Sample) o Purpose o Authorized Employees o Application and Compliance o Tags o Locks o Energy Analysis o Lockout/Tagout Procedure o Periodic Inspections o Training o Special Conditions o Methods of Informing Outside Contractors of Procedures o Appendix A: List of Authorized Employees o Appendix B: Equipment-Specific Lockout/Tagout Procedures o Reference Respiratory Protectiono Introduction o Written Respiratory Protection Program (A Sample) o Introduction o Responsibilities o Definition of Terms o Types of Respirators o Respirator Selection and Distribution Procedures o Respirator Inspection, Maintenance, Cleaning and Storage o Respirator Fit-Testing o Medical Surveillance o Training o Documentation Procedures o Procedure For Safe Use of SCBA/Supplied Air Respirators o Reference Hot Work Permitso Introduction o Hot Work Permit Program (A Sample) o Introduction o Hot Work Definition o Hot Work Permit o Permit Information/Safe Work Practices o Filling Out the Hot Work Permit o Fire Watch Requirements o Reference Afterword