Permit Required Confined Spaces
An Oklahoma City employer’s failure to follow federal safety procedures left a 30-year-old worker suffering fatal asphyxiation as they tried to make repairs inside a water tank at a McClain County well site in September 2023. Responding to the report of a fatality in Purcell, OSHA investigators determined the worker had entered a permit-required confined space to fix a leaking bulkhead valve in a production tank and then lost consciousness. Two co-workers entered the tank in a failed rescue attempt and suffered effects from exposure to low atmospheric conditions—neither sustained injuries. OSHA investigators found that the employer failed to evaluate the tank for hazardous conditions – including testing the atmosphere – and did not use protective systems to prevent worker injuries, violating federal regulations. Further investigation determined the remaining water in the tank contained compounds — including ethyl benzene, xylene, trimethylbenzene, isobutane, and other cyclic aliphatic compounds — and atmospheric readings inside showed low oxygen content, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide, all of which can lead to asphyxiation. OSHA issued 16 serious citations. Of these citations, 13 are related to failures that contributed to the worker’s death, including the following:
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We hear it often... "Who would turn the machine on while I'm working on it?" It happens more often than most think.
Employee # 1 and Coworker #1, Coworker #2, and Coworker #3 were cleaning two (2) concrete mixers. Employee #1 was paired with Coworker #1 to clean out a mixer. Employee #1 entered Mixer #1 and began chipping out the concrete build-up while Coworker #1 removed debris from the outside of the machine. Coworker #2 and Coworker #3 were cleaning out Mixer #2 using the same process. Employee #1 had exited Mixer #1 and was leaning over the opening to retrieve a power tool when Coworker#2 exited the mixer and asked Coworker #3 to bump the blades of Mixer #2 to remove inaccessible concrete. Coworker #3 activated Mixer #1 instead of Mixer #2, and Employee #1 was caught between the rotating blades and the machine's body. Employee #1 was pulled into the machine and was killed due to a near decapitation to the back of the skull and neck, a jaw fracture, and fractures to the left elbow.
Federal investigators determined a truck washing company failed to protect workers from hydrogen sulfide gas as they entered over-the-road tanker trailers to clean them out, causing one worker’s fatal injuries and hospitalizing two co-workers. OSHA responded to a report of the Sept. 1, 2023, incident and found the business failed to evaluate the tanker trailers for hazardous conditions – including testing the atmosphere – and did not train workers on potential hazards before letting them enter the confined spaces, both violations of OSHA regulations. Inspectors found multiple violations of OSHA’s confined space regulations. They noted the employer lacked both respiratory and hearing protection programs and exposed workers to fall hazards of up to nine feet while cleaning the trailers.
This was a brief 30-minute chat with my friend and longtime supporter @ SAFTENG on the topic of Permit-Required Confined Spaces. This first episode was just the basics, but I explain how a confined space is DEFINED and how that confined space becomes a Permit-Required Confined Space (PRCS). We then discuss the three (3) entry options: (c)(5), (c)(7), and (d)-(k), and many of the pros and cons that come with each entry option.
For those who believe entering a PRCS would not happen when the Oxygen level is measured at 19.5% (IDLH for O2 Deficiency)... November 22, 2022, @ 1:00 p.m., an employee from a local chemical company was cleaning the inside of a tanker trailer. The employee was required to enter the tank and wash out the tank with soap and water. Before entry, the oxygen level in the tank was 19.5%. The employee entered the tank and began his cleaning process. An attendant monitored the employee in the tanker but briefly stepped away to get another coworker to replace him.
I am no longer surprised when I teach a PRCS or an Emergency Response course and the students who have been doing entries into PRCSs and responding to emergencies but are unaware of primary atmospheric conditions. This is how I explain it... We have 100% volume of air in the space. That 100% volume is broken down into: |
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