Life Critical Procedures

Confined Space
 Introduction

• Summary of NIOSH Study of Confined Space

incidents

Accident Type Events Injuries Fatalities

Atmospheric 80 72 78
Explosion or Fire 15 49 15
Electrocution or Shock 11 2 9
Caught In/Crushing 10 3 10
Trapped in Unstable Materials 16 0 16

Basically, if things go wrong it is BAD!

Focus on Incident Prevention when Managing
Permit Required Work
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 Classifying Confined Spaces

• Confined Space
- Space that is large enough that an employee can enter and
perform work
- Has limited means for entry or exit;
- Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy

• Permit Required Confined Space

- A Confined Space meeting one or more of the following:
 Contains or has potential to contain a hazardous
atmosphere
 Contains a material that has potential to engulf an entrant
 Has an internal configuration such that an entrant could
be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls
 Contains any other recognized serious safety or health
hazard

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 Types of Confined Spaces

Examples
Reactors
Stills
Tanks
Receivers
Boiler/Thermal Oxidizer
Trenches/Sewers/Pits
Excavations >5 ft.

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 Accountability

• Site Leader
- Must ensure the Confined Space Procedure is in place
- Give authority to employees authorizing or acknowledging
permits to stop the work if safe conditions cannot be met or
if unsafe conditions develop during the task.

• Site Leader or Authorized Alternate

- Must require department leaders to be responsible for
implementation of the Confined Space Procedure in their
areas.
- Must be trained
- Must designate a trained entry supervisor to verify work is
performed in confined spaces as indicated on the permit.

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 Accountability

• HSE Department
- Must evaluate workplace and
identify all potential confined
spaces.
- Provide training materials for the
entry supervisor and authorized
entrant training programs.
- Review site permit compliance and
procedures
- Conduct annual audits of all
completed permits and a field audit
of an actual confined space entry.

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 Accountability

• The Entry Supervisor Must:

- Complete a documented pre-job plan
including an Emergency Rescue Plan
- Inform the work group of potential
hazards
- Ensure plant equipment and work area
are properly prepared
- Ensure plant equipment and work area is
maintained in a safe condition during the
entry
- Formally approve the permit by signature
before allowing work to proceed
- Set permit conditions including PPE
requirements
- Ensure work is performed according to
the permit
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 Accountability

• The Attendant Must:

- Be familiar with the specific permit conditions
- Understand potential hazards, signs and symptoms
- Be aware of potential behavioral effects of exposure
- Be stationed at the entrance of the space continuously
- Only allow authorized entrants into the space
- Only monitor one entry at a time
- Communicate with the authorized entrant as necessary
- Monitor activities inside and outside of the space in order to
detect unsafe conditions
- Order an evacuation of the space if unsafe conditions are
detected.
- Know how to use gas analyzers
- Know how to use ventilation equipment
- Know rescue duties and how to summon rescue personnel

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Specific Duties
-Attendant Must Recognize Effects and symptoms of oxygen depletion
In general, oxygen deficiency leads to a loss of mental alertness and a distortion of
judgment and performance. This happens within a relatively short time, without the
person's knowledge and without prior warning.
- Increasing pulse rate, tiredness --------------------------------------------------- 21 → 14%
- Physical movement and intellectual performance becomes difficult ….14 → 11%
- Possibility of headaches, dizziness and fainting after a fairly short
period of time……………... --------------------------------------------------------- 11 → 8%

- Fainting within a few minutes, resuscitation possible

if carried out immediately ----------------------------------------------------------- 8 → 6%

- Fainting almost immediate, death or severe brain damage 6 → 0%

9 20.9% v/v normal 16% v/v depletion 6% v/v fatal

 Potential Hazards

• Class “A”
- Situations that are Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health
(IDLH)
- IDLH Concentrations are listed in NIOSH Pocket Guide to
Chemical Hazards
- IDLH Atmospheres include:
 Oxygen concentration <16% or >25%
 Explosive or flammable atmosphere >20% of LEL
 Toxic substances reaching IDLH values

• Additional requirements for work in Class “A”

- Verbal approval followed by written SM HSE approval is
required prior to entry into a Class “A” atmosphere
- Entry is limited to only individuals with life support equipment
- Standby at entry point of at least 2 additional employees
with life support equipment

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 Potential Hazards
• Class “B”
- Situations with potential for causing injury and illness if
preventative measures are not used but are not IDLH.
- Class “B” Atmospheres include:
 Oxygen concentration between 16.1% and 19.4%
 Oxygen concentration between 21.5% and 25%
 Explosive or flammable atmosphere between 5% and 20%
of LEL
 Toxic substances concentrations greater than OSHA
Permissible Exposure Level/ Threshold Limit Value but
lower than IDLH values

• Additional requirements for work in Class “B”

- HSE approval is required prior to entry into a Class “B”
atmosphere
- Indirect visual or auditory communication with the entrant is
required

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 Potential Hazards

• Class “C”
- Situations in which standard confined space procedures
apply
- Class “C” Atmospheres include:
 Oxygen concentration between 19.5% and 21.4%
 Explosive or flammable atmosphere less than 5%
 Toxic substance concentrations lower than OSHA Permissible
Exposure Level

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