This session is designed with enough detail to reach the intermediate level of attendee's knowledge of confined spaces activities, however, comprehensive enough to offer technical information to an advanced audience. The attendee will go away with an appreciation of the new ANSI/ASSE Z117.1 Standard, "Safety Requirements for Entering Confined Spaces," and the new OSHA Confined Space Standard for Construction.
A facility owner realizes they need to hire a contractor to complete needed work inside three locations in the plant that have been determined to be ‘confined spaces’. The facility simply does not have the expertise to attempt this work. Within these spaces, it is anticipated the work could include the following:
Painting,
Equipment or machine repair
Welding/grinding or related Hot Work, or
A thorough inspection and evaluation of the space such as: structural integrity, air quality including oxygen levels, carbon monoxide, flammables and radon levels.
The host employer, after reviewing company needs, budgets and time restraints, decided to do the inspection and evaluation task for two of the spaces and paint the third and largest of the three. He researches for weeks and hires a company that can accomplish the task.
The contractor is given the following information:
this activity must occur within the month of July;
the contractor will be entering 3 separate confined spaces; and
have a total of five days to accomplish the task with results and a written report required within two weeks after the last permit space has been exited.
These tasks are the same for two of the spaces (items C and D above), as these both involve a thorough inspection and evaluation including structural integrity, air quality, radon levels and WGBT measurements. Clad welding may be needed to restore proper thickness in the steel walls or to add bracing to the existing spaces. The third space is to be spray painted with a water base coating the inside of a refrigeration unit. The contractor asks how much lead time he will have to secure people and equipment. The Host says a weeks' notice is usually what they give. Will that be enough time? The contractor says he can make that work. A contract was developed and will be signed by both parties when they meet next week. Payment will be in three installments 1/3 at signing, 1/3 when exiting the last space and the last 1/3 when the final results and report is received.
