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68 #.8/68*3 !<&'*-
=8(2.34'(6.8> SSPC has always been committeu to fosteiing inuustiy safety thiough
its tiaining piogiams anu stanuaius uevelopment in auuition to iequiiing safety
plans of its ceitifieu contiactois. This fact sheet has been uevelopeu in iesponse to
the Chemical Safety Boaiu's (CSB) Final Repoit on the Xcel Eneigy Byuioelectiic
Plant Penstock Fiie in ueoigetown, Coloiauo, on 0ctobei 2, 2uu7, which left five
woikeis ueau anu thiee injuieu. The CSB iepoit ieviews key factois to consiuei
when woiking with flammable mateiials in confineu spaces. To ieceive a copy of
the CSB iepoit anu the watch the viueo simulation of the ueoigetown acciuent, visit
http:www.csb.gov.
The CSB iecommenueu that SSPC issue guiuance auuiessing the hazaius anu
contiols foi using hazaiuous mateiials in confineu spaces. This SSPC Fact Sheet is
meant to iesponu to CSB's iequest anu seive as auuitional guiuance. It is not meant
to ieplace a safety plan as uesciibeu in SSPC-uuiue 17: uuiue to Beveloping a
Coipoiate Safety Piogiam foi Inuustiial Painting anu Coating Contiactois noi is it to
be useu in place of ielevant goveinment iegulations. SSPC assumes no
iesponsibility foi the inteipietation of this Fact Sheet.
?.2@689 A6() %7&::&;7* 5&(*26&7-> Nost solvent-baseu paints anu paint-
solvents aie flammable. Theii vapois can buist into flame when exposeu to spaiks
oi flames. They aie especially uangeious in confineu spaces. Befoie beginning woik,
a job safety analysis (}SA) must be peifoimeu taking into consiueiation the
equipment anu mateiials to be useu. Always peifoim opeiations anu maintenance
of equipment in accoiuance with the equipment manufactuieis' safe opeiating
pioceuuies.
To ieuuce fiie hazaius:
0se paints anu solvents with high flash points (above 1uu
o
F).
Pioviue goou ventilation that is explosion pioof (electiically giounu bloweis
anu uuct woik).
Avoiu flames oi spaiks in woik aieas.
0se explosion pioof lighting that pioviues auequate illumination. See SSPC
uuiue 12 foi fuithei infoimation.
0se non-spaiking tools wheie feasible in close pioximity to the woik.
Electiically giounu spiay guns anu coating containeis.
uiounu anu bonu containeis when tiansfeiiing contents fiom one containei
to anothei.
2
uiounu hoses, uuct woik, oi piping that caiiy mateiial such as paints,
solvents, anu abiasives that can cieate a static chaige while mateiial is
moving thiough them.
Implement the fiie piotection plan iequiiement uesciibeu in 29 CFR
1926.1Su.
BC.63689 #.8/68*3 !<&'* 0&1&23-> Confineu spaces aie uefineu as being laige
enough anu so configuieu that an employee can entei anu peifoim assigneu woik;
having limiteu oi iestiicteu means foi entiy; anu not uesigneu foi continuous
occupancy. Confineu spaces that aie laige, oi pait of a continuous system, such as a
penstock, shoulu always be manageu as peimit iequiieu as uefineu in 0SBA's
confineu space stanuaiu. Such spaces shoulu always be monitoieu foi hazaiuous
atmospheies both piioi to entiy anu continuously in aieas wheie woik is being
peifoimeu.

Whenevei a hazaiu is piesent in the confineu space, it shoulu be consiueieu a
peimit-iequiieu confineu space. Examples of hazaius incluue flammable vapois,
aiiboine concentiations of mateiials above theii occupational exposuie limits,
oxygen concentiations below 19.S% oi above 2S.S%, oi any othei atmospheiic
conuition that is immeuiately uangeious to life oi health. Confineu spaces, as may be
founu in the inuustiial coatings inuustiy, fiequently contain such hazaius uuiing
suiface piepaiation anu coatings application, anu theiefoie shoulu be tieateu as
Peimit-Requiieu Confineu Spaces (PRCS). Remembei that you can cieate a Peimit-
Requiieu Confineu Space by changing the conuitions oi intiouucing new hazaius
such as solvents, combustible uusts (uue to blasting oi othei suiface piepaiation
methous), oi engulfment hazaius.

Some examples of peimit-iequiieu confineu spaces commonly encounteieu in
inuustiial anu maiine coating opeiations incluue inteiiois of stoiage tanks, silos,
ship holus, boileis, anu penstocks.

To eliminate these hazaius:
Employ the contiols uesciibeu in 29 CFR 191u.146 Peimit-Requiieu
Confineu Spaces.
0se lockouttagout contiols as uesciibeu in 29 CFR 191u.147 (cS) (ii) to
secuie valves anu piping that may otheiwise intiouuce mechanical anuoi
electiical hazaius into the space.
Always tiy to substitute with less hazaiuous mateiials oi methous.
Peifoim woik outsiue of the confineu space wheievei ieasonably piacticable
oi substitute a non-flammable foi a flammable mateiial whenevei possible.
Tiy to contiol the hazaius by ventilation alone.
S
If it is not possible to contiol the hazaius by ventilation alone, establish a
maximum peimissible peicentage below the <1u% acceptable LEL (Lowei
Explosive Limit) foi safe entiy anu occupancy of peimit-iequiieu confineu
spaces.
Establish anu implement a wiitten confineu space iescue plan anu wiitten
peimit system that is ievieweu annually.
Ensuie all fielu peisonnel aie tiaineu in eveiy aspect of each pioject-specific
confineu space safety plan, incluuing the iescue plan anu each peison's iole
in the event that the plan has to be implementeu.
visit the closest fiie station anu pioviue the Chief with a biiefing about the
job, incluuing all entiies. Be suie to give the Chief a package incluuing all
NSBSs. Nake eveiy attempt to have a site visit with the fiie chief to ieview
the entiy peimit anu stage a simulateu fiie uiill. This piepaies eveiyone foi
the woist-case scenaiio of fiie oi seiious injuiy.
Follow the iescue seivice iequiiements outlineu in 29 CFR 191u.119 (k).
When a potential flammable atmospheie exists in a peimit-iequiieu confineu
space a piopeily tiaineu attenuant neeus to be available to take action
immeuiately when an emeigency situation uevelops insiue the space.
Communicate with the attenuant as necessaiy to enable the attenuant to
monitoi entiant status anu to aleit entiants of the neeu to evacuate the
space.
Requiie that confineu space iescue teams be ieauily available foi call out
within S minutes at the peimit spaces wheie the hazaius pose an immeuiate
thieat to life oi health, incluuing the hazaiu of a potential flammable
atmospheie.

Employ appiopiiate, piopeily opeiating anu calibiateu (when necessaiy)

safety equipment foi aii monitoiing, ventilation, anu emeigency ietiieval,
incluuing special winches foi woikeis enteiing the confineu space thiough a
veitical access moie than five feet in uepth.

Continually monitoi aii quality within the woik space.

Whenevei feasible, use safety hainesses with lifelines attacheu to a fixeu
point outsiue the confineu space. Examine the woikspace foi snags anu
equipment anu tool placement that coulu make ietiieval uifficult. If
obstiuctions ienuei lifelines unusable, iequiie entiants to weai the
hainesses iegaiuless to facilitate iescue.
Bave piopeily opeiating fiie extinguisheis, appiopiiate foi the flammable
mateiial, available within the confineu space.
4

,86D4* 0&1&23- ./ "*8-(.'@-> The tiagic acciuent that was the subject of the CSB
investigation took place in a penstock, oi encloseu tunnel that ueliveieu watei to
powei tuibines in a hyuioelectiic plant. Confineu spaces that aie laige, oi pait of a
continuous system such as a penstock pose paiticulaily uifficult conuitions. They
shoulu always be manageu as peimit-iequiieu as uefineu in 29 CFR 191u.146,
0SBA's Confineu Space Stanuaiu. Such spaces shoulu always be monitoieu foi
hazaiuous atmospheies both piioi to entiy anu continuously in aieas wheie woik is
being peifoimeu. The evacuation plans foi penstocks that have only one egiess
(exit) point must pioviue foi alteinative escape ioutes oi iefuge chambeis. This is
key to avoiuing seiious injuiy anu ueath.

E!0BF- #.8/68*3 !<&'* !(&83&23> SSPC iecognizes that the only compiehensive
feueial iegulation cuiiently goveining woik in confineu spaces is outlineu in 0SBA's
ueneial Inuustiy Stanuaiu 29 CFR 191u.146 Peimit-Requiieu Confineu Spaces. The
agency is woiking on a pioposeu iule on confineu spaces moie specific to
constiuction as pait of its upcoming ievisions to 29 CFR 1926, Safety anu Bealth
Regulations foi Constiuction. 0SBA has also issueu a Compliance Biiective stating
that the Peimit-Requiieu Confineu Space (PRCS) iule applies to ceitain inuustiial
painting peifoimeu as maintenance woik (see Appenuix E, section (a) paiagiaph 8
of 0SBA compliance uiiective CPL u2-uu-1uu). In the inteiim, SSPC continues to
believe it is piuuent foi both facility owneis anu painting contiactois to voluntaiily
auopt the compiehensive iequiiements of 29 CFR 191u.146 uuiing inuustiial
painting woik in confineu spaces.
!4::&2G> Accepteu inuustiy piactices anu iegulatoiy iequiiements shoulu be
implementeu piioi to anu uuiing all suiface piepaiation anu coating application
opeiations in confineu space which may cieate a hazaiuous atmospheie, incluuing
at a minimum:
o Piopei tiaining of woikeis in the iecognition anu contiol of fiie anu
explosion hazaius.
o Piopei tiaining of woikeis in eveiy aspect of each pioject-specific
confineu space safety plan, incluuing the iescue plan anu each
peison's iole in the event that the plan has to be implementeu.
o A job safety analysis (}SA) conuucteu by the company safety uiiectoi,
site safety officei, anu supeivisoi to ueteimine the hazaius of the
space, the equipment, mateiials to be useu. This shoulu be conuucteu
piioi to the stait of the pioject anu on an ongoing basis when theie
aie changes.
o Piopei uesign anu opeiation of ventilation equipment to ieuuce
concentiations of flammable vapois to less than 1u% of the LEL.
o Piopei giounuing anu bonuing of paint containeis, spiay equipment,
anu bloweis.
o 0se of explosion-pioof lighting anu equipment.
o Constant monitoiing of the concentiation of flammable vapois.
S
o Implement a pioject-specific confineu space entiy peimit establishing
the specific contiols iequiieu foi the subject pioject.

H*-.42'*-
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