California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 20 - Tunnel Safety Orders › Article 4 - Safety Precautions › Section 8410 - General Safety Precautions

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) The employer shall ensure that every
					 reasonable effort is taken for the safety of employees, whether or not provided
					 for in these orders.
(b) All
					 dangerous places shall be properly fenced off, covered over or otherwise
					 safeguarded to control access to all openings to prevent unauthorized entry
					 underground.
(c) No person shall be
					 required to work in an unsafe place except for the purpose of making it safe,
					 and then only under direct supervision and after all necessary precautions have
					 been taken to protect him/her while doing such work.
(d) At least one designated person shall be
					 on duty outside of all tunnels whenever anyone is working underground. This
					 person's duties shall not interfere with his/her ability to secure aid for
					 those persons underground in case of emergency.
(e) No person shall be permitted to use or
					 possess any intoxicating liquors or drugs at any place of employment where
					 these safety orders apply. When any person is known or suspected of being under
					 the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drugs, he/she shall not be permitted
					 to enter or remain on the job site.
(f) Strangers or visitors shall not be
					 allowed to enter any place where these safety orders apply, unless they are
					 accompanied by a person designated by the employer.
(g) A check-in/check-out procedure or other
					 method shall be provided at the surface that will ensure that aboveground
					 personnel can accurately determine the number and identity of individuals
					 underground in case of an emergency.
(h) Solitary employment in tunnels is
					 prohibited where hazardous conditions exist, unless an effective means of
					 communication has been established.
(i) Bars used for scaling and those used for
					 loading at chutes shall be blunt on one end and maintained in good
					 condition.
(j) All spikes or nails
					 projecting from lumber lying in working areas or passageways shall be bent down
					 or removed.
(k) Unnecessary
					 accumulations of muck, timber, rails and similar materials shall be avoided
					 underground, particularly in areas at shaft stations and between the track and
					 the sides of tunnels.
(l) Gunite,
					 shotcrete, and concrete pump lines shall be secured against displacement and
					 provided with safety devices to prevent accidental uncoupling of sections when
					 pressurized.
(m) When a ¾
					 -inch (inside diameter) or larger air hose is used, a safety chain, excess flow
					 valve, or other equivalent safety device shall be attached to the hose to
					 prevent the hose from whipping in the event of an accidental
					 disconnection.
(n) Oncoming shifts
					 shall be informed of any hazardous occurrences or conditions that have affected
					 or might affect employee safety, including liberation of gas, equipment
					 failures, earth or rock slides, cave-ins, floodings, fires or
					 explosions.
(o) The employer shall
					 establish and maintain direct communications for the coordination of activities
					 with other employers whose operations at the jobsite affect the safety of
					 employees underground.
(p) A
					 caution sign reading "Buried Line" or similar wording or equivalent method of
					 identification shall be posted where air, fuel or utility lines are buried or
					 otherwise hidden by water or debris.
1.
						Amendment of section heading, subsections (a)-(l), new subsections (n)-(p) and
						new NOTE filed 3-5-96; operative 4-4-96 (Register 96, No.
						10).
Note: Authority cited: Sections
						  142.3 and
						  7997, Labor
						  Code. Reference: Sections
						  142.3 and
						  7997, Labor
						  Code.