Virginia Administrative Code › Title 16 - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT › Agency 25 - SAFETY AND HEALTH CODES BOARD › Chapter 70 - VIRGINIA CONFINED SPACE STANDARD FOR THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY › Section 16VAC25-70-10 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
Note: The following standard is unique for the enforcement of
				  occupational safety and health within the Commonwealth of Virginia under the
				  jurisdiction of the VOSH Program. The federal OSHA standard counterpart listed
				  at 1910.268(o) does not apply; it does not carry the force of law and is not
				  printed in this volume.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter,
				  shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise.
"Attendant" means an individual with no other duties assigned
				  to remain immediately outside the entrance to the confined space and who may
				  render assistance as needed to employees inside the space.
"Blind" or "blinding" or "blanking" means the absolute
				  closure of a pipe, line or duct, to prevent passage of any material (e.g., by
				  fastening a solid plate or "cap" across the pipe).
"Calibration" or "Recalibration" means a laboratory or
				  bench-top re-setting of alarm points, spans and zeros, if applicable, according
				  to manufacturer's specifications. "Calibration" or "recalibration" shall be
				  conducted by a factory authorized service center, a factory trained technician,
				  or a trained company technician.
"Confined space" means any space not intended for continuous
				  employee occupancy, having a limited means of egress, and which is also subject
				  to either the accumulation of an actual or potentially hazardous atmosphere as
				  defined in this subsection or a potential for engulfment as defined in this
				  subsection. Confined spaces generally include, but are not limited to, storage
				  tanks, process vessels, bins, boilers, ventilation or exhaust ducts, sewers,
				  manholes, underground utility vaults, acid tanks, digesters, ovens, kiers,
				  pulpers, tunnels, and pipelines. Open top spaces more than 4 feet in depth such
				  as pits, tubs, vaults and vessels may also be confined spaces if the three
				  criteria above are met.
"Engulfment" means the surrounding and effective capture of a
				  person by finely divided particulate matter or a liquid. There is a potential
				  for engulfment when such particulate matter or liquid exists in a sufficient
				  quantity or at a sufficient pressure to surround a person before normal exit
				  can be effected.
"Entrant" means any employee who enters a confined
				  space.
"Entry" means any action resulting in any part of the
				  employee's face breaking the plane of any opening of the confined space, and
				  includes any ensuing work activities inside the confined space.
"Entry permit" means the employer's written authorization for
				  employee entry into a confined space under defined conditions for a stated
				  purpose during a specified time.
"Field checked" means a method of checking an instrument for
				  a proper response in the field. It is a check of the instrument's functionality
				  and is a pass-fail or go/no-go check. When an adequate response is not obtained
				  then the equipment should be removed from service and adjusted or repaired by a
				  factory authorized service center, or a factory trained technician, or a
				  trained company technician.
"Ground-fault circuit interrupter" means a device whose
				  function is to interrupt the electric circuit to the load when a fault current
				  to ground exceeds a predetermined value that is less than that required to
				  operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit.
"Hazardous atmosphere" means an atmosphere presenting a
				  potential for death, disablement, injury, or acute illness from one or more of
				  the following causes:
(i) A flammable
				gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10% of its lower explosive limit
				(LEL);
(ii) An oxygen deficient
				atmosphere containing less than 19.5% oxygen by volume or an oxygen enriched
				atmosphere containing more than 23% oxygen by volume;
(iii) An atmospheric concentration of any
				substance listed in Subpart Z of Part 1910 Standards above the listed numerical
				value of the permissible exposure limit (PEL); or
(iv) A condition immediately dangerous to
				life or health as defined in this subsection.
"Immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)" means any
				  condition that poses an immediate threat to life, or which is likely to result
				  in acute or immediately severe health effects. See Appendix A for
				  concentrations at which several chemicals exhibit IDLH effects.
"Immediate severe health effects" means that an acute
				  clinical sign of serious, exposure-related reaction is manifested within 72
				  hours of exposure.
"Lockout or tagging" means placing locks or tags on the
				  energy isolating device in accordance with
				  16VAC25-70-30 B of this chapter.
				  Tags shall indicate that the energy isolated device shall not be operated until
				  the removal of the tag.
"Qualified person" means a person who is trained to recognize
				  the hazards of the confined space and how to evaluate those anticipated hazards
				  and shall be capable of specifying necessary control measures to assure worker
				  safety. The employer may designate an employee as employer representative for
				  the purpose of assuring safe confined space entry procedures and practices at a
				  specific site. The qualified person may also be the entrant when permissible
				  according to
				  16VAC25-70-50 A of this
				  chapter.
"Rescue team" means those persons whom the employer has
				  designated prior to any confined space entry to perform rescues from confined
				  spaces. A rescue team may consist of outside emergency personnel, provided the
				  training requirements of
				  16VAC25-70-70 A 2 of this chapter
				  have been met.
"Retrieval line" means a line or rope secured at one end to a
				  worker's safety belt, chest or body harness, or wristlets with the other end
				  secured to an anchor point or lifting device located outside the entry portal.
				  The anchor point shall not be a motor vehicle. Retrieval lines must be of
				  sufficient strength to remove an entrant when necessary.
"Zero mechanical state" means that the mechanical potential
				  energy of all portions of the machine or equipment is set so that the opening
				  of the pipes, tubes, hoses or actuation of any valve, lever, or button, will
				  not produce a movement which could cause injury.
Statutory Authority
§ 40.1-22(5) of the Code of Virginia.