Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-304 - Safety standards for ship repairing, shipbuilding and shipbreaking › Section 296-304-020 - Confined and enclosed spaces and other dangerous atmospheres in shipyard employment

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Scope, application and definitions applicable to this
				subsection:
(1) Scope and application.
			 This section applies to work in confined and enclosed spaces and other
			 dangerous atmospheres in shipyard employment, including vessels, vessel
			 sections, and on land-side operations regardless of geographic location.
(2) Definitions applicable to this
			 section:
Adjacent spaces.
Those spaces bordering a subject
				space in all directions, including all points of contact, corners, diagonals,
				decks, tank tops, and bulkheads.
Certified industrial hygienist (CIH).
An
				industrial hygienist who is certified by the American Board of Industrial
				Hygiene.
Coast Guard authorized person.
An individual who
				meets the requirement of WAC
				296-304-02015, Appendix C, for
				tank vessels, for passenger vessels, and for cargo and miscellaneous
				vessels.
Dangerous atmosphere.
An atmosphere that may
				expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to
				self-rescue (i.e., escape unaided from a confined or enclosed space), injury,
				or acute illness.
Director.
The director of the department of labor
				and industries or his/her designated representative.
Enter with restrictions.
Denotes a space where
				entry for work is permitted only if engineering controls, personal protective
				equipment, clothing, and time limitations are as specified by the marine
				chemist, certified industrial hygienist, or the shipyard competent
				person.
Entry.
The action by which a person passes through
				an opening into a space. Entry includes ensuing work activities in that space
				and is considered to have occurred as soon as any part of the entrant's body
				breaks the plane of an opening into the space.
Hot work.
Any activity involving riveting,
				welding, burning, the use of powder-actuated tools or similar fire-producing
				operations. Grinding, drilling, abrasive blasting, or similar spark-producing
				operations are also considered hot work except when such operations are
				isolated physically from any atmosphere containing more than 10 percent of the
				lower explosive limit of a flammable or combustible substance.
Immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH).
An
				atmosphere that poses an immediate threat to life or that is likely to result
				in acute or immediate severe health effects.
Inert or inerted atmosphere.
An atmospheric
				condition where:
(a) The oxygen
			 content of the atmosphere in the space is maintained at a level equal to or
			 less than 8.0 percent by volume or at a level at or below 50 percent of the
			 amount required to support combustion, whichever is less; or
(b) The space is flooded with water and the
			 vapor concentration of flammable or combustible materials in the free space
			 atmosphere above the water line is less than 10 percent of the lower explosive
			 limit for the flammable or combustible material.
Labeled.
Identified with a sign, placard, or other
				form of written communication, including pictograms, that provides information
				on the status or condition of the work space to which it is attached.
Lower explosive limit (LEL).
The minimum
				concentration of vapor in air below which propagation of a flame does not occur
				in the presence of an ignition source.
Marine chemist.
An individual who possesses a
				current marine chemist certificate issued by the National Fire Protection
				Association (NFPA).
NFPA.
National Fire Protection Association.
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).
An organization recognized by OSHA, in accordance with Appendix A of
				29 C.F.R.
				1910.7, which tests for safety and lists or
				labels or accepts equipment and materials that meet all the criteria found in
				Section 1910.7 (b)(1) through (b)(4)(ii).
Not safe for hot work.
A space where hot work may
				not be performed because the conditions do not meet the criteria for "safe for
				hot work."
Not safe for workers.
A space where an employee
				may not enter because the conditions do not meet the criteria for "safe for
				workers."
Oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
An atmosphere having
				an oxygen concentration of less than 19.5 percent by volume.
Oxygen-enriched atmosphere.
An atmosphere that
				contains 22.0 percent or more oxygen by volume.
Safe for hot work.
A space that meets all of the
				following criteria:
(a) The oxygen
			 content of the atmosphere does not exceed 22.0 percent by volume;
(b) The concentration of flammable vapors in
			 the atmosphere is less than 10 percent of the lower explosive limit;
(c) The residues or materials in the space
			 are not capable of producing a higher concentration than permitted in (a) or
			 (b) of the above, under existing atmospheric conditions in the presence of hot
			 work and while maintained as directed by the marine chemist or competent
			 person; and
(d) All adjacent spaces
			 have been cleaned, or inerted, or treated sufficiently to prevent the spread of
			 fire.
Safe for workers.
A space that meets the following
				criteria:
(a) The oxygen content of
			 the atmosphere is at least 19.5 percent and below 22.0 percent by
			 volume;
(b) The concentration of
			 flammable vapors is below 10 percent of the lower explosive limit
			 (LEL);
(c) Any toxic materials in
			 the atmosphere associated with cargo, fuel, tank coatings, or inerting media
			 are within permissible concentrations at the time of the inspection;
			 and
(d) Any residues or materials
			 associated with the work authorized by the marine chemist, certified industrial
			 hygienist, or competent person will not produce uncontrolled release of toxic
			 materials under existing atmospheric conditions while maintained as directed.
Space.
An area on a vessel or vessel section or
				within a shipyard such as, but not limited to: Cargo tanks or holds; pump or
				engine rooms; storage lockers; tanks containing flammable or combustible
				liquids, gases, or solids; rooms within buildings; crawl spaces; tunnels; or
				accessways. The atmosphere within a space is the entire area within its
				bounds.
Upper explosive limit (UEL).
The maximum
				concentration of flammable vapor in air above which propagation of flame does
				not occur on contact with a source of ignition.
Vessel section.
A subassembly, module, or other
				component of a vessel being built, repaired, or broken.
Visual inspection.
The physical survey of the
				space, its surroundings and contents to identify hazards such as, but not
				limited to, restricted accessibility, residues, unguarded machinery, and piping
				or electrical systems.