Department of University Safety & Assurances www.safety.uwm.edu

US&A (v. 2/07)

What you need to know
• Training topics include:
– confined space identification and hazards
– air monitoring
– controlling hazards
– communications
– blowers
– emergency retrieval system use
– emergency procedures
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Step I: What is a confined space?
• (a) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can enter and perform assigned work;
• (b) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and
• (c) Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy .
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Examples at UWM
• manholes and pits
• steam pit
• electrical pit
• signal pit
• storm drain manhole
• sump pit
• tanks at the Power
Plant
• others - see inventory
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UWM Steam Pit #1 at
Power Plant

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Examples at UWM
Pit 1: Outside
Power Plant

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Examples at UWM
Pit 2: Between
Holton and
Merrill Halls

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Examples at UWM
Pit 3 : between
Chapman and
Sandburg

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Examples at UWM
Pit 4 : East side of
Lapham Hall

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Examples at UWM
Pit 5 : Southeast of Lapham Hall

Examples at UWM
Pit 6: North of Child
Care Center
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Pit 7: Goat Hill
Examples at UWM
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Examples at UWM
Pit 8:
South of
Lapham
Hall

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Examples at UWM
Pit 10:
South of
EMS

Examples at UWM
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Pit 11: Union

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Examples at UWM
Pit 12?:

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Examples at UWM
Pit 13 : Mitchell Hall

Examples at UWM
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Pit #14: Southwest corner of Golda Meir
Library

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Examples at UWM
• Signal Pit outside
Power Plant

Examples at UWM
• Permit-required Confined spaces at the Power Plant
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Examples at UWM
Mitchell north-wing roof steam line chase
Steam Pit west of Mitchell
Hall
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Examples at UWM
• Acid Neutralization
Pit in Lapham Hall
– Serviced by Outside
Contractor

Examples at UWM
Pump House
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• Elevator Pits
– Lockout/Tagout
– Sump Pits?
Other Hazardous Spaces
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Step 2: Is It A Permit-Required
Confined Space?
• Use this flowchart to determine if an enclosed space is a “confined space” and whether a
“confined space” is a “permitrequired confined space”
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Step III: Hierarchy of Permit-
Spaces
( c )( 7 )
Hazards Eliminated
( c )( 5 )
Hazards Controlled
(by continuous forced air ventilation)
( c )( 4 )
Hazards
Cannot be Eliminated nor Controlled
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Refer to
Handout
Hierarchy of Permit-Spaces
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C4 Permit Confined Space
• Lapham Hall and
Chemistry--the laboratory fume hood system “Gas
Chambers”
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C5 Alternate Entry with Continuous
Ventilation
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C5 Alternate Entry with Continuous
Ventilation
• Electrical Pits
• Signal Pits
• Steam Pits
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C7 Hazards Eliminated
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• Mitchell Hall
Basement Utility
Chase.
(Looking north, from south access panel. The immediate south end is a C7 Hazard Eliminated space; the rest of the chase is a
“C-5” confined space.)

Confined Space and Hazardous Space
Inventory www.safety.uwm.edu/EHS/CONFINEDSPACE/index.html
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• Some enclosed areas and roofs are labeled with special precautions.
Other Hazardous Spaces
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What you need to know
• Be sure you can identify a confined space
• You need to know what safety measures to take prior to entering a confined space
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What Are the Hazards?
• Oxygen Hazards
– too much or too little
• Toxic Hazards
– gases, vapors or fumes
(examples: hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide)
• Flammable or Explosive
Hazards
– vapors or dusts in concentrations large enough to ignite
• Engulfment
– shifting liquid or solid substance that traps employee
• Configuration
– Walls or floor which slope downward or taper in can trap an employee
• Energy Hazards
– Contact with mechanical or electrical equipment, steam or other sources of heat
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Multi Gas Meters
• Multi-gas meters for confined space/hazardous space air monitoring.
• Though similar, each instrument has unique features and operating characteristics. These devices measure "real-time" oxygen content, flammability/explosion potential, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) concentrations.
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What is Air?

(simple and chemical)
Hazardous Atmospheres
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Location of PPS Meter
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Abbreviations: Flammable
• UEL % Upper Explosive Limit
• LEL % Lower Explosive Limit
• ALARM at 10% LEL
Example:
Gasoline
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Methane (CH
4
)
• Natural gas, marsh gas, swamp gas
• Due to gas leak or organic decay
• Colorless/odorless flammable gas, or scented
• LEL = 5%; UEL = 15%
• I s Methane Toxic?
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Abbreviations: Toxicants
• ppm parts per million
1% = 10,000 ppm
• IDLH Immediately Dangerous to Life or
Health
• PEL Permissible Exposure Limit
• TLV Threshold Limit Value
• TWA 8-hour Time Weighted Average
• STEL Short Term Exposure Limit (15 min)
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Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Colorless, odorless gas
• Slightly lighter than air
• Chemical asphyxiant
• Primary source: incomplete combustion of organic material
• Gasoline-fueled combustion engines
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Hydrogen Sulfide (H
2
S)
• Sewer gas, stink gas (rotten eggs)
• Odor threshold: 0.02-0.2 ppm
• Colorless, flammable gas
• Heavier than air
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Engulfment

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Configuration

Lockout/Tagout
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is an integral component of any confined space management program.
• Confined space entry procedures and LOTO are not simply OSHA and
DILHR mandated work rules, but are part of an
Checking the 'key-box' and LOTO management program.
worksite at Boiler #1 in the Heat Plant
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Noise
• Noise can be amplified because of the design or acoustic properties of a confined space.
Excessive noise can permanently damage hearing as well as affect communications regarding work performed or warnings.
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Other Atmospheric Conditions
• While not an air contaminant, high temperatures and high humidity can make work uncomfortable in some locations such as steam pits
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• Workers in confined spaces should be aware of the potential for falling objects.
• In particular, hazards are prevalent in spaces that have topside openings for entry and where work is being done above the worker.
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Falling Objects

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Other Hazards

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Other Hazards

Psychological Hazards
• These include claustrophobia or other problems associated with being in a dark, cramped or isolated space.
• Such hazards can be magnified by a worker’s physical condition.
• A person in poor physical condition may become easily fatigued.
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• Alert supervisor upon entering and leaving
• For Permit Space
Entry, maintain contact with attendant throughout entire scheduled operation
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Communication

• Always push clean air in
• If using a portable generator to power blower, make sure exhaust from generator is positioned downward from the confined space
• If using an extension cord to power blower, use GFCI cord
• Do not use blowers in enclosed spaces where damaged asbestos exists
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Ventilators/Blowers

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Purge Times

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Safety Equipment
• Do not enter a confined space without hands-on training in use of equipment

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Safety Equipment
• Body Harness:
Straps which may be secured about an employee in a manner that will distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders with means for attaching it to other components of a personal fall arrest system

Safety Equipment
• Adjusting harness
– Your harness must fit and be adjusted correctly in order to work comfortably
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Lanyards
• Lanyard:
A flexible line used to secure a body belt or body harness to a lifeline or directly to a point of anchorage.
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Safety Equipment

• Connector:
A device used to couple (connect) parts of the personal fall arrest system, such as a carabiner, or it may be an integral component of part of the system (such as a buckle or
“D-ring” sewn into a body belt or body harness, or a snaphook spliced or sewn to a lanyard or self-retracting lanyard.)
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Safety Equipment
Carabiners

Safety Equipment
• Lifeline:
A line provided for direct or indirect attachment to a worker’s body belt, body harness, lanyard or deceleration device.
Such lifelines may be horizontal or vertical in application
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Retractable life lines

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Other PPE
• Hard Hat
• Boots
• Safety Glasses

Protecting Openings to Confined
Spaces
• When opening is in a public walkway, ADA compliant barricades must be set up to protect the pedestrian traffic from all directions.
• Barricades must be lit during hours of darkness.
• When out of pedestrian traffic and sidewalks, tripod and attendant should be sufficient to protect public from confined space openings.
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• Extend legs so that the tripod will stand at least 8’ above the opening
• Fully extend the legs if using tripod on “built up” manholes
• Use better body mechanics
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Assembling Tripod

Attaching Winch to Tripod
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• Disconnect the pulley assembly
• Run lifeline over the pulley
• Reconnect the pulley assembly
Attaching Lifeline to Tripod
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Attaching and Testing Winch
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Positioning Tripod
• Adjust the legs so that the pulley is centered over the opening of the confined space

Emergency Response
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Entry Supervisor’s Duties
The authorized entry supervisor’s duties include the following:
• Know space hazards including information on the mode of exposure, signs or symptoms and consequences of exposure
• Verify emergency plans and specified entry conditions such as permits, tests, procedures and equipment before allowing entry
• Terminate entry and cancel permits when entry operations are completed or if a new condition exists
• Take appropriate measures to remove unauthorized entrants
• Ensure that entry operations remain consistent with the entry permit and that acceptable entry conditions are maintained
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Emergency Retrieval
• All UWM workers will be trained to do non-entry rescue
• Rescue involving entry into the confined space will be done by the Milwaukee Fire Department Urban Rescue Team
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Non-Entry Rescue
DO NOT ENTER THE
CONFINED SPACE
YOURSELF!!
• Call for help. Use your two way communication to get assistance.
• Call campus police at 9-
911. Relay your location, the nature of the incident and emphasize the incident has occurred in a confined space.
• While awaiting help, use retrieval system to get your partner out of the space, only if the rescue is a simple vertical withdrawal.
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• Do not move your partner if you suspect a head or neck injury has occurred.
• Do not attempt a nonentry rescue if the person would be dragged around a corner or between obstacles which could entangle your partner.
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Non-Entry Rescue

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Review
• If you are involved at all in confined space work, be sure you are comfortable with emergency procedures

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Potential Hazards
• Identify the potential hazards of this confined space

Is This Safe?
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Is this Safe?

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Is This Safe?
INCORRECT
Even putting your head into confined space without ventilation and monitoring can be dangerous

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Is This Safe?
CORRECT
Confined space should be ventilated before entry.

Conclusion
• Remember – A safe worker is a happy worker!
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