Safety and Health Program- Confined Space Upgrade Chapter

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WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES

Policy:

It is the policy of the Company to protect the health and welfare of all employees whose work assignments may require entering or working in permit-required confined spaces. Only persons with appropriate aptitudes and physical competence shall be employed in confined space work. Training of selected persons to carry out confined space work shall include:

..........· Emergency entry and exit procedures

· Use of appropriate respiratory protective equipment

· First aid, including Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

· Lock Out and Isolation procedures

· The use of safety equipment

· Rescue drills

· Fire protection

· Communications

· Aspects essential for maintaining the safety of the breathing environment

· Recognition of any hazards specific to the operation/activity.

Purpose:

To establish the policy and procedures regarding Management and employee response and actions to a working in confined spaces. Working in confined spaces can lead to injury or even death if adequate precautions are not taken. Only trained persons may enter or work in confined spaces.

Confined spaces can include storage tanks, process vessels, boilers, silos, storage bins, pits, and pipes, sewers, tunnels and shafts. Any place of work where the atmosphere is liable to be contaminated at any time by dust, fumes, mist, vapor, gas or other harmful substance, or is liable at any time to be oxygen deficient is defined as a confined space. When any work area is not subject to good natural ventilation, people can be readily exposed to harmful vapors. They can then suffer lack of oxygen, and collapse as a result. People entering the same space to rescue colleagues may become the next victims.

The Company will ensure that our employees are protected from the potential hazards involved in entering confined spaces. We will make every effort to comply with the OSHA Permit-Required Confined Space Standard (CFR 1910.146) and to exceed those requirements when necessary to ensure the safety of our workers.