Confined Spaces | Facility Audit

Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered "confined" because their configurations hinder the activities of any employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. For example, employees who work in process vessels generally must squeeze in and out through narrow openings and perform their tasks while cramped or contorted. OSHA uses the term "confined space" to describe such spaces.

In addition, there are many instances where employees who work in confined spaces face increased risk of exposure to serious hazards. In some cases, confinement itself poses entrapment hazards. In other cases, confined space work keeps employees closer to hazards, such as asphyxiating atmospheres or the moving parts of machinery. OSHA uses the term "permit-required confined space" (permit space) to describe those spaces that both meet the definition of "confined space" and pose health or safety hazards.

Confined spaces may be encountered in virtually any occupation; therefore, their recognition is the first step in preventing fatalities. Since deaths in confined spaces often occur because the atmosphere is oxygen deficient or toxic, confined spaces should be tested prior to entry and continually monitored.

Common confined space hazards include:

Hazardous Atmospheres

• Flammable atmospheres
  
  
• Toxic atmospheres
  
  
• Irritant (corrosive) atmospheres
  
  
• Asphyxiating atmospheres
  
  

General Safety Hazards

• Mechanical
  
  
• Communication problem
  
  
• Entry and exit
  
  
• Physical
  • Thermal effects
  • Noise
  • Vibration
  • General/physical

Noise and Hearing Hazards | Facility Audit

Although noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational illnesses, it is often ignored because there are no visible effects, it usually develops over a long period of time, and, except in very rare cases, there is no pain. What does occur is a progressive loss of communication, socialization, and responsiveness to the environment. In its early stages (when hearing loss is above 2,000 Hertz (Hz)) it affects the ability to understand or discriminate speech. As it progresses to the lower frequencies, it begins to affect the ability to hear sounds in general.

The three main types of hearing loss are conductive, sensorineural, or a combination of the two.

The effects of noise can be simplified into three general categories:

• Primary effects, which includes noise-induced temporary threshold shift, noise-induced permanent threshold shift, acoustic trauma, and tinnitus.
  
  
• Effects on communication and performance, which may include isolation, annoyance, difficulty concentrating, absenteeism, and accidents.
  
  
• Other effects, which may include stress, muscle tension, ulcers, increased blood pressure, and hypertension.
  
  

Indications of a Problem

There are various factors that may indicate noise is a problem in the workplace. While people react differently to noise, subjective responses should not be ignored because they may provide warnings that noise may be at unacceptable levels.

• Noisy conditions can make normal conversation difficult.
  
  
• When noise levels are above 80 decibels (dB), people have to speak very loudly.
  
  
• When noise levels are between 85 and 90 dB, people have to shout.
  
  
• When noise levels are greater than 95 dB, people have to move close together to hear each other at all.

A walkaround survey should be performed to screen for noise exposures and to determine if additional monitoring is necessary. When screening for noise exposures, sound level meter measurements and estimates of the duration of exposure are sufficient. The resulting spot readings can be used to determine the need for a more complete evaluation.

The following general approach may be followed:

• Tour the facility and develop a detailed understanding of facility operations and potential noise sources. Take the tour with someone who is familiar with plant operations. Speak with knowledgeable personnel about operations and maintenance requirements. Make notes on a diagram of the floor plan if possible. Look for indications that noise may be a problem.
  
  
• Use a sound level meter to take spot readings of operations that are in question. It may be useful to mark the sound levels on a diagram of the floor plan. Make notes regarding what equipment is on or off.
  
  
• Estimate exposures by identifying workers and their locations and estimate the length of time they spend in different areas or how long they operate particular equipment or tools.
  
  
• If the results of the walkaround survey indicate time-weighted average (TWA) exposures of 80 dBA or more, then additional noise monitoring should be performed. Remember to take into account the accuracy of the sound level meter when making this estimation. For example, a Type 2 sound level meter has an accuracy of ±2 dBA.

Heat Hazards & Cold Hazards | Facility Audit

Heat Hazards

Operations involving high air temperatures, radiant heat sources, high humidity, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities have a high potential for inducing heat stress in employees engaged in such operations. Such places include: iron and steel foundries, nonferrous foundries, brick-firing and ceramic plants, glass products facilities, rubber products factories, electrical utilities (particularly boiler rooms), bakeries, confectioneries, commercial kitchens, laundries, food canneries, chemical plants, mining sites, smelters, and steam tunnels.

Four environmental factors affect the amount of stress a worker faces in a hot work area: temperature, humidity, radiant heat (such as from the sun or a furnace), and air velocity. Perhaps most important to the level of stress an individual faces are personal characteristics such as age, weight, fitness, medical condition, and acclimatization to the heat.

The body reacts to high external temperature by circulating blood to the skin which increases skin temperature and allows the body to give off its excess heat through the skin. However, if the muscles are being used for physical labor, less blood is available to flow to the skin and release the heat.

Sweating is another means the body uses to maintain a stable internal body temperature in the face of heat. However, sweating is effective only if the humidity level is low enough to permit evaporation and if the fluids and salts lost are adequately replaced.

Of course there are many steps a person might choose to take to reduce the risk of heat stress, such as moving to a cooler place, reducing the work pace or load, or removing or loosening some clothing.

But when the body cannot dispose of excess heat, it will store it. When this happens, the body's core temperature rises and the heart rate increases. As the body continues to store heat, the individual begins to lose concentration and has difficulty focusing on a task, may become irritable or sick, and often loses the desire to drink. The next stage is most often fainting and death is possible if the person is not removed from the heat stress.

Safety Hazards in Hot Environments

Certain safety problems are common to hot environments. Heat tends to promote accidents due to the slipperiness of sweaty palms, dizziness, or the fogging of safety glasses. Wherever there exists molten metal hot surfaces, steam, etc., the possibility of burns from accidental contact also exists.

Aside from these obvious dangers, the frequency of accidents in general appears to be higher in hot environments than in more moderate environmental conditions. One reason is that working in a hot environment lowers the mental alertness and physical performance of an individual. Increased body temperature and physical discomfort promote irritability, anger, and other emotional states which sometimes cause workers to overlook safety procedures or to divert attention from hazardous tasks.

Cold Hazards

Anyone working in a cold environment may be at risk for cold stress. However, older people may be at more risk than younger adults, since older people are not able to generate heat as quickly. Certain medications may prevent the body from generating heat normally. These include anti-depressants, sedatives, tranquilizers and others.

When the body is unable to warm itself, cold related stress may result. This may include tissue damage and possibly death. Four factors contribute to cold stress: cold air temperatures, high velocity air movement, dampness of the air, and contact with cold water or surfaces. A cold environment forces the body to work harder to maintain its temperature. Cold air, water, and snow all draw heat from the body. Wind chill is the combination of air temperature and wind speed. For example, when the air temperature is 40°F, and the wind speed is 35 mph, your exposed skin receives conditions equivalent to the air temperature being 11°F. While it is obvious that below freezing conditions combined with inadequate clothing could bring about cold stress, it is also important to understand that it can also be brought about by temperatures in the 50s coupled with some rain and wind.