Major Safety Complete Confined Space Kit

Confined Space Safety 101

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A growing number of contractors are expanding into jobs with unfamiliar safety risks. Confined space entry is one such example. With some basic understanding of the hazards faced and ways to address them, unnecessary confined space safety risks can be avoided.

Confined Space Safety Risks

The following infographic illustrates confined space safety risks:

confined space safety risks

Some of the obvious risks include toxic gases, engulfment, oxygen deficiency, explosion, and fire.

The less obvious risks, but just as dangerous, include a lack of familiarity with (1) the OSHA requirements, and (2) the required safety equipment.

Confined Space Safety OSHA Requirements

Below are some excellent resources that summarize the OSHA confined space requirements:

It is important to grasp the number of people required for one to safely enter a confined space. OSHA calls for an entrant, an attendant and a supervisor. Each has their own separate responsibilities (not all enter the space).

It is important to understand the actions required before a confined space can be entered. For example, it is necessary to test the space (before and during entry), fill out the permit, set up/provide the rescue equipment, ventilate the space (if necessary), and train all involved.

Confined Space Safety Equipment

No amount of understanding of the OSHA requirements will do any good without the necessary confined space safety equipment.

The required items will usually include at least the following items:

  • Gas Monitor – used for atmospheric testing.
  • Blower and Duct – used for ventilation of confined space.
  • Tripod Rescue System – used for safely rescuing a worker (and lowering in some cases).
  • Fall Protection Harness – used in tandem with rescue tripod.

Major Safety Complete Confined Space Safety KitGasAlert Max XT II Confined Space Safety Gas MonitorMiller Confined Space Safety Rescue TripodRamFan UB20 Confined Space Safety Blower

Those involved in confined space entry must be trained in the use of this equipment by a competent person. The instruction manuals must be read and understood.

Much of this equipment can be purchased in a single kit – as in the first picture above.

There are simply too many resources available to remain in the dark about the risks associated with confined space entry. Reading this article is a great start, but don’t stop there. Take advantage of all the info provided.

All the pics are linked to products at Major Safety. There you can get additional info, purchase, or contact us with more questions. We are happy to help.

by Corby Amos

 

Protecta Pro Comfort Harness

Harness and Lanyard Service Life

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Do fall protection harnesses and lanyards expire? Do they have to be replaced every 5 years? What is a typical harness and lanyard service life?


ANSI on Harness and Lanyard Service Life

ANSI A10.32-2012 does not specify a 5 year harness and lanyard service life. It states that “fall protection equipment shall be removed from service upon evidence of defects, damage or deterioration; once it has been subjected to impact loading; or upon expiration of the manufacturer’s specified service life, whichever comes first.”

DBI Sala and Miller on Harness and Lanyard Service Life

When it comes to manufacturers, Miller and DBI Sala, for example, are in agreement with each other.

DBI Sala states, “The current DBI/SALA policy on the life of products is totally dependent on the condition of the item and not the age.”

Miller states that they consider the ANSI standard as, “a general guideline that was not to be used in lieu of the inspection and maintenance criteria outlined in the instructions that accompany each unit.”

All require that inspection per the product’s manual is required before each use. If the inspection finds a defect, the product is to be removed from service and destroyed.

All agree that the final decision rests with the end user guided by the product’s manual. There is no such thing as a 5 year service life. However, it is possible that harness and lanyard service life will be much shorter if inspections are done properly.

Here are the Miller and DBI Sala technical bulletins on harness and lanyard service life.

All the pics are linked to products at Major Safety. There you can get additional info, purchase, or contact us with more questions. We are happy to help.

by Corby Amos

4210 Trigger Style Regulator

Bump Test of Gas Monitors – What, How Often

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What is a bump test? Is it required? How often is it to be performed? OSHA defers to the manufacturers. The manufacturers have different opinions. It is time for some clarity.

Bump Test Gas Pic

Bump Test Defined

OSHA defines a bump test as “a qualitative function check in which a challenge gas is passed over the sensor(s) at a concentration and exposure time sufficient to activate all alarm settings.”

In English, the bump test is the process that verifies “the performance of the gas detector and ensures that sensors are responding to their target gas.” For example, an H2S sensor is exposed to H2S gas to verify it can respond.

Please note, a bump test does not calibrate the sensors.

Bump Test Frequency

OSHA suggests that a bump test “should be conducted before each day’s use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.” Based on OSHA’s suggestion, the matter of bump test frequency is to be decided by the manufacturer’s instructions.

RKI and BW Policy – Two Examples

In a written letter to Major Safety, RKI says:

We do not feel that daily bump testing of our portable instruments is necessary or useful  in most situations if the instrument is calibrated once per month. For those customers that might insist on doing a bump test, we recommend no more frequently than once per week. Bump testing of any gas monitor will move up the filters faster than on a unit that is not being bump tested. All 4 gas monitors have a charcoal filter on the CO sensor, and daily exposure to the H2S in a bump test cylinder will shorten the life of the charcoal filter, thus requiring more frequent maintenance of the filter. No matter what is used for the bump or calibration frequency, it is recommended that a bump or calibration be performed immediately if there is ever an incident, if the unit gets exposed to a high gas concentration, if the unit receives a large physical shock or is exposed to silicone poisons.

Honeywell BW says:

As stated in BW Technologies multi-gas detector manuals, to verify that your detector is responding to gas, BW recommends bump testing the sensors before each day’s use. The bump test exposes the detector to a gas concentration that exceeds the alarm set-points to confirm the sensor’s ability to respond. Manually verify that the audible and visual alarms are activated. Calibrate if the readings are not within the specified limits. Taking less than a minute, a functional (bump) test is easy to perform and will ensure that the gas detector is responding and the gas path is not blocked.

Bump Test – How To

A current popular method is the aerosol style bump test gas can with a balloon. The problem with this method is, frankly, it’s a pain. There is now a much easier to way to bump test.

The Gasco Bump-It bump test gas is now the way to perform a “before each use” bump test. Just put the calibration adaptor on your gas monitor, and squirt the gas in the adaptor’s tubing for 1-2 seconds. That’s it. The cylinder is so small it fits just about anywhere. And even better, it does not qualify has hazardous shipping. Click the link for the Gasco Bump-It Cylinder.

Helpful Downloads:

 

by Corby Amos

Protecta Pro 1340125 Shock Absorbing Lanyard

Shock Absorbing Lanyard Limitations

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There is an all too common situation where a shock absorbing fall protection lanyard does not meet fall protection requirements.

Protecta Pro 1340125 Shock Absorbing Lanyard    Miller T5111 Shock Absorbing Lanyard

Miller Fall Protection puts it like this, “when using a shock absorbing lanyard, it is important to understand how to calculate potential fall distance to avoid contact with a lower level“. A lower level can be the decking of a lower floor, an obstruction below you or even the ground.

Whenever the distance from your anchor point to that lower level is less than 18.5 feet a shock absorbing fall protection lanyard cannot be used. Take a look at Miller’s diagram below to see why.

miller-free-fall-diagram

Miller explains the above diagram as follows:

  1. When using a six foot shock absorbing lanyard and a full-body harness, first add the length of the shock-absorbing lanyard [6 ft.] to the maximum elongation of the shock absorber during deceleration [3-1/2 ft.] to the average height of a worker [6 ft.].
  2. Then, add a safety factor of 3 ft. to allow for the possibility of an improperly fit harness, a taller than average worker and/or a miscalculation of distance. 
  3. The total, 18-1/2 ft., is the suggested safe fall clearance distance, the height at which you must attach to an anchorage to minimize the risk of contact with a lower level.

This means that if a shock absorbing lanyard is used below 18.5 feet, the “lower level” will be struck in the event of a fall. This problem is easily solved.

Shock Absorbing Lanyard Alternatives

A shorter shock absorbing lanyard will provide a few more feet of leeway (like the below 3′ lanyard). However, it also greatly limits the room a worker has to operate. In most cases, a shorter lanyard will not be possible.

Gemtor 3 Foot Shock Absorbing Lanyard

The best way to solve this problem is to use a self retracting lifeline. Most self retracting lifelines decelerate much sooner than a shock absorbing lanyard’s 3.5′ deceleration. This reduces potential fall distance.

Unlike a shock absorbing lanyard, a self retracting lifeline contains no slack. Depending on where the SRL is mounted, this factor can also reduce potential fall distance.

Please note, however, that the potential fall distance will still need to be calculated when using a self retracting lifeline.

DBI Sala Self Retracting Lifeline    miller-scorpion-fall-limiter

Downloads:

All the pics are linked to products at Major Safety. There you can get additional info, purchase, or contact us with more questions. We are happy to help.

by Corby Amos

GX-2009 Gas Monitor Calibration

Gas Monitor Calibration – What, Why, How Often

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What does it mean to calibrate a gas monitor? Why is calibration even necessary? How often is calibration to be performed?

GX-2009 Gas Monitor Calibration

Gas Monitor Calibration

A gas monitor calibration determines if a sensor can accurately read the known concentration of a calibration gas. If it can’t, the calibration electronically adjusts the gas monitor to account for the difference. Simply put, a calibration aligns a sensor with a calibration gas.

Calibration Drift

Calibration is needed because of Calibration Drift. Calibration Drift occurs when the sensor can’t accurately read the calibration gas.

A number of factors cause Calibration Drift in gas monitors (from OSHA):

  • AGE – Gradual chemical degradation of sensors and drift in electronic components that occur naturally over time.
  • ENVIRONMENT – Chronic exposures to, and use in, extreme environmental conditions, such as high/low temperature and humidity, and high levels of airborne particulates.
  • SENSOR POISONING – Exposure to high (over-range) concentrations of the target gases and vapors. 
  • MONITOR ABUSE – Harsh storage and operating conditions, such as when an instrument is dropped onto a hard surface or submerged in liquid. Normal handling/jostling of the equipment can create enough vibration or shock over time to affect electronic components and circuitry.

When a sensor can no longer be aligned to the calibration gas during calibration, a sensor failure occurs. This failure is due to calibration drift. The sensor will need to be replaced.

Calibration Frequency

OSHA does not give any detailed recommendation concerning gas monitor calibration frequency. OSHA simply says, “follow the manufacturer’s recommendations with regard to calibrating the instruments.”

RKI Instruments, in a effort to be helpful, outlines two extremes of calibration frequency:

  • Example 1 – Users who require the readings to hold up in court as data for certain legal applications must calibrate both before and after each test or each series of tests, in order to remove all doubt of the proper functioning of the instrument.
  • Example 2 – The other extreme is someone who only uses the instrument a couple times a year for non-critical applications. This type of user should calibrate their instrument before each use.

Most users will be in the middle of these two extremes. RKI, for example concludes that “typical calibration frequencies for most applications are between 3 and 6 months, but can be required more often or less often based on your usage”.

Calibration Frequency is ultimately determined by the end user based on OSHA’s requirement to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Neither the manufacturer nor a distributor can make a specific recommendation.

Helpful Downloads

Please visit Major Safety’s Gas Monitor Service Center for more help.

by Corby Amos