Assumptions applicable to all exercises: 1. you and your crew have all necessary training; 2. the monitoring instrument provided is of a constant read variety, 3. you have a marvelous and roomy work trailer with all of the equipment you might possibly need (you just need to indicate what equipment is required to be set up on site); and, 4. the scenarios are necessarily vague on some points – you need to apply the information from the confined space training texts to each exercise and provide your crew with the proper equipment and PPE on site.

Confined Space Exercise UST17A

Contained in the following scenario is all of the information you will need to complete the confined space permit following the scenario description. On the submittal page, there will be a space to enter the exercise number above, which has also been provided on the permit.

You are the qualified person acting as supervisor for a crew of three persons who have been asked to clean a 12,000 gallon underground fuel oil storage tank so that it will be safe for the plant engineer to enter and inspect. Your crew members are named Gail Smith and Andrew Johnson, both having received adequate training in confined spaces and the roles of entrant and attendant. The date of your arrival is the date that you are completing this exercise.

Prior to leaving for the site, you look over the site information and the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for the product stored.

The site is located at the Anytown Power Plant: 123 Main Street, Anytown, MO and contains two 12,000 gallon underground storage tanks storing #2 fuel oil used for emergency backup generators. Because one tank must always be ready for an unexpected failure, only the tank located on the west of the building is being cleaned at this time. Written directions to the nearest hospital have been provided by the power company along with a map with the route highlighted in yellow. You attach the directions to the blank confined space permit which you place in your job file and look up the telephone number in the telephone book. The number is 555-1234.

The MSDS for #2 fuel oil gives you the following information: #2 fuel oil is a non-corrosive combustible liquid with a LEL of 0.5%. Fuel oil has a vapor density significantly greater than 1 so ventilation will have to remove vapors from the lowest areas of storage and readings will be required as close to the tank bottom as possible as the vapors are heavy enough to settle in lower areas. Trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide (h2s) may be present and carbon monoxide (co) and carbon dioxide (co2) are decomposition products common in storage. Since the presence of carbon dioxide presents no problem so long as it is not present in quantities large enough to displace oxygen, the measurement of toxic atmospheric constituents will be limited to h2s and co. Limits for confined space entry of 20 ppm of CO and 10 ppm of H2S are determined. Fuel oils can cause moderate skin irritation and the MSDS states that supplied air or self contained air respirators are necessary when encountering fuel oils in confined or poorly ventilated areas. Spark and flame producing operations are not to be conducted in the vicinity of fuel oil vapors. You expect the duration of the work to be between 2.5 and 4 hours depending on tank conditions before it will be safe to declassify the space to non-permit required and allow the engineer to perform his inspection.

You check out the Industrial Scientific TMX 412 - #7 multi meter from the equipment room and check the calibration using a calibration gas kit in the equipment room. After verifying the functionality of this constant read meter, you proceed to your work truck where you meet your crew and review the load out list for the truck. You leave for the site at 7:45 am.

You arrive at the guard shack at 8:20 am. A plant supervisor is summoned to the guard shack to escort you to the tank. Upon arrival at the work location, you instruct your crew to erect necessary barricades and signs, to drive a grounding rod, set up the eductor (air ventilation system) and connect the grounding straps to the tank and eductor and get necessary safety equipment out. In the interim, the supervisor leads you into the adjacent welding shop and shows you the phone, instructing you to dial 767 in the event of a site emergency other than an injury requiring medical response. For medical response, you are instructed to dial 9 before the number to get an outside line. You conduct a routine meeting with your crew over viewing site specific conditions.

At 8:50 you start up the compressor and begin ventilation of the 12,000 gallon tank after determining that there is no other equipment attached to the tank and that the power to the pump has been locked out. The tank is buried 3 feet below grade and is 8 feet from the 24" diameter manway atop the tank to the bottom of the tank. The tank is approximately 32 feet long. While the tank is ventilating, Gail loosens the bolts on the manway. At 9:25 you take readings at the stem below the eductor (at the eductor) with the following results LEL= .02, O2%= 20.5, H2S= 1ppm, CO= 1ppm. Since the readings are within acceptable ranges, you instruct Andrew to don Level B PPE and for Gail to remove the manway and then put on her protective gear so that she may perform attendant work. Andrew returns first and, before he puts on his respirator face piece, he takes readings from the manway of the tank at 9:45. The readings, which indicate that the atmosphere is safe for initial entry, are LEL= .01, O2%= 20.7, H2S= 1ppm, CO= 0ppm and are substantially the same as those taken from the eductor. Immediately before authorizing entry, Gail hands you a bag of oil absorbent and you spread a generous amount onto the floor of the tank immediately beneath the manway so that Andrew will not slip or splash sludge onto his protective gear. Gail checks the polarity on the electrical supply for the explosion proof light and you authorize entry at 9:50 am.

Andrew dons his respirator and begins climbing down the wooden (non-sparking) ladder into the tank while Gail holds the ladder to keep it from moving. Once Andrew is in the tank, Gail removes the ladder, handing it to you to set aside. The explosion proof light is carefully hung inside the manway and the monitor is lowered down to Andrew who then takes readings to either side of the landing area at 10:00. The readings are LEL= .01, O2%= 20.8, H2S= 1ppm, CO= 0ppm. You give a thumbs up signal to Gail who relays the signal to Andrew and lowers a bucket of oil absorbent to Andrew on a rope. Andrew heads toward the first end of the tank spreading absorbent on the floor in front of him and taking a reading when he nears the end of the tank. Returning to the area beneath the manway at 10:10, Andrew again relays the readings in a predetermined order using hand signals. The readings are LEL= .01, O2%= 20.8, H2S= 1ppm, CO= 0ppm. Andrew then heads toward the other end of the tank spreading absorbent on the floor in front of him and taking a reading when he nears the end of the tank. Returning to the area beneath the manway at 10:20, Andrew again relays the readings in a predetermined order using hand signals. The readings are LEL= .01, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. Andrew then signals for the ladder and exits the tank to serve as an attendant to Gail as she removes any sediment and the absorbent from the tank using an aluminum (non-sparking) scoop shovel and buckets.

Andrew reports to you and Gail the condition of the tank and Gail dons her respirator at 10:35, entering the tank. Gail takes readings upon reaching the tank bottom. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. The shovel and buckets are lowered down using a rope and the monitor is sent up so that Andrew can continue making periodic readings. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm at 10:45. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm at 10:55. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm at 11:05. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm 11:15. At 11:20, Gail attaches the last bucket of waste to the rope and signals for the ladder, just as the engineer arrives to check the progress of the work. You inform him that you need to get a report on the tank from your crew member that is coming out of the tank, take a reading and declassify the tank. The engineer listens as Gail explains that the tank is now clear of sediment and that there are no unusual conditions to report. You take a reading at 11:35. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. You perform the paperwork necessary to declassify the space at 11:40 and inform the engineer that it is safe to do his inspection now, provide him with a tyvek coverall. The engineer goes into the tank with your crew providing topside assistance at 11:50. A reading is taken at 12:05. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. Another reading is taken at 12:20. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. Another reading is taken at 12:35. The readings are LEL= .00, O2%= 20.9, H2S= 0ppm, CO= 0ppm. The engineer emerges from the tank at 12:45. You turn off the compressor and start putting your gear away, leaving the site at 1:40 for a well deserved (although late) lunch.

CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PERMIT

Date: Time Issued: am/pm

Confined Space - UST17A Expires at: am/pm

Location: Canceled at: am/pm

Address: Canceled by: (init)

City: State:

Description of Work(Trades):_________________________________________

Outside Contractors:_________________________________________________

Acceptable Entry Conditions:

At or below 10% LEL

Oxygen between 19.5% and 23.5%

Other:________________________

Isolation Checklist: Hot Work Permitted:

Blanking/disconnecting Welding:

Electrical Brazing:

Mechanical Grinding:

other: Open Flame:

other:

Hazards Expected:

Corrosive Materials:_______________________________

Hot Equipment:_____________________________________

Flammable Materials:_______________________________

Toxic Materials:___________________________________

Spark Producing Operations:________________________

Spilled Liquids:___________________________________

Pressure Systems:__________________________________

Other:_____________________________________________

Vessel Cleaned: y/n time: am/pm

Method:___________________________________

Inspected by: (inits) time: am/pm

Special Safety Precautions:___________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

PreEntry Personal Safety Checklist:

Constant Ventilation: y/n Respiratory Equipment: y/n

Protective Clothing: y/n Chemical Boots: y/n

Chemical Gloves: y/n Hard Hat: y/n

Life Lines/Harness: y/n Tripod/Hoist: y/n

Explosion Proof Light: y/n Elec. Polarity Check: y/n

Attendant Present: y/n Fire Extinguishers: y/n

Emergency Response: y/n

Remarks:_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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Atmospheric Gas Tests Performed: Permit Expires when no reading is recorded within 2 hours of the previous reading.

Monitoring Method: Continuous(preferred) or Periodic (circle one)

Monitor Model and # (if several):___________________________________

02% LEL% CO H2S Location Time Tests Performed By

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

____ ____ _____ _____ _________ ___:___ __________________

Type of Entry Class

Circle one: Class A Class B Class C

Entry Personnel Task to be Performed Time In Out

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

Attendants

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

_______________ ____________________ ___:___ ___:___

Supervisor on Duty Time In Time Out

______________________ ___:___ ___:___

______________________ ___:___ ___:___

Communication method(s):___________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

I, the undersigned, hereby authorize work in the confined space until the time specified at the top of page 1:

Name of Qualified Person/Supervisor_______________________________________

Signature of Qualified Person/Supervisor__already signed by you__Time___:___

Emergency Telephone location:___________________________________

Emergency Telephone Number:_____________________________________

Nearest Hospital (attach directions or designate person who is familiar with shortest route to Hospital___attached______________)

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