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Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders
Group 16. Control of Hazardous Substances
Article 108. Confined Spaces
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§5157. Permit-Required Confined Spaces, Appendix A - Permit-Required Confined Space Decision Flow Chart

§5157. Permit-Required Confined Spaces, Appendix A - Permit-Required Confined Space Decision Flow Chart ( .pdf, size=49kb)





 _____________________________
|                             |
| Does the workplace contain  |
| Confined Spaces as defined  NO ----------------------
|     by Section 5157(b)?     |                       |
|                             |                       |
|___________ YES _____________|                       |
              |                                       |
              |                                       |

 ____________ V ______________                        |
|                             |             _________ V ______
| Does the workplace contain  |            |                  |
|  Permit-required Confined   |            |  Consult other   |
|   Spaces as defined by      NO --------- >   applicable     |
|   Section 5157(b)?          |            |  OSHA standards. |
|                             |            |                  |
|___________ YES _____________|            |_____ STOP _______|
              |
              |
     ________ V ___________
    |                      |
    | Inform employees as  |
    |     required by      |
    | Section 5157(c)(2).  |
    |                      |      _____________________________
    |______________________|     |                             |
              |                  | Prevent employees entry as  |
     ________ V ___________      | required by Section 5157    |
    |                      |     |  (c)(3). Do task from       |
    |  Will permit         NO -- >     outside of space.       |
    | spaces be entered?   |     |_____________________________|
    |                      |
    |_______ YES __________|
              |
     ________ V _______         ________________________________
    |                  |       |                                |
    | Will contractors |       |     Task will be done by       |

 -- >     enter?       YES --- > contractors' employees. Inform |
|   |                  |       |  contractor as requited by     |
|   |________ NO ______|       | Section 5157(c)(8)(i), (ii)    |
|              |               | and (iii). Contractor obtains  |
|              |               |   information required by      |
|              |               | Section 5157(c)(9)(i), (ii)    |
|              |               |   and (iii) from host.         |
|              |               |________________________________|
|              |                           |
|              |               ___________ V ___________________
|              |              |                                 |
|              |              |   Both contractors and host     |
|              |              | employees will enter the space? NO >
|              |              |                                 |   |
|              |              |_______ YES _____________________|   |
|              |                        |                           |
|  ___________ V _______   ____________ V _______________________   |
| |                     | |                                      |  |
| | Will host employees | |   Coordinate entry operations as     |  |
| |  enter to perform   | |required by Section 5157(c)(8)(iv) and|->|
| |    entry tasks?     | | (d)(11).Prevent unauthorized entry   |  |
| |                     | |______________________________________|  |
| |____ YES ________NO _|                                           |
|        |           |     ______________________________           |
|        |           |    |                              |          |
|        |           ----->  Prevent unauthorized entry. STOP       |
|        |                |______________________________|          |
|        |                                                          |
|        |<---------------------------------------------------------
|        |
|  _____ V ________________     _________________________________
| |                        |   |                                 |
| | Does space have known  |   | Not a permit-required confined  |
| | or potential hazards?  NO--> space. 5157 does not apply. |
| |                        |   | Consult other OSHA standards.   |
| |______ YES _____________|   |_________________________________|
|          |
|          |                     _________________________
|  _______ V_____________       |                         |
| |                      |      | Employer may choose to  |
| |  Can the hazards be  YES----> reclassify space to     |
| |     eliminated?      |      | non-permit required     STOP(1)
| |                      |      | confined space using    |
| |_______ NO ___________|      |    Section 5157(c)(7).  |
|           |                   |_________________________|
|           |
|  ________ V ___________________
| |                              |      __________________
| | Can the space be maintained  |     |                  |
| | in a condition safe to       YES--->  Space may be    |
| | enter by continuous forced   |     |  entered under   STOP(1)
| |   air ventilation only?      |     | 5157(c)(5).      |
| |                              |     |__________________|
| |_______ NO ___________________|
|           |
|           |
|  ________ V ______________
| |                         |
| | Prepare for entry via   |
| |   permit procedures.    |
| |_________________________|
|           |
|           |                      ____________________
|  ________ V ________________    |                    |
| |                           |   | Permit not valid   |
| | Verify acceptable entry   NO--> until conditions   |
| | conditions (test results  |   |  meet permit       |
| | recorded, space isolated  |   | specifications.    |
| | if needed, rescuers/means |   |____________________|
| |   to summon available,    |
| |    entrants properly      |
| |     equipped, etc.)       |
| |                           |
| |_______ YES _______________|
|           |
|           |
|  ________ V ___________________      ______________________________
| |                              |    |                              |
| | Permit issued by authorizing |    | Emergency exists (prohibited |
| | signature. Acceptable entry  NO--->    condition). Entrants      |
| |   conditions maintained      |    |   evacuated entry aborts.    |
| |    throughout entry.         |    |  (Call rescuers if needed).  |
| |                              |    |  Permit is void. Reevaluate  |
| |________ YES _________________|    |  program to correct/prevent  |
|            |                        |     prohibited condition.    |
|            |                        |    Occurrence of emergency   |
|  _________ V ___________________    |    (usually) is proof of     |
| |                               |   |    deficient program. No     |
| |   Entry tasks completed.      |   |    re-entry until program    |
| | Permit returned and canceled. |   |   (and permit) is amended.   |
| |_______________________________|   |  (May require new program.)  |
|            |                        |                              |
|            |                        |____ CONTINUE ________________|
|  _________ V _____________________           |
| |                                 |          |
| | Audit permit program and permit |          |
| | based on evaluation of entry by |          |
| |  entrants, attendants, testers  |          |
| |       and preparers, etc.       |          |
| |_________________________________|          |
|                                              |
|______________________________________________|
(1) Spaces may have to be evacuated and re-evaluated if hazards arise during entry.

NOTE: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

HISTORY

1. New Appendix A filed 11-24-93; operative 12-24-93 (Register 93, No. 48).

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