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Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) - Table of
Contents

• Part Number:

1915

• Part Title:

Occup. Safety and Health Standards for
Shipyard Employment

• Subpart:

B

• Subpart Title:

Confined and Enclosed Spaces and Other
Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment

• Standard Number:

1915.11

• Title:

Scope, application, and definitions
applicable to this subpart.

1915.11(a)

Scope and application. This Subpart applies to work in
confined and enclosed spaces and other dangerous atmospheres in shipyard
employment, including vessels, vessel sections, and on land-side
operations regardless of geographic location.

1915.11(b)

Definitions applicable to this Subpart:

"Adjacent spaces" means those spaces bordering a subject
space in all directions, including all points of contact, corners,
diagonals, decks, tank tops, and bulkheads.

"Assistant Secretary" means the Assistant Secretary of
Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, or designated
representative.

"Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)" means an industrial
hygienist who is certified by the American Board of Industrial
Hygiene.

"Coast Guard authorized person" means an individual who
meets the requirement of Appendix B to subpart B of this part 1915 for
tank vessels, for passenger vessels, and for cargo and miscellaneous
vessels.

"Dangerous atmosphere" means an atmosphere that may expose
employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to
self-rescue (i.e., escape unaided from a confined or enclosed space),
injury, or acute illness.

"Director" means the Director of the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, or designated representative.

"Enter with Restrictions" denotes a space where entry for
work is permitted only if engineering controls, personal protective
equipment, clothing, and time limitations are as specified by the Marine
Chemist, Certified Industrial Hygienist, or the shipyard competent
person.

"Entry" means the action by which a person passes through
an opening into a space. Entry includes ensuing work activities in that
space and is considered to have occurred as soon as any part of the
entrant's body breaks the plane of an opening into the space.

"Hot" work means any activity involving riveting, welding,
burning, the use of powder-actuated tools or similar fire-producing
operations. Grinding, drilling, abrasive blasting, or similar
spark-producing operations are also considered hot work except when such
operations are isolated physically from any atmosphere containing more
than 10 percent of the lower explosive limit of a flammable or combustible
substance.

"Immediately" dangerous to life or health (IDLH) means an
atmosphere that poses an immediate threat to life or that is likely to
result in acute or immediate severe health effects.

"Inert" or "inerted atmosphere" means an atmospheric
condition where:

[1] The oxygen content of the atmosphere in the space is
maintained at a level equal to or less than 8.0 percent by volume or at a
level at or below 50 percent of the amount required to support combustion,
whichever is less; or

[2] The space is flooded with water and the vapor
concentration of flammable or combustible materials in the free space
atmosphere above the water line is less than 10 percent of the lower
explosive limit for the flammable or combustible material.

"Labeled" means identified with a sign, placard, or other
form of written communication, including pictograms, that provides
information on the status or condition of the work space to which it is
attached.

"Lower explosive limit (LEL)" means the minimum
concentration of vapor in air below which propagation of a flame does not
occur in the presence of an ignition source.

"Marine Chemist" means an individual who possesses a
current Marine Chemist Certificate issued by the National Fire Protection
Association.

"Not Safe for Hot Work" denotes a space where hot work may
not be performed because the conditions do not meet the criteria for Safe
for Hot Work.

"Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)" means an
organization recognized by OSHA, in accordance with Appendix A of 29 CFR
1910.7, which tests for safety and lists or labels or accepts equipment
and materials that meet all the criteria found in 1910.7(b)(1) through
(b)(4)(ii).

"Not Safe for Workers" denotes a space where an employee
may not enter because the conditions do not meet the criteria for Safe for
Workers.

"Oxygen-deficient atmosphere" means an atmosphere having
an oxygen concentration of less than 19.5 percent by volume.

"Oxygen-enriched atmosphere" means an atmosphere that
contains 22.0 percent or more oxygen by volume.

"Safe for Hot Work" denotes a space that meets all of the
following criteria:

[1] The oxygen content of the atmosphere does not exceed
22.0 percent by volume;

[2] The concentration of flammable vapors in the
atmosphere is less than 10 percent of the lower explosive limit;

[3] The residues or materials in the space are not capable
of producing a higher concentration than permitted in paragraph (1) or (2)
of the above, under existing atmospheric conditions in the presence of hot
work and while maintained as directed by the Marine Chemist or competent
person, and

[4] All adjacent spaces have been cleaned, or inerted, or
treated sufficiently to prevent the spread of fire.

"Safe for Workers" denotes a space that meets the
following criteria:

[1] The oxygen content of the atmosphere is at least 19.5
percent and below 22 percent by volume;

[2] The concentration of flammable vapors is below 10
percent of the lower explosive limit (LEL);

[3] Any toxic materials in the atmosphere associated with
cargo, fuel, tank coatings, or inerting media are within permissible
concentrations at the time of the inspection; and

[4] Any residues or materials associated with the work
authorized by the Marine Chemist, Certified Industrial Hygienist, or
competent person will not produce uncontrolled release of toxic materials
under existing atmospheric conditions while maintained as directed.

"Space" means an area on a vessel or vessel section or
within a shipyard such as, but not limited to: cargo tanks or holds; pump
or engine rooms; storage lockers; tanks containing flammable or
combustible liquids, gases, or solids; rooms within buildings; crawl
spaces; tunnels; or accessways. The atmosphere within a space is the
entire area within its bounds.

"Upper explosive limit (UEL)" means the maximum
concentration of flammable vapor in air above which propagation of flame
does not occur on contact with a source of ignition.

"Vessel section" means a sub-assembly, module, or other
component of a vessel being built, repaired, or broken.

"Visual inspection" means the physical survey of the
space, its surroundings and contents to identify hazards such as, but not
limited to, restricted accessibility, residues, unguarded machinery, and
piping or electrical systems.

[59 FR 37816, July 25, 1994]

Next
Standard (1915.12)

Regulations
(Standards - 29 CFR) - Table of
Contents

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