Unplanned or emergency downtime is inconvenient, expensive and increases the risk of a dangerous occurrence. To run a safe and effective planned shutdown period in order to carry out preventative maintenance procedures, two stages of health and safety preparations need to be completed before work commences.
The first or primary stage involves lockout/tagout, as required by OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.147, The Control of Hazardous Energy Sources. The secondary stage of shutdown relates to the atmospheric condition of the area within which workers are required to carry out maintenance and/or servicing. OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.146, Permit-required Confined Spaces, requires the plant to ensure “acceptable entry conditions†that are free from any of the following: