OSHA Hazard Information Bulletins
March 22, 1989
| MEMORANDUM FOR: |
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS |
| THRU: |
LEO CAREY
Director
Office of Field Programs
|
| FROM: |
EDWARD BAIER
Director
Directorate of Technical Support |
| SUBJECT: |
Health Hazard Information Bulletin: Use of
Incompatible Nitrogen Gas and Breathing Air
Supply Lines as the Cause of Employees Fatalities |
CSHO'S should be aware of the hazardous condition and cite the appropriate
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3) where air line couplings shall be
incompatible with outlets for other gas systems to prevent inadvertent
servicing of air line respirators with nonrespirable gases or oxygen.
Air Line Couplings must be used that operate only on breathing air and not
nitrogen, oxygen or other gas systems. In addition, an appropriate
respirator program, labeling and/or warning signs with training of employees
in the hazard should be present.
Information has been received from our Jackson, Mississippi Area Office,
Region IV regarding two chemical companies using similar couplings for both
nitrogen gas lines and breathing air lines. Employees or contractor
employees were killed when they connected their breathing air supply lines to
the compatible nitrogen gas lines in violation of the OSHA standard 29 CFR
1910.134(d)(3).
|
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