OSHA e-PRCS Software-
Public Test Version
September, 2000
OSHA's e-PRCS Software - Public Test Version 1.0 is interactive, compliance
assistance software. It will help you prepare a written permit-required confined
space program. Version 1.0 of e-PRCS is a DRAFT, not a final product. Public
Test Version 1.0 reflects revisions, corrections, and clarifications of 29 CFR
1910.146 published by OSHA in the Federal Register on December 1, 1998. OSHA
invites you to try out this software, and welcomes your comments and suggestions
on it.
Using e-PRCS, you can:
Save time: Create and update your program in less time.
Save money: Prepare and update your program more efficiently.
Better understand OSHA requirements: Increase your awareness of OSHA requirements under 1910.146 and additional OSHA regulations through the software prompts and help text.
Increase the likelihood that your program is OSHA compliant: e-PRCS contains model language for meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.146.
e-PRCS assists you in developing your written program by prompting you for
information about your particular work-site, confined spaces, and company
policies and procedures. It consists of five separates sections: Overall PRCS
Program Responsibility, Identification and Evaluation of Confined Spaces,
Prevention of Unauthorized Entry, Entry Equipment and PPE, and Rescue and
Emergency Procedures. e-PRCS also provides you compliance assistance and user
help via help text buttons and links to compliance information on the OSHA web
site.
e-PRCS is an easy-to-use software. It cannot, however, make many of the safety
and health decisions necessary to ensure your plan is effective. The person
developing your plan should have the knowledge and skills necessary to identify
and evaluate the hazards associated with confined spaces and permit space entry
operations. An experienced safety professional and/or industrial hygienist
should assist in characterizing confined spaces at your workplace and developing
appropriate hazard controls. In addition, personnel with the proper experience
to evaluate potential air contaminants and choose instruments for those
contaminants must perform the selection of air monitoring instruments. Finally,
the ongoing involvement of safety and health personnel is essential. Site
conditions or work operations may change over time and your confined spaces
program and procedures must be updated to reflect the changes. The involvement
of qualified safety and health staff will ease your development, implementation,
and maintenance of your confined spaces program and help to ensure the well
being of your employees.
e-PRCS can be used in conjunction with OSHA's
Confined Spaces Advisor. The Confined Spaces Advisor helps you identify
confined spaces and determine whether they are permit-required. e-PRCS helps you
prepare a written program for the permit-required confined spaces you identify.
A written PRCS program generated with this software does not relieve you from
your obligation as an employer to comply with the requirements of 29 CFR
1910.146. If the information you enter into the program is accurate and
informed, the written program generated by this software is likely to be
consistent with OSHA's standard. You can then use the written program to guide
you in implementing effective procedures. Ultimately, however, you, as the
employer, must ensure compliance with the OSHA standards and the safety and
health of your employees.
Notes on the e-PRCS Software:
The e-PRCS software is distributed from the OSHA Web site as a single
self-extracting file. The file that you need to download depends on whether or
not you have Microsoft Access 97® or later software installed on your
computer. A "Troubleshooting" section is included in the e-PRCS User Manual. In
addition, problems not answered in the Troubleshooting section of the User
Manual, may be addressed on the
e-PRCS Help Page.
Notice: We are aware that there may be
difficulties for some users who use McAfee Anti-Virus Software®. If
you use McAfee Anti-Virus Software and are downloading the file for "Users
Without Microsoft Access 97®", the anti-virus software may indicate
that the file is infected with an unknown virus and that it cannot be cleaned.
This has occurred with users who have McAfee Anti-Virus version 4.5 with the
4.0.70 Scan Engine and the 4.0.4094 and 4.0.4095 virus definitions. The file has
been validated using multiple anti-virus software packages and does not
contain a virus. For users with McAfee Anti-Virus, please
download the latest virus definitions update to correct any mis-readings. We
have downloaded and successfully validated the file using McAfee Anti-Virus
using the 4.0.4096 virus definitions.
Users with Microsoft Access 97®
This software is distributed as a single compressed file, e-prcs_mdb.zip
(File Size: 640 Kb). It may take 1 or 2 minutes to download with a 56Kb
modem.
This software is distributed as a single compressed file, e-prcs_com.zip
(File Size: 10.7 Mb). This is a large file because it is a Windows program. It
may take about 25 minutes to download with a 56Kb modem.
Users with Microsoft Access 97®
To install and run the e-PRCS software:
Download the E-PRCS_MDB.ZIP file to your C: drive.
Use Windows® File Manager or Windows® Explorer to select E-PRCS_MDB.ZIP, and double click to expand it. For assistance with expanding .zip files please see the Website Assistance for Browsers, Plugins & Players page.
Then open the E-PRCS_MDB.MDB file with Microsoft® Access.
Users without Microsoft Access 97®
If you do not have Microsoft® Access installed on your PC, you need to download the User Manual and the Run-time version of e-PRCS. This file provides Access software with the e-PRCS files.
For the Run-time file, you need:
486 or higher processor
Windows® 95 or higher
12MB RAM
Approximately 15MB Hard Disk Space
To install and run the e-PRCS software:
Download the e-PRCS_COM.ZIP file to your C: drive.
Use Windows® File Manager or Windows® Explorer to select e-PRCS_COM.ZIP, and double click to expand it. We recommend you expand
it to a temporary folder, such as C:\TEMP, for easier installation. For assistance with expanding .zip files please see the Website Assistance for Browsers, Plugins & Players page.
Then double click on setup.exe file (in the temporary folder) to automatically install the software in C:\e-PRCS\ and create the icons
in your Start Menu.
COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS
OSHA invites the public to download, use, and comment on this e-PRCS. OSHA has
incorporated many good suggestions from commenters who reviewed other OSHA
software.
e-PRCS was developed by MaryAnn Garrahan and Earl Cook of OSHA. System design
and programming services were provided by ATL International. e-PRCS is
programmed in Microsoft Access® using Visual Basic coding.
If you have a suggestion or comment on this software, please submit them to:
e-prcs.comments@dol.gov
If you have safety or health problems in your workplace, you should contact your
local OSHA office.