University of Maryland, College Park Policy on Confined Space Plan

This is a statement of official University policy to establish the process for compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation "Permit-Required Confined Spaces," 29 CFR 1910.146.

The University is dedicated to providing safe and healthy facilities for all employees and students, in compliance with federal and state occupational health and safety standards. Administrators, faculty, staff and students all share the responsibility to reduce potential exposures to physical and health risks encountered in the performance of duties requiring entry into a Confined Space. A confined space is a space that is large enough and so configured that an employee can enter and perform assigned work; has limited or restricted means for entry or exit; and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

The Confined Space Plan will be implemented for all facilities at University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) and satellite locations where there is need to perform any activity within a Confined Space as defined by Confined Space standards and this plan. Employees and students who are authorized to enter a Permit-Required Confined Space must complete Confined Space entry training. Authorized employees and students will not enter any Confined Space until satisfactory air monitoring is completed and appropriate action taken as described in this plan to protect entrants. An attendant must be present and in constant communication with entrants for the duration of any entry. The Confined Space Entry Supervisor must inform the Department of Physical Plant (DPP) Work Control Center at (40)5-2222 of the entry date, time, location and purpose of entry prior to entering any Permit-Required Confined Space on UMCP campus. Required rescue services for all Confined Space entries made on UMCP campus will be provided by Prince George's County Fire Department (PGFD). At other locations, the Confined Space Entry Supervisor will coordinate with local fire and rescue services prior to entry to assure local rescue services are equipped and prepared to provide Confined Space rescue services. Appropriate communication equipment and the local emergency rescue service telephone number will be supplied to the attendant on duty prior to entry. Where rescue services are not immediately available, no Confined Space entry may be made.

Contractors operating on UMCP property are required to comply with all applicable provisions of OSHA/MOSH Confined Space regulations. Contractors must notify the DPP Work Control Center at (40)5-2222 of the entry date, time, location and purpose of entry prior to making any entry into a permit-required Confined Space on the UMCP campus. Contractors must also provide the name and contact information for the individual acting as supervisor for the entry. Questions or concerns about individual contractor entries should be addressed to the Department of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (DAEC) Construction Management section at (40)5-3403.

The Confined Space Plan will be reviewed and evaluated for its effectiveness at least annually, and updated as necessary. In order to facilitate review, original copies of permits utilized for completed or aborted Confined Space entries will be forwarded to DES at building 018, 7505 Yale Ave., College Park, MD, 20742.

1. Department of Environmental Safety (DES) will:
   1. Provide assistance to departments in identifying Permit-Required Confined Spaces and Non-Permit-Required Confined Spaces;
   2. Prepare the Confined Space Plan (CSP) with annual review and revisions as needed;
   3. Distribute CSP to each affected department for re-distribution to all individuals who are authorized by the department to make entry into any Confined Space;
   4. Provide consultation, advisory assistance and information concerning use of hazardous materials, entry procedures or physical hazard assessment;
   5. Provide assistance in locating direct reading monitoring equipment for hazards anticipated during Confined Space entry and consultation for monitoring of hazards for which direct reading equipment is not available;
   6. Investigate and document all accidents or near misses reported as a result of a Confined Space entry or an aborted entry attempt;
   7. Direct periodic safety audits of Confined Space entry procedures as requested by employees to determine regulatory compliance, and recommend action to correct conditions of non-compliance; and
   8. Specify and coordinate training for all Confined Space entrants through Departmental Confined Space Coordinators.
2. Department of Architecture, Engineering and Construction will:
   1. Oversee contracts requiring Confined Space entry;
   2. Identify requirements for compliance with applicable Confined Space entry regulations and applicable portions of this plan in contract specifications;
   3.  Notify the contractor of the locations of Permit-Required Confined Spaces (as identified by the UMCP Confined Space inventory) where contractors will require access to inventoried Confined Spaces in order to complete work under the scope of a contract;
   4. Provide DES with the information necessary to update the confined space inventory when Confined Spaces are created or modified during campus constructions and renovation projects; and
   5. Interface with contractors where enforcement of Confined Space contract provisions is required.
3. Department Heads will:
   1. Evaluate or have evaluated, the need for Confined Space entry by employees or students under their control, and if applicable:
      1. Designate a Departmental Confined Space Coordinator(s);
      2. Distribute the CSP to Coordinators; and
      3. Assure that the CSP is received and implemented within the work areas under their review;
   2. Assure that necessary resources are made available to the Departmental Confined Space Coordinator to allow for compliance with this plan; and
   3. Assure that new or updated Confined Space inventory information is transmitted to DES for inclusion in the campus inventory.
4. Departmental Confined Space Coordinators will:
   1. Implement all provisions of the CSP for work or research areas under their control;
   2. Inventory and identify all potential Confined Space work areas or facilities under their control;
   3. Prepare and train personnel to use supplemental Confined Space entry procedures for circumstances not adequately addressed by the campus CSP;
   4. Identify authorized Confined Space entrants and assure that each entrant attends an approved Confined Space entry training course;
   5. Identify individuals that are authorized to sign the UMCP permit for Permit-Required Confined Space entry;
   6. Provide site-specific training to authorized Confined Space entrants regarding the specific equipment and practices used during entry for the spaces each entrant is authorized to enter;
   7. Update the departmental Confined Space inventory and forward new information to DES for inclusion in the UMCP master Confined Space inventory when a new Confined Space is created or an existing Confined Space changes in configuration, use or hazard potential;
   8. Assure that warning signs are posted immediately outside of entrances to Confined Spaces, and that such signs are secured. (Underground utility access vaults will not be posted. Employees will be informed of the Confined Space classification of these spaces during Confined Space training.); and
   9. Interface with Confined Space Supervisors where enforcement of this program is required.
5. Confined Space Entry Supervisor will:
   1. Adhere to all requirements of the CSP and supplemental entry procedures;
   2. Complete all safety training requirements, request further instruction if unclear on any part of the training and comply with documentation procedures;
   3. Complete the Permit-Required Confined Space entry permit and verify that all precautions and pre-entry procedures have been fulfilled prior to entry;
   4. Terminate entry and cancel permits in the event conditions within the space change, entrants show signs of over-exposure or conditions cannot be verified;
   5. Verify the availability of a local rescue team prior to entry (if off-site from UMCP);
   6. Assure that unauthorized people do not enter the Confined Space during the time that authorized entry is in progress. If an unauthorized person is located in a Confined Space, UMCP Campus Police will be called to enforce trespass prohibitions;
   7. Assure that appropriate personal protective equipment is available and used by entrants; and
   8. Assure that original entry permits are forwarded to DES upon completion or termination of a Permit-Required Confined Space entry.
6. Confined Space Entrants will:
   1. Adhere to the requirements of the CSP and supplemental entry procedures;
   2. Fulfill all entry team functions as defined by this plan and any procedures created to supplement this plan for specific Confined Space entry;
   3. Communicate with the attendant regularly while inside of the Confined Space and report any unusual circumstances to the attendant;
   4. Complete all safety training requirements, request further instruction if unclear on any part the training and comply with documentation procedures;
   5. Report all work place injuries, over-exposure incidents or unsafe conditions to their Confined Space Entry Supervisor as soon as possible; and
   6. Use appropriate safety and personal protective equipment as provided for entry.
7. Confined Space Entry Attendants will:
   1. Adhere to the requirements of the CSP and supplemental entry procedures;
   2. Remain outside of the Confined Space in constant two-way communication with the entrants until relieved by an alternate attendant or all entrants have exited the space;
   3. Continuously communicate with the Confined Space entrants and monitor the space to assure that conditions remain within acceptable parameters as defined in the Permit-Required Confined Space Entry section of this plan and instruct entrants to leave the space if any parameter varies from acceptable as defined in this document;
   4. Summon rescue personnel in the event of an emergency; and police in the event that an unauthorized person enters the space;
   5. Complete all safety training requirements, request further instruction if unclear on any of part of the training, and comply with documentation procedures;
   6. Report all workplace injuries, exposure incidents or unsafe conditions to the Departmental Confined Space Entry Coordinator as soon as possible;
   7. Perform non-entry rescue procedures if able to do so safely;
   8. Perform no duty that may interfere with attendant duties while serving in the capacity of attendant; and
   9. Secure the Confined Space after completion of the work to prevent dangerous conditions.
8. University Health Center will:
   1. Coordinate and direct all required or recommended medical surveillance programs, including respiratory protection physicals;
   2. Provide medical consultations and examinations for workers who have been overexposed to hazardous chemical substances or who have sustained an injury related to a Confined Space entry; and
   3. Maintain medical records relating to consultations, examinations and medical surveillance as required by law.
9. Campus Police will:
   1. Respond to reported unauthorized Confined Space entries and enforce appropriate trespassing prohibitions. Officers will not enter any Confined Space to retrieve or rescue individuals; and
   2. Provide crowd control in the event of a Confined Space related emergency.