REGIONAL COMPLIANCE NEWS: 

How do I know if I’m entering a space that’s considered “confined”?

These are questions many employers deal with when their employees are doing work activities in or near enclosed areas or manholes, ventilation ducts, pits, tunnels, tanks, and areas with very little air movement. The first concern for any employer is to determine whether the space or area meets the definition of a confined space as specified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction at the worksite. If the area does comply with the definition of the regulatory standard, then the employer is required to follow the required written actions specified.
OSHA Definitions
In the United States, the main authority having jurisdiction in this area is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The confined space standard from OSHA states:
• For General Industry worksites:
Applicable regulation-1910.146, which is law in general industry for permit-required confined space entry, first requires that spaces meet the definition of confined space.
1910.146 definition of confined space.
1. Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
2. Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry); and
3. Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
This is the definition in general industry for a confined space (CS). If the space meets that definition in a general industry workplace, then it is a confined space.  See OSHA guidelines.

Eastside Pump: Innovation starts from the Pacific Northwest;

Scientists Unveil Nontoxic Antibiofouling Coating 

Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Washington state have reportedly developed a nontoxic superhydrophobic, lubricant-infused composite (SLIC) coating to prevent biofouling on ships.

According to a release from the U.S. Department of Energy, the new surface coating can be used on both flat and flexible surfaces such as ropes, nets and buoy lines.

About the Coating

Researchers believe that the antibiofouling technology could bring changes to both the marine and hydropower sectors, where equipment can often degrade when in contact with marine organisms.

Hydropower and marine energy infrastructure operate in a rough and dynamic environment, reportedly leaving dam structures and marine energy equipment open to several forms of biofouling, including algae, plankton, and invasive zebra and quagga mussels.

Additionally, equipment and components like penstocks, trash racks and heat exchangers often act as collection points for mussels, making them harder to clean.

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