WAC 296-304-02009
Maintenance of safe conditions. (1)
Preventing hazardous materials from entering. Pipelines that
could carry hazardous materials into spaces that have been
certified "safe for workers" or "safe for hot work" shall be
disconnected, blanked off, or otherwise blocked by a positive
method to prevent hazardous materials from being discharged
into the space.
(2) Alteration of existing conditions. When a change
that could alter conditions within a tested confined or
enclosed space or other dangerous atmosphere occurs, work in
the affected space or area shall be stopped. Work may not be
resumed until the affected space or area is visually inspected
and retested and found to comply with WAC 296-304-02003,
296-304-02005, and 296-304-02007, as applicable.
Note to (2):
Examples of changes that would warrant the stoppage of work include: The opening of manholes or other
closures or the adjusting of a valve regulating the flow of hazardous materials.
(3) Tests to maintain the conditions of a marine
chemist's or Coast Guard authorized person's certificates. A
competent person shall visually inspect and test each space
certified as "safe for workers" or "safe for hot work," as
often as necessary to ensure that atmospheric conditions
within that space are maintained within the conditions
established by the certificate after the certificate has been
issued.
(4) Change in the conditions of a marine chemist's or
Coast Guard authorized person's certificate. If a competent
person finds that the atmospheric conditions within a
certified space fail to meet the applicable requirements of
WAC 296-304-02003, 296-304-02005, and 296-304-02007, work in
the certified space shall be stopped and may not be resumed
until the space has been retested by a marine chemist or Coast
Guard authorized person and a new certificate issued in
accordance with WAC 296-304-02007(1).
(5) Tests to maintain a competent person's findings. After a competent person has conducted a visual inspection and
tests required in WAC 296-304-02003, 296-304-02005, and 296-304-02007 and determined a space to be safe for an
employee to enter, he or she shall continue to test and
visually inspect spaces as often as necessary to ensure that
the required atmospheric conditions within the tested space
are maintained.
(6) Changes in conditions determined by competent
person's findings. After the competent person has determined
initially that a space is safe for an employee to enter and he
or she finds subsequently that the conditions within the
tested space fail to meet the requirements of WAC 296-304-02003, 296-304-02005, and 296-304-02007, as
applicable, work shall be stopped until the conditions in the
tested space are corrected to comply with WAC 296-304-02003,
296-304-02005, and 296-304-02007, as applicable.