Des Plaines, ILL -- Reducing confined space injuries and providing more secure rescue operations, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced the American National Standard Z117.1-2003 Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces. The newly revised standard establishes the minimum safety requirements for confined space operations, which includes personal protection equipment, safeguarding, confined space permits and emergency response plans.
The Z117.1-2003 standard was approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on February 20, 2003, and it is a revision of the 1995 standard. The new standard includes confined space information such as definitions, identification and evaluation, emergency response and rescue, permit and non-permit requirements, atmospheric testing, isolation and decontamination, lockout/tagout, warning sign requirements and personal protection equipment. The standard also includes an appendix providing sample permits, surveys and evaluations.