by jbs081509 a3 — August 19, 2009—Recognizing the need to protect workers who enter, exit, or work in confined spaces, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced the approval of the newly revised American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASSE Z117.1-2009 Standard, “Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces.”
The ANSI/ASSE Z117.1 voluntary consensus standard, which was approved on July 27, 2009, with an effective date of November 2, 2009, establishes minimum safety requirements to follow while entering, exiting, and working in confined spaces at normal atmospheric pressure; but does not pertain to underground mining, tunneling, caisson work, intentionally inert confined spaces, or other similar tasks that have established national consensus standards.
The aim of the newly revised Z117 ASC standard is to provide for the minimum performance requirements necessary in developing and implementing a comprehensive confined space program for the protection of workers, says ASSE.
To discuss the revisions, ASSE will offer a Webcast titled “Changes to the ASSE/ANSI Z117.1 Standard–Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces” on September 30, 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central Time. The Webcast will allow participants to interact with Terry Krug, vice chairman of the Z117 Accredited Standards Committee (ASC), and to look at the changes to the standard that will impact employers and operations. The Webcast will also serve as the first opportunity to obtain the newly revised standard.
