Hazardous Atmospheres
A hazardous atmosphere is any atmosphere that may incapacitate, injure, or impair an employee's self-rescue or lead to acute illness or death to workers and rescuers who enter confined spaces.
Hazardous atmospheres may incapacitate, injure, or impair an employee's self-rescue or lead to acute illness
or death to workers.
Examples of hazardous atmospheres within a confined space include:
- flammable or explosive gas, vapor, or mist in a concentration greater than 10 percent of its lower flammable limit (LFL) or lower explosive limit (LEL);
- combustible dust suspended in air, which obscures vision at five feet or less;
- atmospheric oxygen concentration levels below 19.5 percent or above 23.5 percent at sea level;
- atmospheric concentration of any substance with an acutely toxic effect above its PEL; and
- any other atmospheric condition that is immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH).
This does not include atmospheric concentrations of substances that are not capable of causing death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue, injury, or acute illness.
Acceptable Atmospheric Conditions
For guidance, refer to sources of information that comply with published scientific and industry information, such as:
- Safety Data sheets (SDS);
- OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits, Annotated Tables; and
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-2. Which of the following would be considered an atmospheric hazard?
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