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667 HAZWOPER for General Site Workers VIII
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Radiation Hazards

Radon is a naturally-occurring, colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas. It is formed from the natural radioactive decay of uranium and thorium found in rocks, soil, and water.

If radon exposures are hazardous, then employers must follow the requirements addressing hazardous atmospheres.

Radon can be found in excavations classified as confined spaces.

Radon is considered a known human carcinogen. Exposure to radon and its decay products increases the risk of lung cancer.

If radon exposures are hazardous, then employers must follow the requirements addressing hazardous atmospheres. Control measures require employers to take adequate precautions to prevent employee exposure to hazardous atmospheres, including providing proper respiratory protection or ventilation.

Entrapment Hazards

Entrapment hazards in confined spaces include inwardly converging walls or floors that slope downward and taper to a smaller cross-section (such as air plenums).

Engulfment Hazards

Engulfment refers to the surrounding or burial of the worker in a liquid or loose, finely divided solid material, such as sand, sawdust, gravel, plastic pellets or grain. These materials can suffocate a worker. Suffocation from engulfment is a leading cause of death in grain bins, and the number of these deaths continues to rise. Some examples include the accidental dumping of a product on a worker or a worker walking on unstable ground, such as settled grain. Such materials could conceal a void underneath that gives way under the weight of the worker, resulting in engulfment. A worker can be buried in just seconds, with no hope of rescue.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

3-6. Which of the following hazards may cause entrapment within a confined space?