CFR > Title 29 - Labor > SUBTITLE B—Regulations Relating to Labor > CHAPTER XVII—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (parts 1900 to 1990) > PART 1915—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT > SUBPART J—Ship's Machinery and Piping Systems (§1915.161 to §1915.165) > 1915.162—Ship's boilers.

1915.162—Ship's boilers.

(a) Before work is performed in the fire, steam, or water spaces of a boiler where employees may be subject to injury from the direct escape of a high temperature medium such as steam, or water, oil, or other medium at a high temperature entering from an interconnecting system, the employer shall insure that the following steps are taken:
(1) The isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead boiler with the live system or systems shall be secured, blanked, and tagged indicating that employees are working in the boiler. This tag shall not be removed nor the valves unblanked until it is determined that this may be done without creating a hazard to the employees working in the boiler, or until the work in the boiler is completed. Where valves are welded instead of bolted at least two isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead boiler with the live system or systems shall be secured, locked, and tagged.
(2) Drain connections to atmosphere on all of the dead interconnecting systems shall be opened for visual observation of drainage.
(3) A warning sign calling attention to the fact that employees are working in the boilers shall be hung in a conspicuous location in the engine room. This sign shall not be removed until it is determined that the work is completed and all employees are out of the boilers.

Code of Federal Regulations

Effective Date Note: At 76 FR 24711, May 2, 2011, § 1915.162 was amended by revising paragraph (a)(1), effective Aug. 1, 2011. For the convenience of the user, the revised text is set forth as follows: § 1915.162 Ship's boilers. (a) * * * (1) The isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead boiler with the live system or systems shall be secured, blanked, and then locked or tagged, in accordance with § 1915.89 , indicating that employees are working on the boiler. This lock or tag shall not be removed nor the valves unblanked until it is determined that this may be done without creating a hazard to the employees working on the boiler, or until the work on the boiler is completed, in accordance with § 1915.89 . When valves are welded instead of bolted, at least two isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead boiler with the live system or systems shall be secured, and then locked or tagged, in accordance with § 1915.89 .