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) > 1915.163—Ship's piping systems.

1915.163—Ship's piping systems.

(a) Before work is performed on a valve, fitting, or section of piping in a piping system where employees may be subject to injury from the direct escape of steam, or water, oil, or other medium at a high temperature, the employer shall insure that the following steps are taken:
(1) The isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead system with the live system or systems shall be secured, blanked, and tagged to indicate that employees are working on the systems. 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 on the system, or until the work on the system is completed. Where valves are welded instead of bolted at least two isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead system with the live system or systems shall be secured, locked, and tagged.
(2) Drain connections to the atmosphere on all of the dead interconnecting systems shall be opened for visual observation of drainage.

Code of Federal Regulations

[47 FR 16986, Apr. 20, 1982, as amended at 67 FR 44545, July 3, 2002]

Code of Federal Regulations

Effective Date Note: At 76 FR 24711, May 2, 2011, § 1915.163 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: § 1915.163 Ship's piping systems. (a) * * * (1) The isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead system 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 systems. The lock or tag shall not be removed or the valves unblanked until it is determined that this may be done without creating a hazard to the employees working on the system, or until the work on the system is completed, in accordance with § 1915.89 . When valves are welded instead of bolted, at least two isolation and shutoff valves connecting the dead system with the live system or systems shall be secured, and then locked or tagged, in accordance with § 1915.89 .
Code of Federal Regulations 111