Globally used by oil and chemical companies and refineries and other industries, NFPA 326: Standard for Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair outlines the basic procedures to safeguard a tank or container that contains or has contained a flammable, combustible, or otherwise hazardous substance before entry, cleaning, repair, or other activities can be performed. This Standard incorporates relevant parts of NFPA 327: Standard Procedures for Cleaning or Safeguarding Small Tanks and Containers Without Entry. Chapters cover:
Changes respond to issues raised by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
In response to CSB Bulletin No. 2009-01-SB entitled Seven Key Lessons to Prevent Worker Deaths During Hot Work In and Around Tanks - Effective Hazard Assessment and Use of Combustible Gas Monitoring Will Save Lives, the Standard's Chapter 6 emphasizes the need and importance of periodic or continuous testing by a qualified person for atmosphere hazards including but not limited to flammable and toxic vapors from more than one sampling point.
Other changes correlate NFPA 326 with OSHA and other NFPA® codes.
Staying up-to-date is vital for commercial and industrial worker safety in tanks or containers that contain dangerous substances.