29CFRPart1910.146 (OSHA) defines a confined space to have an ODH if oxygen concentration is below 19.5% by volume.  However non-confined space areas at BNL may have conditions that can produce an ODH issue due to the use of cryogenic fluids or compressed gases. 

Definitions, classifications and controls requirements at BNL are found in in the following SBMS Subject Areas: Oxygen Deficiency Hazards (ODH), System Classification and Controls, Cryogenics Safety and Compressed Gas Cylinders and Related Systems.

The following information is provided to help assess hazards from potential oxygen deficient areas.

Effects Thresholds for Exposure to Reduced Oxygen provides information of the expected effects to individuals if exposed to oxygen concentrations less than normal (20.9%)

Information on how gases that are heavier (SF6) or lighter (He) than air diffuse and its affect on oxygen concentrations that was developed at FERMI Lab is provided in the report: Diffusion of Gases in Air and Its affect on Oxygen Deficiency Hazard Abatement. It shows that that these gases uniformly dispersed and remained mixed over time.

Hazard Evaluation Tools provides tools for determining oxygen concentrations and ODH classifications using either cryogens or compressed gas that can be recorded in a data base maintained by Safety Engineering;

Oxygen Concentrations in Ventilated Spaces provide formulas to determine the oxygen concentration during and after a release of an inert gases.

ODH Fatality Factor and Fatality Rate provide information on how the fatality factor and fatality rate for ODH are calculated.

Failure and Human Error Rates for Probability of Occurrence Calculations provide values for equipment failures  and human error to determine probability of occurrences.

Characteristics of Cryogen provide typical atmospheric boiling-point temperatures of commonly used cryogens;

ODH Postings provides example signs to be used in ODH areas in either .gif or PowerPoint (editable) formats.

For use outside of BNL, the following Hazard Evaluation tools are available which do not store the data in a database:

Compressed Gases

Cryogens

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Last Modified: March 16, 2012
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DOE, Office of Science One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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