Three men were performing maintenance inside an asphalt mixer. One of them was still inside the mixer when the power was turned back on, starting the equipment. He was killed instantly.

A cotton gin operator climbed into a jammed cleaner/separator. The toggle switch was turned off, but not locked out. Someone accidentally turned the machine on, not knowing the operator was inside. The man’s left leg was pulled through the feed rollers.

Failure to lockout and tag equipment can cause devastating injury and death. Employees face electrocution, loss of digits or limbs, or severe crushing injuries when equipment is accidentally turned on while it is being serviced or repaired.

BLR’s OSHA Training System offers a completely prewritten, affordable program to handle lockout/tagout and dozens of other mandated training needs. Try it at no cost. Get the details.

LOTO Is the Law

Keeping employees away from energized equipment is the goal of OSHA’s standard for the control of hazardous energy (29 CFR 1910.147). The lockout/tagout (LOTO) standard outlines steps for controlling energy sources, including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, and thermal. The standard also identifies requirements for protecting employees by locking and/or tagging out energized equipment.

In addition, 29 CFR 1910.333 (selection and use of work practices for electrical work) describes requirements to protect employees working on electrical circuits and equipment. They are required to use safe work practices, including LOTO procedures.

The standard gives you the flexibility to develop an energy control program suited to the needs of your workplace and the types of machines in use. Typically, such a program spells out lockout/tagout rules, provides appropriate locks and tags, and trains employees about LOTO requirements and procedures.

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Do This

These are among the primary requirements for employers under OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard:

• Develop, implement, and enforce an effective energy control policy.
• Require employees to always use lockout devices for equipment that can be locked out. Tagout devices can be used instead of locks only if the tagout program provides equal protection.
• Ensure that new or overhauled equipment is capable of being locked out.
• Develop, implement, and enforce an effective tagout program if machines or equipment cannot be locked out.
• Develop, implement, and enforce energy control procedures.
• Ensure that lockout/tagout devices indentify the individual users.
• Establish a policy that permits only the employee who applies a lockout or tagout device to remove it.
• Inspect energy control procedures at least annually.
• Provide effective training for all employees covered by the standard.
• Comply with additional energy control procedures in OSHA standards when machines or equipment must be tested or repositioned, when outside contractors work at the site, in group lockout situations, and during shift or personnel changes.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the information you should include in your lockout/tagout training.

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