OSHA issued 1,698 citations for violations of the Control of Hazardous Energy Standard (1910.147); making Lockout Tagout the 6th most cited OSHA violation in 2021.
Lockout Tagout is a safety procedure used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or repair work. It also might be a required program in the RAVS® section of your ISNetworld® account.
Why is Lockout Tagout important?
The Lockout Tagout Standard addresses the practices and procedures necessary to disable machinery or equipment to prevent the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing and maintenance activities. Employers are required to protect employees from hazardous energy sources on machines and equipment during service and maintenance. And while the Lockout Tagout Standard requires employers to implement a program and training, employers have flexibility to create a program that is specific to their operations.
If your company works with or around sources of energy such as machinery and other equipment you must have and implement a lockout tagout program.
Here are some main components you’ll need.
- Written Lockout Tagout Program – Assess your company and the types of machinery, equipment and energy sources your company works with on a daily basis, and write your policy and program to fit. This policy should outline procedures to protect employees, list who is authorized to place locks or tags and who is authorized to remove them. JJ Safety can help with this process. We will create a written program to meet the standard. 2.
- Train employees in lockout tagout – Train all employees in accordance with your Lockout Tagout procedure prior to starting a job assignment and at least annually thereafter. Training must occur anytime there is new machinery, equipment or source of energy introduced to the workplace. If you don’t have a training program in place, JJ Safety can help. We have a comprehensive in-house training program or online training to help you and your employees work safe.
- Implement the written program – Policy and procedures are useless if they are not enforced. Continually ask questions like these to make sure employees are following proper lockout tagout procedures.
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- Are energy isolation points marked?
- Are lockout tagout devices compatible with the devices they are intended for?
- Does the company ensure that any new or overhauled equipment is capable of being locked out?
- Do lockout tagout devices identify the individual users?
- Does the program require that only the employee who placed the device be allowed to remove it?
- Authorized Employee Designation – An authorized employee is a person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment. An affected employee becomes an authorized employee when that employee’s duties include performing servicing or maintenance covered under the lockout tagout standard. Your written program must include the names of authorized employees. Each authorized employee must be trained in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
- Training – Every affected employer must provide lockout tagout training to all employees to ensure understanding of the purpose and function of the energy control program and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.
- Inspections – Periodic inspections of the energy control procedures must be performed at least annually to ensure the procedure and requirements of the energy control standard are being followed. Training should also be conducted more frequently if necessary and anytime new equipment, machinery, or source of energy is introduced into the workplace.
How JJ Safety Can Help
We can help you develop and implement a lockout tagout program that fits your business. Call 866-627-3850 or email sales@jjsafetyllc.com to learn more.