Understanding LOTO

What is Lockout/Tagout?

According to the OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Title 29 CFR Part 1910.147, addresses the practices and procedures necessary to disable machinery or equipment, thereby preventing the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing and maintenance activities. The standard outlines measures for controlling hazardous energies electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and other energy sources. In addition 29 CFR 1910.333 sets forth requirements to protect employees working on electrical circuits and equipments. This section requires workers to use safe work practices, including lockout and tagging procedures.
These provisions apply when employees are exposed to electrical hazards while working on, near or with conductors or systems that use electricity.

How can you protect workers?

The lockout/tagout standard establishes the employer's responsibility to protect employees from hazardous energy sources on machines and equipments during service and maintenance.
The standard gives each employer the flexibility to develop an energy control program suited to the needs of the particular workplace and the types of machines and equipments being maintained or serviced. This is generally done by affixing the appropriate lockout or tagout devices to energy-isolating devices and by de-energizing machines and equipments. The standard outlines the steps required to do this.

What do employees need to know?

Employees need to be trained to ensure that they know, understand, and follow the applicable provisions of the hazardous energy control procedures. The training must at least cover: aspects of the employer's energy control procedure relevant to the employee's duties or assignment; and the various requirements of the OSHA standards related to lockout/tagout.

What must employers do to protect their employees?

The standards establish requirements that employers must follow when employees are exposed to hazardous energy while servicing and maintaining equipment and machinery. Some of the most critical requirements from these standards are outlined below:

• Develop, implement, and enforce energy control program.
• Use lockout devices for equipment that can be locked out. Tagout devices may be used in lieu of lockout devices only if the tagout program provides employee protection equivalent to that provided through a lockout program.
• Ensure that new or overhauled is capable of being locked out.
• Develop, implement, and enforce an effective tagout program if machines or equipments are not capable of being locked out.
• Develop, document, implement, and enforce energy control and procedures.
• Use only lockout/tagout devices authorized for the particular equipment or machinery and ensure that they are durable, standardized, and substantial.
• Ensure that lockout/tagout devices identify the individual users.
• Establish a policy that permits only the employee who applied a lockout/tagout device to remove it. [ See 29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3) for exception.
• Inspect energy control procedures at least annually.
• Provide effective training as mandate for all employees covered by the standard.
• Comply with the additional energy control provisions in OSHA standards when machines or equipments must be tested or repositioned, when outside contractors work at the site, in group lockout situations, and during shift or personnel changes.

The Concept

Why is controlling hazardous energy sources important?

Employees servicing or maintaining machines or equipments may be exposed to serious physical harm or death if hazardous energy is not properly controlled. Craft workers, machine operators and laborers are among the workers who service equipment and face the greatest risk. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 60,000 injuries or fatalities each year. Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose and average of 24 workdays for recuperation.

Important Definitions.

• Authorized Employee : An employee who actually locks/tags machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance
• Affected Employee : An affected employee is not qualified to lock/tagout a piece of equipment, but uses/operates a machine or piece of equipment which may need maintenance or servicing. An affected employee can also be a person who works in/around an area where equipment may be locked/tagged out.
• Control Of Hazardous Energy : OSHA's proper title for the lockout/tagout safety standard. The standard protects employees by requiring practices and procedures that prevent accidental machine startup for machines that are undergoing maintenance.
• Energy Control Program : A written procedure required by OSHA and developed by the employer that explains how to control hazardous energy in the workplace.
• Lockout Device : A device that uses positive means such as a lock and key or combination lock to hold an energy-isolating mechanism in a safe position and prevent equipment or machinery from being energized.
• Tagout Device : A prominent warning device, such as a tag, that can be securely attached to an energy-isolating mechanism to alert employees that equipment is not to be operated until the tag is removed.