Since OSHA Standard 1910.147 was introduced, great strides have been made to increase safety and reduce incidents of injury.  Having a Lockout/Tagout plan plays an important role in protecting workers and employees from life threatening accidents.

Step 1: Identify All Equipment

Identifying what needs to be locked out or tagged out is essential to ensure that all equipment and machinery is clearly and properly labeled with appropriate warnings. This makes the whole process run more effectively as it identifies exactly what and how many lockout devices are needed. When choosing which machinery to lock out, it’s best to keep a few questions in mind:
• Does it require a power source?
• Are there pinch points in the machinery or is it possible to get a limb caught in it?
• When doing maintenance, does someone have to physically enter the machine?
• Does the machine have any exposed gears, chains or mechanisms that move when the machine is activated?

Step 2: Create Procedures

Creating and implementing specific procedures for disabling a machine and isolating it from its energy source are essential for an effective Lockout Tagout program. The majority of OSHA citations stem from a lack of proper lockout procedures, program documentation, and periodic inspections.

An effective lockout tagout program has proven to save lives, preventing an estimated 250,000 incidents, 50,000 injuries, and 120 deaths annually. It can also help cut costs. In addition to avoiding expensive fines, companies can reduce their insurance costs and significantly decrease lost employee time. Finally, an effective program can improve productivity, reducing equipment downtime.

Step 3: Equip Employees With Devices

It is essential that you provide your employees with the appropriate lockout tagout devices. There are many products on the market and selecting the right ones is the key to lockout effectiveness. When locking out a piece of equipment, follow these steps to ensure compliance and safety:
• Notify employees of your intent to lock out the equipment.
• Review the written lockout procedure.
• Perform the normal machine stop.
• Shut off and lock out all energy isolation controls.
• Dissipate any stored or residual energy.
• Verify the zero-energy state before servicing the machine.

Step 4: Train Employees

It’s extremely important that your employees receive the proper training on lockout tagout compliance. When OSHA evaluates company performance on lockout tagout compliance, it splits employees into three different groups for levels of training:
• AUTHORIZED: Employees who perform the lockout on machinery and equipment for maintenance.
• AFFECTED: Employees who do not perform lockout, but use the machinery being serviced.
• OTHER: Employees who do not use the machinery, but who work in the vicinity of a piece of equipment receiving maintenance.

Step 5: Audit Annually

OSHA requires employers to conduct audits of their lockout tagout program at least once a year. The inspection must be performed by an authorized employee who is not involved in the energy control procedure being audited. The inspection entails the following:
• The employer must identify any deficiencies or deviations and correct them.
• Where lockout is used, the inspector must review each authorized employee’s responsibilities under the procedure with that employee (group meetings are acceptable)
• Where tagout is used, the inspector must review both the authorized and affected employee’s responsibilities with those employees for the energy control procedure being inspected.
• The employer must certify that the periodic inspections have been performed.
The lockout tagout certification should identify the machine on which the procedure is utilized, the date of inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the individual who performed the inspection.

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