Lockout-Tagout Saves Lives - Comply with OSHA Help employees at your building work faster, safer and more efficiently

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1 Lockout-Tagout Saves Lives - Comply with OSHA Help employees at your building work faster, safer and more efficiently By Rod Anderson Does your facility have a safe, OSHA compliant and effective lockout program? Every building and facility manager has heard stories of catastrophic injuries resulting from improper lockout procedures. When an accident occurs, it s a tragedy for workers, their families and for supervisors, facility managers and building owners. Due to the frequency and seriousness of these accidents, OSHA is seeking to improve worker safety with a special focus on lockout/tagout standards. Inadequate lockout procedures are one of the most often citations cited by OSHA, so OSHA inspectors are specifically instructed to look for proper lockout procedures during inspections. Why Effective LOTO Procedures Pay Off Effective lockout/tagout procedures save lives and money by reducing accidents, minimizing liability and increasing maintenance/operations effectiveness. Select insurance companies even offer lower premiums to companies with demonstrated, effective lockout programs. In addition to the personal trauma to injured workers, there are a myriad of additional costs, including machine repair and downtime, healthcare and litigation costs and hefty fines levied by OSHA. In addition to avoiding costly accidents, effective LOTO procedures can dramatically increase your company s productivity by making lockouts more efficient. The procedure serves as an efficient checklist that allows workers to quickly and safely move through the steps without confusion or mistakes. 1

2 Creating Compliant Procedures that Work To comply with the law, you must create and maintain machine-specific procedures. Creating effective procedures is a four-step process: 1) Hazard analysis to determine the types and magnitude of hazardous energy sources for each piece of equipment. 2) Identification of steps necessary to isolate and lockout the relevant energy control points. 3) Documentation of the proper steps to isolate and lock out energy. 4) Employee training and periodic procedure review/updates. Brady Corporation, a world leader in safety and facility identification, offers an easy-to-use program. Lockout-PRO 3.0 Graphical Procedure Writing Software, allows you to create OSHA-compliant lockout procedures, tags and energy source labels in as little as 3 minutes! The software provides standardized formats to promote consistent and safe work practices. Lockout PRO software also utilizes digital photos so employees quickly locate the correct control points and includes employee training tools and a user-editable Energy Control Policy. For companies that just don t have the time or resources to create their own procedures, Brady can also come on-site and create the graphical procedures as a turnkey service. Either way, your business has OSHA-compliant procedures that help prevent mistakes and increase maintenance efficiency. Policies Vs. Procedures OSHA requires that employers document the scope and purpose of their lockout program and the general energy control rules and guidelines in a document called an Energy Control Plan or Policy. 2

3 This document should also include policies for group lockout, shift transfers, emergency absent workers lock removals, policy enforcement, disciplinary actions, contractor training/coordination, procedure updates and employee training. In addition to the Energy Control Policy, employers are also required to create detailed energy control procedures for machinery where workers may be exposed to hazardous energy during the service or maintenance activities. More than one piece of equipment may be grouped under a single procedure only if it has: 1) The same hazardous energy sources; and 2) The same or similar methods for controlling that energy What Makes an Effective Procedure? To create safe work conditions, effective procedures must inform workers not only what to lockout, but also how to lock it out. Procedures must be written in sufficient detail so that all steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, securing, and relieving hazardous energy are clearly covered. The procedure must also identify the specific steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout or tagout devices, as well as the specific requirements for testing the equipment to verify that it is in a zero energy state. Effective procedures must be easy to follow. Standardized formats increase comprehension and help ensure the procedures are followed correctly because employees quickly scan the procedure, rather than search for information. With Brady s Lockout-PRO 3.0 Graphical Procedure Writing Software various photos, pictograms and arrows can be easily dropped into procedures to help workers understand the nature and location of specific energy points. This eliminates guess-work, speeds the lockout process, and ensures that the correct controls are locked out. Different colors and symbols are used for the various types of hazardous energy such as electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic. Identifying Energy Sources Labeling or tagging the actual energy controls, such as valves, circuit breakers, and disconnect switches helps decrease the chance of a lockout mistake. 3

4 OSHA standard says that all energy sources must be identified for the magnitude and purpose, unless located and arranged so the purpose is evident. In this standard, identifying the purpose means indicating which equipment is being serviced. The magnitude of the energy can be expressed in terms of volts for electrical, pounds-per-square inch for pneumatic pressure etc. The new American National Standard (ANSI Z , Control of Hazardous Energy Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Means) expands on the OSHA Standard and requires that all energy sources be labeled or tagged. Lockout PRO 3.0 software streamlines the identification process by automatically creating labels for each energy source in the procedure. These labels can be printed to either a standard inkjet or laser printer or one of Brady s label printing systems. Ensuring Access to Procedures The best procedures are of little help if employees do not have easy access to them. After the procedures are written, ensuring that they are visible and accessible should be the next goal. Procedures should be easily accessible both for the workers who need to lockout as well as those who need to update procedures. The following four methods are all acceptable for presenting lockout procedures: Binders: Binders are an easy solution for procedure storage. They can be kept in designated stations in maintenance areas of your building for easy employee s access. However, binders may be cumbersome, and workers have to search through the binder to find their procedure. Procedures may also be taken out of the binder and misplaced or not returned. Posting at or on Machine: Posting procedures at the machine ensures immediate access to the correct procedures. However, it s critical that a system is in place to replace to immediately replace outdated procedures with current ones. Online Posting: Posting procedures online allows you to update them as often as necessary, and ensures that workers have access to the most recent procedures. 4

5 Attaching to Work Orders: Attaching lockout procedures to work orders can be done manually or with any CMMS program that will allow you to include digital attachments. When the work order is printed, the procedure is printed along with it. As with online postings, this allows the procedure writer easy access to the procedure for updating and workers have access to the most up-to-date procedures. However, since work orders are not issued for all maintenance tasks, other means for accessing the procedures should also be provided. Procedure Training and Auditing OSHA requires lockout training for three types of employees: authorized, affected, and other. Authorized employees are those who are performing maintenance and service work. These employees need to be able to: Recognize hazardous energy sources. Understand the types and magnitudes of energy. Know methods for isolating and controlling hazardous energy. Know methods for the safe application, use and removal of energy controls. Authorized employees do not need to be trained on every procedure, but need to be familiar with a sampling of all the necessary techniques and skills. Authorized employees should also undergo a review each year to make sure that they understand their responsibilities as required by lockout procedures. Affected and other employees do not need to be trained on specific procedures, but they do need to be familiar with the company s energy control policies, be able to recognize when lockout is in progress, and understand the importance of not tampering with the lockout or tagout devices. The server-based version of Lockout PRO 3.0 includes an on-line training tool that takes employees through lockout training from their own computers and features an online quiz at the end of the training. When workers pass the quiz, their names are registered as having completed and passed the lockout training. 5

6 Procedures need to be audited at least once per year, and inspections need to be done by an authorized person who does not normally use that procedure. Audits of procedures should be documented including who, when and what equipment s procedures were reviewed. Protect Your People, Your Equipment & Keep your Building Safe A proper lockout program and effective lockout procedures can prevent serious accidents, minimize liability and maximize the accuracy, speed and safety of your maintenance and operations programs. Set aside time in your busy schedule to review your lockout program and, if needed, take proactive measures to protect your people, your equipment and keep your building safe. Brady s Lockout PRO 3.0 Graphical Lockout Procedure Software helps facility management and safety professionals create easy-to-use and OSHA-compliant procedures for their building. For an online demo of Brady s Lockout PRO software or more information on Brady s complete line of lockout products, go to For more information on Brady s procedure writing service, go to Or call to arrange a Brady sales person to visit your site. -- Rod Anderson is a Business Development Manager for Brady Corporation, providing safety and identification solutions that help building managers and owners increase safety and improve productivity at their facilities. Brady Worldwide, Inc W. Good Hope Road Milwaukee, WI Brady Canada 355 Apple Creek Blvd. Markham, ON L3R 9X Brady Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A Brady 6