Energy Control Suite 2A, 55 Frid Street Hamilton, ON L8P 4M3 office: 905.577.0303 cell: 905.977.0210 consultant@staffaid.ca www.staffaid.com
Safety, Energy Control, Power Lockout & Function Test Procedures 1.0 SCOPE This document provides required safe practices that shall be followed by each employee when working on or near machines or equipment where unexpected movement, release of stored energy, energizing of electrical systems, or the flow of gases, fluids or other materials could have potential to endanger personnel. When such conditions exist, the following precautions shall be taken: 1.1 Disconnect all power at its entry point. 1.2 Bleed off or otherwise dissipate residual pressure in steam, air, gas and/or hydraulic systems. 1.3 An authorized person shall ground capacitors in electrical systems prior to performing work that could have potential to endanger personnel. 1.4 Apply approved locks to each entry point of power at the appropriate disconnect. (one man, one lock) 1.5 Lock disconnecting means in the OFF position so that only the employee who is exposed to the hazard may by removing his lock allow the power to be reapplied. 1.6 Consult and follow the requirements of the relevant plant Joint Committee on Health and Safety Confined Space Entry Program if the equipment to be serviced is located in a confined space. 1.7 Energy control devices may be used instead of procedures as detailed in steps 1.1 1.5 above for a specific operation/job subject to the following: 1.7.1 Specific written procedures detailing conditions and energy control methods must be prepared by the requesting activity and concurred in by the plant and division safety engineering representatives. 1.7.2 Alternate energy control methods shall be as effective as power lockout methods detailed in Sections 6.0 and 7.0. 1.7.3 Authorized employees shall be instructed in the approved alternate energy control method(s) prior to performing work on the specific equipment. 1.7.4 The approved written procedures shall be posted on or in close proximity to the equipment for which the approval was given. 1.7.5 After completing the full lockout, all reasonable attempts shall be made to operate the equipment that has been locked out. The purpose of this action is to attempt to prove that the equipment function has truly been disabled. 2.0 EXCEPTIONS This Power Lockout Procedure does not supersede or apply in any part to Power House and Sub- Station activities currently covered by procedures unique to the power industry. 3.0 PURPOSE These safety criteria are developed to minimize the risk of personal injury, equipment damage and to insure compliance with recognized safety engineering practices.
4.0 APPLICATION The requirements of this bulletin apply to all situations where the unexpected energization, start up, movement or release of stored energy of equipment or process could have potential to endanger personnel. 5.0 DEFINITIONS Authorized Person: A knowledgeable individual to whom the authority and responsibility to perform a specific assignment has been given. Disconnecting Means: A device that cuts off the source of power to equipment such as an electrical disconnect or an approved air valve. Energy Control Device: A physical device that prevents the transmission or release of energy. Manually operated disconnect switches, line valves, blocks and slide gates are examples of energy control devices that provide a visible indication of the position of the device. On/Off buttons, selector switches and other control circuit devices are not energy control devices. Energy Source: Any electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, nuclear, thermal or other potential energy source that could have potential to endanger personnel. Entry Point of Power: The point at which energy enters the system, machine or unit such as the main electrical disconnect. Changes in power routing at the entry point shall be shown on the circuit diagrams. Knowledgeable Individual: An employee who has extensive training, knowledge and experience on a particular machine, line, process, etc. An employee who has special training knowledge or experience, and is familiar with the equipment or operations. Lockout: The placement of a lock on an energy disconnecting means in accordance with Section 6.0 of this procedure. The energy disconnecting device shall be incapable of being operated until the lock is removed by the employee or in accordance with Section 7.4 Lockout Procedure: A specific methodology or steps to be taken in order to de-energize a particular machine or other equipment, allowing safe entry into the hazardous area(s). Locks: All padlocks shall meet the following requirements: The locks shall be relatively new and in good working order. Each lock shall have one and only one key. This key is to be kept in the possession of the employee whose safety is being protected by the associated lock. To assure that the padlock will fit all electrical disconnects, the shackle diameter shall not exceed 5/16 inch (8mm). The length of the shackle measured from the body of a closed lock to the inside curve at the top of the shackle shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches (70mm). Power: Is any type of energy that can operate equipment, cause movement, or cause injury directly from the energy source. Common types of power are electricity, air or gas under pressure, gravity, springs, oil or water under pressure, and steam. Placard: A posted document that contains the specific lockout procedure for a particular machine, line, process, or other type of equipment. A placard will have three specific components to it, the generic statement and logo section and the procedures section containing specific directions for de-energization. Residual Electrical Power: Electrical energy that is retained in a system, machine or unit when the supply line disconnect is placed in the OFF position. Power capacitors and electric or magnetic fields are examples that may have residual power if not properly dissipated.
Residual Pressure: The differential pressure remaining within a component after the pressure source is closed off. 6.0 POWER LOCKOUT METHODS For all locations, each piece of machinery or equipment should have posted procedures for effective energy control/power lockout. 6.1 When the electrical disconnect is attached or adjacent to the equipment, the motor stop button shall be depressed, the disconnect handle placed in the OFF position and the lock applied. The disconnect handle should be operated while standing to the switch handle side of the disconnect rather than in front of the switch. 6.2 Compressed gas pressure shall also be shut off and locked out if such pressures could result in unexpected movement of the equipment or components. 6.2.1 Equipment using plant air or other compressed gas supply shall be equipped with a main line shut off valve as specified in Manufacturing Standard NX1, paragraph P2.3.10. The valve must be capable of being locked in the OFF position and be of the type that automatically vents or bleeds off any residual pressure in the piping system. 6.2.2 Unless the compressed gas valve allows pressure release, a portion of the pipe shall be disconnected to allow pressure release if the trapped energy could have potential to endanger personnel. 6.3 Equipment using hydraulic pressure shall be locked out by placing the hydraulic pump motor electrical disconnect switch in OFF position, applying a lock to the disconnect and bleeding off residual pressure in the piping system if the energy could have potential to endanger personnel. 6.4 Remote Lockout of Electrical Power to Machinery 6.4.1 The preferred method of locking out electrical power is to place the main electrical power disconnect handle in the OFF position and lock it out with an approved safety lock. In this manner, only the employee who is exposed to the hazard may reapply the power by removing the lock. 6.4.2 Where the main electrical disconnecting means is not attached or adjacent to the equipment, one of the following methods shall be used to achieve electrical power lockout: 6.4.2.1 Method 1: An auxiliary disconnect shall be installed in series with the control from the control enclosure but in close proximity or on the machine. Method 2: An auxiliary disconnect shall be installed in series with the leads of a remotely located motor. The auxiliary disconnect shall be mounted in close proximity to the controlled motor and be capable of being locked out. The disconnect shall have at least one normally open control contact which shall open before the power contacts open. Other control contacts may be used to indicate the disconnect has been operated. Method 3: If neither of the two above-mentioned methods are practicable, a twopole disconnect, within a type NEMA 12 enclosure, may be connected in the primary circuit of the control transformer. This disconnect shall be mounted on, or in close proximity to, the equipment it controls. When using this method, the main control
enclosure doors shall be kept locked by the employee to prevent manual operation of the controls by unauthorized personnel. Before this alternate disconnecting means is utilized, the plant engineer and safety engineer must both be advised of the limitation and approve the use of the application of this method. Approved usage of this disconnecting method shall be posted on the two-pole disconnect and the main control enclosure doors. Alternate lockout means are most effectively and economically applied at the time of initial installation in the high-voltage section of the circuit and must disconnect all legs of the supply. Regardless of the power lockout method employed, safety blocks or other mechanical devices shall be used as required to protect the employee from accidental equipment movement. 6.5 Lockout Verification: After locking out or controlling power sources as detailed in Section 6.0, cycle all control functions to verify that all energy forms have been dissipated prior to working on the equipment. Return all controls to the OFF position after verification testing. 7.0 PROCEDURES 7.1 Lock Issuance: Locks must be carried at all times by all personnel who could be endangered by the activation of the equipment while maintenance, set up, repair, service or other work is being performed. Each lock must have attached a numbered StaffAid lock out tag as supplied during initial staff orientation. 7.2 Control of Lock and Key: The employee shall have control of the locks and keys. 7.2.1 Major work that will not be completed during the shift in which it was started shall have a plant or departmental lock applied to the main disconnect and other power sources. This shall not take the place of the individual employee s lock. The purpose is to avoid an unlocked piece of equipment at shift change time. 7.2.2 An employee needing an additional lock to occasionally lock out a source of power that would endanger him must obtain any additional lock from the authorized client supervisor. 7.3 Lock Box Procedures 7.3.1 Definition: A box used, as part of the lock out procedure, to hold the keys to the locks used in de-energizing (locking out) a machine or a system. The lock box itself is then kept locked, using one lock from each individual authorized to enter and perform work on the machine or system. As an example, three employees are assigned to perform maintenance on a machine that has ten separate energy sources that need to be controlled. One lock will be used at each energy source disconnect. The three employees then go through the verification procedures together. The ten keys from these locks are placed in a lock box. The three employees then place an approved safety lock on the lock box, thus assuring that each of them directly control the release of the keys inside the lock box. 7.3.2 Scope and Application: Lock boxes may be used as a means of efficiently deenergizing machines or systems that require multiple disconnects in order to control unwanted machine motion. As an example, a large assembly plant paint system may require as many as 50 or more locks to completely de-energize it and make it safe for entry by a cleaning crew of 8. For each member of the crew to require 50
locks would prove to be very cumbersome. Lock boxes would make energy control and power lockout of such large systems a more efficient and effective process, by requiring that one lock be used at each disconnect. The keys for these locks are then secured in the lock box. Each employee who enters the system would then insert a personal lock on the lock box, using multiple lockout devices if necessary. The lock box procedure is intended only to be used on systems requiring that multiples of disconnects are used to make a machine or a system of machines safe for entry. 7.3.3 Notification Requirements: Prior to implementation of any lock box procedures, copies of the procedures must be forwarded to the appropriate authorized representative. 7.3.4 Minimum Requirements 7.3.4.1 Lockout Procedures: All employees involved in the lock box procedures may accompany the person designated to place locks on all appropriate disconnects. 7.3.4.2 Verification Procedures: All employees involved in the lock box procedure may verify energy control and power lockout procedures as a group. 7.3.4.3 Lock Box Construction: The lock box shall be constructed of durable material in order to prevent easy access to keys inside. The keys contained in the lock box should be visible. The locking hasp shall be able to accommodate a multiple lockout device. The box shall be painted or marked for identification as a safety lock box. 7.4 Abandoned Lock Removal 7.4.1 If a lock has been left in place by an employee who has departed the location (building), it shall be removed only by a previously selected and qualified member of management and the supervisor of the equipment. Before the lock is removed, a thorough inspection of the equipment shall be made by the supervisor responsible for the job and the authorized person. If starting the equipment will not endanger personnel or the equipment, concurrently they shall remove the lock to permit power restoration. 7.4.2 Whenever it is necessary to remove a lock, a report shall be prepared by the person authorized to remove the lock and sent to the senior client representative. 8.0 TEMPORARY WORK ASSIGNMENTS If employees are assigned to work in or on equipment that could have potential to endanger personnel should it be activated, the supervisor assigning employees to this work is responsible for ensuring that these workers are provided with specific equipment and instructions to comply with this power lockout procedure. 9.0 DANGER TAG USAGE 9.1 The danger tag shall be used only to supplement the lock and to identify the purpose of the lock. It shall not be used as a substitute for a lock. Locations may elect to personalize the danger tag by placing the employee s picture on the form. 9.2 Attachment of the tags shall be by non-conductive string. Wire shall not be used nor shall the tags be purchased equipped with a wire for fastening.
10.0 IDENTIFICATION OF ENERGY CONTROL DEVICES All energy control devices shall be adequately labeled or marked to indicate their function, unless they are located and arranged so their purpose is evident. 11.0 MACHINE/EQUIPMENT SPECIFIC, WRITTEN PROCEDURES Specific ECPL (Energy Control Power Lockout) procedures must be developed and documented for individual machines and pieces of equipment. 11.1 Although the sequential lockout steps defined in the ECPL process (Believe It!, Check It!, Prepare It!, etc.) have universal application, they are considered too general and do not meet the intent of OSHA 1910.147. However, the steps and their elements should be followed in developing the individual machine and equipment procedures. 11.2 OSHA 1910.147 identifies eight conditions, all of which must exist in order to excuse the obligation to maintain a written procedure for a specific machine or piece of equipment. In essence, this exception applies to single energy source machines and equipment. This exception is significant and locations need to become familiar with the eight conditions in order to evaluate when specific machine and equipment written procedures are or are not required. The eight conditions are: 1. No potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulations of stored energy after shutdown, which could endanger employees 2. A single energy source that can be readily identified and isolated 3. Complete de-energization and deactivation accomplished through the isolation and locking out of the energy source; 4. Servicing or maintenance requires isolation from the energy source and lockout 5. A single lockout device will achieve lockout 6. The lockout device is under exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance 7. The servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees 8. The employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or re-energization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance 12.0 TRAINING 12.1 All StaffAid staff have had recent training and will continue to receive training. This continuous training will ensure that all employees are aware of and reinforce safe work methods on or near machines or equipment under circumstances in which the unexpected movement of parts under power, the charging of electrical conductors, or the flow of materials could endanger personnel. 12.2 Ongoing annual computer-based training will be a requirement of continued employment with StaffAid. Client-specific safety and energy control/power training may also be a requirement of continued placement. 13.0 PERIODIC INSPECTIONS Periodic inspections may be conducted by the client. Such inspections are conducted to examine and verify that energy control/power lockout procedures are being properly implemented. The inspections shall be conducted by an authorized management employee other than the one utilizing the ECPL procedure. The inspections can be accomplished via planned inspections or task observations. All StaffAid employees will participate cooperatively and effectively in such periodic inspections.
REMEMBER: At all times StaffAid employees must be aware of these policies and of the specific plant safety, energy and power lock out policies of the plant or site where they are placed. If any questions or concerns arise, StaffAid employees must contact their in-plant supervisor or StaffAid Technical Consultant at 905-977-0210 as soon as possible.
StaffAid Employee Checklist I know the name and phone number of my current work placement and current supervisor. I have my assigned lockout tags with me. I have my personal safety locks with me. I have a time card for each week I am placed. I have my required safety/protective equipment. I have my required work tools with me. I have my union card with me. (IF PROVIDED) I have my plant pass for the client s company. I DO NOT have unnecessary items in my car. I have my Employee Handbook with me. When placed in a unionized assignment your union is Joe Mulhall, President jmulhall@cusw.ca 416-240-7259 (1-800-376-8539) StaffAid Contact Information 24/7 Cellphone: 905.977.0210 Office: 905.577.0303 E-mail: consultant@staffaid.ca Website: www.staffaid.com Address: Suite 2A, 55 Frid Street, Hamilton, ON L8P 4M3
A skilled trades resource for your company... A great employment opportunity for you. www.staffaid.ca Suite 2A, 55 Frid Street Hamilton, ON L8P 4M3 office: 905.577.0303 cell: 905.977.0210 consultant@staffaid.ca www.staffaid.com