This session covers the safety procedure known as lockout/tagout, which is required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in its standard on Control of Hazardous Energy. This is part of your training as an affected employee that is, someone who operates machinery or equipment on which servicing or maintenance is being performed under lockout or tagout. This training is also required if you work in an area where servicing or maintenance of machinery or equipment is being performed, even if you don t operate or service any equipment. 1
The main objective of this session is to familiarize you with lockout/tagout requirements and procedures as they affect your job. By the time this session is over, you should be able to: Recognize hazardous energy sources. Carry out your responsibilities related to lockout/tagout. Understand the purpose and use of energy control devises and procedures. 2
During the session, we ll discuss: What hazardous energy is and how it is controlled; OSHA s lockout/tagout regulations; Your responsibilities during and after lockout/tagout; Management s responsibilities; and Lockout/tagout devices and procedures. 3
What is hazardous energy? That s an important question when you work with or around machinery and equipment. Hazardous energy can be defined as: Live or stored electricity; or Machine or equipment parts that are still moving or have the potential to move after shut-off. It s also important to realize that hazardous energy is often invisible. In other words, it s not immediately obvious that a hazard exists. That makes it especially hazardous. 4
One major category of hazardous energy is the energy stored in machinery or equipment after it has been turned off. Examples include: Heat; The force of gravity that could cause the machinery to continue to move; Pressure of fluids or air, as with pneumatic or hydraulic equipment; Steam, such as when it remains in a pipe after shut-off; or Chemicals that might remain under pressure or subject to the force of gravity. Think about examples of hazardous energy in your workplace, including machinery or equipment that could injure someone even after it is shut off. 5
The release of hazardous energy can cause extremely serious injuries. That s why lockout/tagout procedures are so important. There are thousands of injuries every year resulting from hazardous energy related to electricity. Injuries include electrocution, burns, amputations, cuts, scalding, and crushing. Many of these injuries could be prevented by turning off equipment and making sure it stays off before servicing it. In fact, a government study showed that 80 percent of workers fail to turn of equipment before servicing it. These types of injuries are primarily caused by: Unexpected start-up of equipment; The release of stored energy; or Failure to lock out or tag out machinery or equipment. 6
To prevent injuries, hazardous energy must be effectively controlled. The way we do that is by following lockout and tagout procedures and using lockout and tagout devices. These procedures and devices prevent access to hazardous energy and warn you to avoid it. Lockout/tagout: Prevents machinery or equipment from being turned on during servicing and maintenance; Prevents machine and equipment parts from moving, usually by using locking or blocking devices; and Provides a means of warning you, usually with warning tags, when it is not possible to lock out controls or parts. Have you ever been in a situation where a machine started up or an equipment part moved unexpectedly? It can be pretty frightening, and such incidents show why lockout/tagout is so important. 7
Our lockout/tagout program is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. According to OSHA regulations, the following employees must be trained in energy hazards and lockout/tagout procedures: Authorized employees are those who service and maintain machinery and equipment. Affected employees are the ones who operate machinery and equipment but do not service and maintain them. If you do both, then you must be trained as an authorized employee. Finally, other employees also need to be trained. These are workers who do not service or operate equipment, but who work nearby and need to know about energy hazards and control procedures for their protection. 8
Even though you don t actually carry out lockout/tagout procedures, you have important safety responsibilities related to these procedures. Depending on whether you re a machine operator or just someone working nearby, you must fulfill some or all of the following responsibilities: Notify maintenance when equipment needs to be serviced or repaired; Leave all lockout/tagout devices in place while authorized employees are servicing or repairing machinery; Wait for authorized employees to tell you it s OK before using equipment; Verify that equipment is safe to operate after servicing or repairs have been completed and locks and tags have been removed; And finally, follow all safety rules when operating machinery or equipment, or when working around machinery or equipment. 9
Management also has important responsibilities related to lockout/tagout and the control of hazardous energy. We must: Ensure that machinery and equipment is properly de-energized when it s time for service or repair; Ensure that employees recognize hazardous energy and know how to avoid it; Provide the appropriate level of training, depending on whether you are an authorized, affected, or other employee according to OSHA regulations; Periodically review our lockout/tagout program to make sure it remains effective; Maintain the program and revise it whenever necessary; and Administer appropriate discipline if employees do not follow proper hazardous energy control rules and procedures. 10
Now it s time to ask yourself if you understand the information that has been presented so far. Do you understand what hazardous energy is and how it is controlled? Do you understand the roles of different employees under OSHA regulations? Do you understand your responsibilities related to lockout/tagout? It s important for your safety that you understand this information. Now let s continue to the next slide and discuss energy isolation devices. 11
An energy isolation device is a device used to isolate the machinery or equipment from its energy source. Before authorized employees can perform any service or maintenance on a machine, they have to use an isolation device. This device ensures that there is no possibility of an unexpected start-up or release of energy that could cause an injury. Examples of energy isolation devices include: Electrical circuit breakers; Pressure valves, such as pipeline valves; or Machine blocks Can you think of any other isolation devices that prevent unexpected start-up of machinery or equipment? 12
A lockout device is a device that physically prevents access to the part of a machine or equipment that controls the energy source. There are many kinds of lockout devices that might be used, depending on the situation. But all such devices must be capable of being locked. In addition, all types of lockout devices must be durable and capable of withstanding attempts to unlock or open them. Examples of lockout devices include: Locks; Blocks; Chains; Multilock hasps; Wheel valve covers; and Ball valve covers. Think about the kinds of lockout devices you ve seen on the job. Did you notice how they are designed to prevent unexpected start-up? 13
A tagout device is used when it is impossible to use a lockout device. Here are some important things you should know about tagout devices: Tags are for warning purposes only; they do not control hazardous energy. Tags must be readable and legible so that anyone working near them can notice and understand them. They must be attached securely to the isolating device, at the same place a lockout device would be attached. Tags must be resistant to degradation so that they cannot be crumpled or rendered unreadable. And finally, tagout devices can be removed only by an authorized employee once energy has been restored. Think about the kinds of tagout devices you ve seen on the job. Did you notice how they are designed to attract your attention, warn you of the hazard, and provide important safety instructions? 14
All lockout and tagout devices must be: Durable and capable of withstanding the environment they re in; Standardized by color, size, and shape so that they are more easily recognized; Substantial enough so that they cannot be accidentally removed; and Identifiable as safety devices with a legend that used phrases such as Do Not Operate, Do Not Start, or Do Not Energize. 15
Any machinery or equipment that contains or stores hazardous energy is subject to lockout/tagout. Examples include: Presses; Power saws; Conveyors; Pumps; Production equipment; and Trash compactors. Take a moment to think about the machinery and equipment in your workplace that is subject to lockout/tagout. 16
When should lockout/tagout devices and procedures be used? They must be used: Whenever machinery or equipment is being serviced, maintained, or repaired; When hazardous energy exists, such as electricity from a service outlet, a generator, or a battery; and Whenever unexpected start-up could occur, such as if a machine operator were to start up a machine without realizing it was being serviced. Authorized employees must consider all possible sources of hazardous energy when servicing or repairing equipment. They can never afford to take chances with your safety or their own by failing to observe lockout/tagout requirements. The rule they must follow is: When in doubt, lock it out! 17
Even if you don t perform service and repairs on machinery and equipment, you should be aware of the actions and circumstances that trigger lockout/tagout procedures. Basically, any time an authorized employee could be injured by machinery or equipment during servicing or repair, it should be de-energized and locked out. Examples of circumstances like these include: Removing or bypassing a safety device while performing service or repair; Placing any part of the body in harm s way during servicing; and Potentially being exposed to hazardous energy while performing service or repair work. 18
Occasionally, there are exceptions to lockout/tagout requirements. The most obvious exception is when there is no potential for hazardous energy to be released. For example, when equipment is not powered by electricity, air or water pressure, or some other form of potentially hazardous energy. Routine adjustments to a machine that are part of normal operation also do not require lockout/tagout. It s a good idea, however, to have a second person near a disconnect who can shut down the equipment while the first person works on it. If routine adjustments need to be performed on operating equipment, whenever possible, the equipment should be placed in neutral or idling mode. Equipment that is controlled by a plug-in power cord does not require lockout/tagout as long as the employee running the equipment is in exclusive control of the plug. There are lockout devices that fit the male end of an electrical plug, and it s a good idea for repair and service personnel to use these to prevent any possibility that the equipment could be plugged in unexpectedly while it s being serviced. Finally, hot tap operations that could conceivably shut down our facility are not subject to lockout/tagout if doing so would affect the operation of the facility as a whole. 19
If you operate machinery or equipment, you should understand the lockout/tagout procedure, even though you don t perform it. Authorized employees must follow these basic steps: First, they should notify affected employees such as yourself of the planned lockout or tagout. Then, they shut down the machinery or equipment. Next, authorized employees isolate the equipment from all energy sources. They then lock or tag out the energy isolation device to prevent unexpected start-up. Then, all energy must be released from the equipment, or restrained as in the case of blocking. Finally, the machine must be tested that is, there should be an attempt to restart it to make sure that isolation and de-energization have actually occurred. If you ve witnessed this procedure, you ve notice how careful authorized employees are to follow all the steps. 20
Following proper restart procedures after lockout/tagout is as important for safety as the original shutdown and de-energization. Again, even though you won t be the person performing the procedure, you ll probably be on hand and therefore should know what will happen. First, the authorized employee who applied the lock or tag inspects the equipment carefully to make sure that nonessential items such as tools or old parts have been removed and that all components are intact. This inspection is done before any lockout/tagout devices are removed. Next, the authorized employee who applied the lock or tag clears affected and other employees away from the equipment and notifies you that all lockout and tagout devices are about to be removed and the equipment is about to be restarted. Then, the authorized employee removes the locks and tags and reactivates any isolation devices that had been de-activated. Finally, the authorized employee restarts the machinery or equipment. If more than one authorized employee has applied locks and tags on the same machinery, one of them will coordinate the restart procedure for the group. Think about the steps in the restart-up procedure. Do you understand why following these steps is important to everyone s safety? 21
Now it s time to ask yourself if you understand the information presented in the previous slides. Even though you don t actually perform lockout/tagout, as the operator of the machinery or equipment being locked or tagged out, or as someone working nearby during lockout/tagout, it s important for your safety that you understand the devices and procedures described in the previous slides. Now let s wrap up this session with some key points to remember. 22
Here are the main points to remember from this training session on lockout/tagout: Hazardous energy is dangerous and deadly. Failure to lock out equipment is a leading cause of death and injury in the workplace. Lockout/tagout procedures must be used whenever unexpected startup or stored energy release could occur. Be sure to observe lockout/tagout rules and leave all devices in place while equipment is being serviced, maintained, or repaired, and wait for instructions from authorized employees before using equipment. Verify that equipment is safe to operate following lockout/tagout. This concludes the training session on lockout/tagout. 23