LOCKOUT/TAGOUT PROGRAM
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Several types of energy sources are used to power machines, equipment, processes, and operations in the workplace. These energy sources include electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, chemical, and thermal. Failure to recognize and control energy sources can cause serious injuries and death. It is vital to employee safety that effective procedures are followed when servicing and repairing machinery and equipment.
Industrial accidents are often caused by the accidental start-up or uncontrolled release of hazardous energy from equipment and machines. Approximately 10% of serious industrial accidents result from failure to adequately control energy sources. OSHA's Lockout/Tagout Standard is designed to reduce deaths and injuries by establishing procedures to prevent hazardous energy releases while maintenance and servicing activities are being performed. OSHA believes the new standard will prevent approximately 120 deaths and 60,000 injuries per year.
2.0 GENERAL PROCEDURES
1. Radford University will establish a program to ensure that machinery or equipment is isolated from potentially hazardous energy, and locked or tagged out before employees perform any service or maintenance activities that could cause injury due to unexpected start-up or release of stored energy.
2. The program will include procedures for shutdown, equipment isolation, lockout/tagout applications, release of stored energy, verification of isolation, and training for authorized and affected employees.
3. Written procedures will be developed and utilized to control potential hazardous energy from individual pieces of equipment and from groups of equipment that have similar types of controls.
4. The program will be maintained in Facilities Management and the Safety Office. A copy of the program is kept in the Facilities Management Library for inspection by employees. The program will be reviewed yearly by the Safety Manager and updated as needed.
5. Failure to follow these procedures may subject the employee to disciplinary procedures under the university's Standards for Conduct. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that workers follow these rules.
3.0 EXCEPTIONS
1. These rules do not apply in the following situations:
4.0 TRAINING
1. Training will be provided to employees by the Safety Manager to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood. Training shall include the following:
a. Authorized employees will receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
b. Affected employees that operate equipment being worked on, or who are in the immediate area will be instructed in the purpose and use of energy control procedures.
c. All other employees who work where energy control procedures are used will be instructed about prohibitions relating to attempts to restart machines locked or tagged out.
2. Training records containing the employee's name and date of training will be maintained by the Safety Manager.
5.0 RETRAINING
1. Retraining will be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in job assignments, a change in machines, equipment, or processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedures.
2. Retraining will also be conducted whenever supervision or the Safety Manager believes the employee's knowledge of the use of energy control procedures may be inadequate.
6.0 ENERGY CONTROL PROCEDURES
1. Procedures shall be developed for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this program
2. Procedures for a particular machine do not have to be developed if all of the following are present:
a. The machine has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees.
b. The machine has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated.
c. The isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment.
d. The machine is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance.
e. A single lockout device will achieve a locked-out condition.
f. The lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance.
g. The servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees.
h. The employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.
3. The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance including, but not limited to, the following:
7.0 LOCKOUT DEVICES
1. Lockout is the safest method of ensuring that workers are not injured. Lockout devices shall be used if the machine is capable of being locked out.
2. Only authorized employees shall use lockout devices. The lock will only be removed by the individual applying it, except under emergency conditions.
3. Lockout devices shall operate either by key or combination and will be standardized within the facility and not used for other purposes.
4. Lockout devices will be strong enough to prevent removal except by excessive force or tools, such as bolt cutters.
5. Lockout devices will be issued to individual employees and indicate the name or number of the employee applying the device. Employees will always use their own lock.
6. Lockout devices will be durable enough to withstand the environment to which they are exposed.
7. Employees in the immediate area shall be notified of the application and removal of lockout devices.
8. Whenever major replacement, repair, renovation, or modifications of machines or equipment is performed, and whenever new machines or equipment is installed, energy isolation devices will be designed to accept a lockout device.
9. Lockout devices will hold the energy isolating devices in the safe or off positions.
10. Tags should be used with a lock to provide a visible warning and supply additional information about the procedure, if necessary.
11. Locks are not to be taken home. Employees may be charged for locks that are lost.
8.0 TAGOUT DEVICES
1. Tagout devices will be used only when it is not possible to lockout the equipment.
2. Tagout devices shall be constructed and printed so that exposure to weather conditions, wet locations, or corrosive environments will not cause the tag to deteriorate or the message to become illegible. Tags should be laminated and have a reinforced eyelet.
3. Tags will be standardized within the facility and only used for lockout/tagout purposes.
4. Tags must be securely attached to the energy isolating device. Tags, and their means of attachment, shall be substantial enough to prevent inadvertent or accidental removal. Attachment devices shall be non-reusable, attachable by hand, self-locking and require a minimum unlocking strength of greater than 50 pounds.
5. Tags will show the name of the employee applying the device, date and time work began.
6. Tags will warn against hazardous conditions if the machine or equipment is energized and shall include a legend such as: Do Not Start, Do Not Open, Do Not Close, Do Not Energize, or Do Not Operate.
7. Tagout devices will only be used by authorized personnel. Tags shall not be removed without permission from the individual responsible for applying the tag.
8. Employees in the area will be notified of the application and removal of tagout devices.
9. Tags are never to be bypassed, ignored, or otherwise defeated.
10. If a tag cannot be affixed to the energy isolating device, it shall be located as close as possible to the device, in a place that can be easily seen by the operator of the machine.
9.0 PROTECTIVE MATERIALS AND HARDWARE
1. Locks, tags, chains, ganglocks, valve protectors, self locking fasteners, or other hardware will be provided by supervision for isolating, securing, or blocking of machines or equipment from energy sources.
10.0 APPLICATION OF LOCKOUT/TAGOUT DEVICES
1. Lockout/tagout devices shall be used when the worker is servicing, cleaning, or providing maintenance on any equipment or machine that could cause injury if it unexpectedly started or released stored energy. The established procedures for the application of lockout/tagout devices shall cover the following and be done in the following order:
a. Preparation for shutdown: Before employees turn off a machine to lock or tag it, they must know the type, magnitude, hazards, and the method to control the energy. All switches, valves, and other devices that may inadvertently release energy must be identified to be certain which energy isolating devices must be locked or tagged out.
b. Notification: Affected employees in the immediate area will be notified that a lockout/tagout is beginning and the reason for the procedure.
c. Equipment shutdown: The machine will be shutdown by disconnecting the circuit (depress stop button, open toggle switch, etc.)
d. Isolation: All energy isolating devices needed to control the energy will be turned off. This includes secondary and main energy sources. Electrical switches will not be pulled while under load nor will fuses be removed instead of disconnecting.
e. Lockout/tagout: All switches or other energy isolating devices will be locked or tagged out in the "off" or "safe" position by authorized employees. Only individually assigned and standardized devices shall be used.
f. Stored energy: All potentially stored energy that could harm an individual (such as in springs, elevated machine members, rotating flywheels, hydraulic systems, and air, gas, steam, or water pressure, etc.) shall be relieved, disconnected, restrained, or otherwise made safe. If it is possible for the stored energy to reaccumulate to a hazardous level, isolation shall be verified and continued until the work is completed or until the hazard no longer exists.
g. Verification of isolation: Prior to working on machines that have been locked or tagged out the authorized employee will verify that isolation and de-energization has been accomplished. This will be accomplished by pressing all start buttons, verifying that the main disconnect switch or circuit breaker cannot be turned on, or using a voltmeter to check the switch.
h. Perform the work: Always anticipate potential problems. Avoid doing something that will reenergize the equipment. Do not bypass the lockout/tagout device.
11.0 RELEASE FROM LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
1. The work area will be inspected to ensure that nonessential items such as tools have been removed, machine components are fully assembled, and guards are in place.
2. The work area will be checked to ensure that all employees have been safely positioned or removed.
3. All affected employees will be notified that the lockout/tagout devices are being removed.
4. Lockout/tagout devices will be removed by the employee who applied the device, except in emergencies.
5. If the employee is not available to remove the lockout/tagout device the device will be removed according to the following procedures:
a. Verify that the employee is not at the facility.
b. Make all reasonable efforts to contact the employee to inform him/her that the lockout/tagout device will be removed.
c. Ensure that the employee knows the device was removed before he/she resumes work.
12.0 TEMPORARY RELEASE
1. The following sequence will be followed if a lockout/tagout is temporarily removed from the energy isolating device to test or reposition the machine:
a. Clear the machine or equipment of tools and materials and ensure that components are operationally intact.
b. Remove employees from the machine area.
c. Remove the lockout/tagout device by the employee who applied it.
d. Energize and proceed with testing.
e. De-energize all systems and reapply energy control measures.
13.0 GROUP LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
1. A crew shall use a procedure which affords a level of protection equivalent to that provided by a personal lockout/tagout device.
2. Group lockout/tagout shall be in compliance with the rest of the standard and include the following specific requirements:
a. An authorized employee will have primary responsibility for lockout/tagout control over the group of workers.
b. The authorized employee shall be able to determine the exposure status of individual members of the group regarding lockout/tagout.
c. Each authorized employee will affix a personal lockout/tagout device to the group lockout device and shall remove these devices when the work has been completed. A single lock may be used to lockout the device if the key is placed in a lockout box which allows the use of multiple locks to secure it.
14.0 INSPECTIONS
1. A periodic inspection of the energy control procedures will be conducted at least annually by the Safety Manager to ensure that the procedures and the requirements of this standard are being followed.
2. The periodic inspection will be designed to correct any deviations or inadequacies observed.
3. The inspection shall include a review between the Safety Manager and each authorized employee, of that employee's responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected.
4. The Safety Manager will certify that the inspections have been performed. The certification shall identify the machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was used, date of inspection, employee included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection.
15.0 CONTRACTORS
1. The on-site employer and the contractor shall inform each other of their respective lockout/tagout procedures.
2. The on-site employer shall ensure that his/her personnel understand and comply with restrictions of the contractor's energy control procedures.
16.0 SHIFT OR PERSONNEL CHANGES
1. Specific procedures will be used to ensure the continuity of lockout/tagout protection including the orderly transfer of devices between workers. Employees coming in will put their locks in place before departing employees remove their locks.