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Machines Off And Safety On

By The American Society of Safety Engineers

Each day, machines and systems at facilities throughout the country need repairs, cleaning, or adjustments. Unfortunately, workers may be injured or even killed because the equipment and machines are not properly locked out and tagged out.

Lockout/tagout (LOTO) identifies and locks circuits, systems, or equipment to prevent possible accidents during maintenance and service. LOTO is a crucial element in maintaining a safe workplace, which requires de-energizing and locking equipment then from use and attaching a warning notice or tag indicating that the item is not in use.

Both (OSHA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) are attempting to address this issue through a series of standards in the hope they can get the message out and set up a list of preventive guidelines to ensure workers' safety. Some of the standards cover a broad spectrum of facilities and processes, while others are industry specific, focusing on facilities in general industries.

ASSE's Standard

ASSE has been working actively with LOTO standards, developing publications and presentations, and serving on an American National Standard Institute (ANSI) LOTO committee. The organization's work on that committee helped sculpt ANSI Standard Z244.1-1987: Safety Requirements for Lock Out/ Tag Out of Energy Sources.

One aspect of this standard-that is open for public comment-explores the design and installation of machinery pertaining to the intent of locking out and tagging out. The machine designer is required, to perform a risk assessment when partial energization is required and the manual must describe a safe lockout procedure under this circumstance. Thus, the machine designer-the true expert of the machine-is required to provide detailed LOTO information, and the eventual procedure will be safer as a result.

Z244.1 has played a significant role in enhancing occupational safety, as cited in several OSHA documents. The current proposed revisions include a user-friendly chart, Decision Matrix for Safeguarding Hazardous Energy, which explains the decision making process for LOTO applications and procedures.

There is no one size fits all approach to LOTO, but standards such as Z-244.1 effectively explain the options a safety professional, facility manager, or worker would have in performing a LOTO procedure. In addition, quality training is required to ensure that all workers, in a variety of fields, have the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to protect themselves and others in the workplace.

The Government Weighs In

Aside from its influence on Standard Z-244.1, OSHA has also weighed in heavily on the subject with two of its own individual standards. The government agency is looking to educate workers, and in the process, preemptively eliminate many unnecessary work-related injuries and fatalities.

The Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices: Final Rule, 29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2) Lockout and Tagging-1990 standard contains requirements for training, work practices, use of equipment, and safeguards for employees exposed to potential electrical hazards. It covers work on, near, or with premises electric conductors and optical fiber cables when installed along with conductors.

Also, OSHA's Control of Hazardous Energy Sources (Lockout/Tagout) 29 CFR 1910.147 Standard covers procedures that protect workers from unexpected release of stored energy, de-energization, or start-up of machines or equipment. The standard sets basic requirements for employers to set up an energy control program in addition to developing procedures for locking out and tagging equipment.

Getting The Message Across

Each employee working anywhere near the equipment should have basic understanding of why equipment may be locked out. However, there is significant concern by some ASSE members in the issue of language for LOTO standards. Many companies have LOTO programs that are written in a language other than English, yet the tags used on the actual machines are usually all in English. This is an issue of growing importance, as more companies incorporate multilingual programs to address the diverse workforce.

LOTO not only includes employees working with the machines but also employees walking near or working around the machines who need to be aware of stored hazardous energy. A written energy control program must be developed for supervisors and employees to follow and put into practice. The energy control program should address the application and purpose of the program, explain key terms and general LOTO standards, and designate roles and criteria for employees and managers to follow. The program must include the installation, maintenance, cleaning, operating, and inspecting of the equipment.

Energy control procedures also need to be developed, which provide a more in-depth explanation of the equipment, locking and tagging procedures, and types of hazardous energy. Keys and combinations to locks need to be in the hands of only one person to avoid accidents from de-energizing machines and equipment. Businesses with multiple shifts need to implement a communication system to ensure all shifts using the same equipment are aware of LOTO procedures that might be in place.

A LOTO Standard should also examine shift changes, since the different shifts need to be aware of possible locked out equipment. This is why proper tagging of off-line equipment is so important. To fulfill facility management's intentions successfully, good, clear, communication between the department and its personnel is essential. This will ensure a basic understanding of what needs to be done and reinforcement that safety initiatives are always being followed.