Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: LOCKOUT

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to crushing hazards due to inadvertent or intentional start up of machinery while performing maintenance or cleaning operations on plant equipment such as Silos for Block Plant, bins #1-8. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to establish and enforce an adequate plant lockout/tagout procedure consisting of, but not limited to, the following: 1) The development of an energy control program, using locks when equipment can be locked out. 2) Employment of additional means to ensure safety when tags rather than locks are used to control energy sources by implementing and enforcing an effective tagout program. 3) Ensure that new equipment or overhauled equipment can accommodate locks. 4) Identification and implementation of specific procedures (preferably in writing) for the control of hazardous energy including preparation for shutdown, actual shutdown or equipment, isolation of equipment, lock/tagout application, release of stored energy, and verification of isolation. 5) Institution of procedures for release of lockout/tagout including machine inspection, notification and safe positioning of employees and removal of the lockout/tagout device. 6) Obtaining standardized locks and tags which indicate the identity of the employee using them and which are of sufficient quality and durability to ensure their effectiveness. 7) Conducting inspections of energy control procedures on a frequent basis. 8) Training of employees in the specific energy control procedures with training reminders as part of the periodic inspections of the control procedures. 9) Adoption of procedures to ensure safety when equipment must be tested during servicing, when outside contractors are working at the site, when a multiple lockout is needed for a crew servicing equipment and when shifts or personnel change. This abatement method outlined above is general and the employer, based on his superior knowledge of working conditions, is responsible for developing and implementing an abatement method which will be suitably protective of employee's safety and health. NOTE: The new OSHA Lockout/Tagout standard goes into effect October 31, 1989 and should be followed when developing an abatement program. However, there has been an administrative stay on enforcement until January 2, 1990.