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: a) The employer did not implement a main power lock-out program where employees throughout the plant were required to clean, maintain,and operate machines and equipment. Employees were exposed to the hazard of having parts of their bodies crushed, lacerated, or amputated in the event that machines should be re-started during normal operations. Feasible and useful methods of abatement, among other methods, would be to provide the protection of a positive main power lock-out procedure, which would include the following essentials: 1) Open and lock-out main power disconnect for the machine and bleed off any residual energy prior to performing cleaning and maintenance operations. 2) Provide each potentially exposed employee working in the area with separate lock and key to be placed on the lock-out means. 3) Establish a written lock-out policy including procedures to be followed and training for all affected employees. 4) Install automatic braking devices which will stop all movement of machinery immediately upon interruption of power to the machine. 5) Install interlock devices which will prevent any access doors from being opened before the machine has come to complete stop. 6) Periodically evaluate the program and strickly enforce all of its provisions.