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: a) On or about 10:30 p.m., December 20, 1987, and at times prior to, employees realigning the reclaimer chains at the reclaimer area of the co-generator plant were exposed to the hazard of becoming entangled in the moving conveyor chains, by working on and around the moving chains, or by having the chains inadvertently activated during the realigning procedure. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to develop and impelement a safe operating procedures program, including a lockout policy such as that stipulated by AZSI Z244.1-1982, Section 4 & 5, American National Standard of Minimum Safety Requirements for Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources for Personal Protection. Essential elemetns of the safe operating procedures program and lockout policy would include: 1) Establishing written safety policy rules and procedures relating to working on moving equipment. 2) Before any maintenance, inspection, clearing, adjusting, or servicing of equipment (electrical, mechanical, or other) that required entrance into or close contact with the machinery or equipment, the main power disconnect switch or valve, or both, controlling its source of power to flow of material, shall be locked out or blocked off with a padlock, blank flange, or similar service. Residual energy in equipment having systems such as pneumatic, hydraulic, compressed springs, or other shall have these systems bled off, blocked or other effective means impelemented to create a zero energy state. 3) Provide each employee locks keyed separately to ensure removal only by that employee. 4) Provide safety and lock out training for all effected employees, including both maintenance and operational crews. 5) Strickly enforce all provisions of the safety program and the lockout policy. 6) Periodically evaluate the program and lock out policy for effectiveness. 7) Install electrical power disconnect switches for the chains in the reclaimer area so that employees do not have to go to the 2nd floor of the boiler building next door to shut off the power.