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) Serious cuts from inadvertent contact with the rotating cutting blades while freeing the cutting areas of the four bag machines from jams. Among other methods, one feasible, and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to establish and enforce an adequate plant lockout procedure which would include the following essentials: 1) Requirement for shutting off the machines before unjamming material at the cutting ends for daily operational crews be established, in writing with training as needed; 2) Open and lockout the main power disconnect for the machines and bleeding off of any residual energy by maintenance crews for major problems; 3) Provide each potentially exposed employee working on the machines with a separate lock and key to be placed in the lockout means if needed; 4) Periodically evaluate the program and strictly enforce all its provisions.