Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 007 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: ...the hazard of being caught in conveyors, motors and other equipment when performing such duties as maintenance, oiling and lubrication, throughout the plant, on or about 6/21/88. Reference ANSI Z244.1 of 1982, Minimum Safety Requirements for Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources for Personal Protection. Abatement of the hazard can be accomplished by the establishment of 1) effective administrative controls over the work being performed, 2) training workers in the recognition and avoidance of hazards, 3) instituting safe shutdown procedures of machinery and equipment, 4) blocking, stopping and reducing machinery and equipment to Zero Mechanical Energy State (ZMES), and 5) documentation of maintenance being performed, when appropriate. Specific elements of the abatement program shall include, but are not necessarily limited to: 1) The maintenance of current operations and maintenance manuals on all machinery and equipment to be serviced. This includes the provision of the appropriate manuals and/or information contained therein of affected workers before work is begun. 2) The analysis-of all machinery and equipment used in the workplace to determine the electrical and mechanical hazards which are present Following such analysis, a set of documented procedures to be used during the maintenance and operation such machinery and equipment shall be established. 3) The establishment and use of a documented work order system for machinery equipment operation, maintenance, and repair. This system shall document the repairs made to the machinery and equipment, due to both preventive maintenance and to machinery or equipment failure, and shall use the information derived to improve preventive maintenace programs, reduce costs, increase on-line time, and reduce worker injuries. 4) The establishment and use of a standard "lock-out" procedure, where prior to the start of any work, all electrical power to the machinery or equipment shall first be switched off. Each worker involved in maintenance of repair operations on the machinery or equipment shall then attach a personally-assigned lock to the electric control switch to prevent the re-energizing of the machinery or equipment. This procedure shall also require the worker(s) to assure that all electric circuits are de-energized, and that a unique situation information tag shall be attached to the lock and machinery energizing control. However this specific provision shall not be required where a single worker on a specific piece of machinery or equipment, by his immediate proximity to the electrical control switch (i.e., within his reach), prevent inadvertent activation of the machinery or equipment by others. 5) The implementation of a procedure that requires that all fluid energy power sources (pressurized air or liquid) which could produce movements of portions of the machinery or equipment to be cut off through the use of shut off valves or other equivalent means, and the supply lines toward the machinery or equipment reduced in pressure to atmospheric pressure, or the machinery or equipment blocked against any possible movement. All temperature and pressure sensors and gauges on the affected supply lines shall be maintained in operational condition to provide an accurate reading of the current pressure status. 6) The implementation of a procedure that requires that all mechanical gravity fall potential energy within the machinery or equipment to be reduced to zero, or as nearly so as possible, by such means as lowering elevated machinery or equipment parts to the floor or solid surfaces, or by cribbing and blocking them in place. 7) The implementation of a procedure that requires that all mechanical kinetic rotating machine energy within the machinery or equipment to be reduced to zero, or as nearly so as possible, by slowing the rotating parts to a stop. Loose machine parts, including arms, knives etc., shall be blocked or secured to prevent possible injury to workers. In lieu of this procedure the worker may be guarded from the rotating parts by installing temporary guards. 8) The implementation of a procedure that requires the removal of all guards, tie offs, cribbing and blockage from the machinery or equipment in such a manner so as to prevent worker injuries. The machinery or equipment shall then be re-energized and run experimentally under close supervision. After it is fully functional, the machinery or equipment shall be formally returned to service and the operations manager shall countersign the safety tag-out tag and the work order. The employer shall formally document his safe machine maintenance program and shall develop a training program to instruct affected maintenance and operation workers and management. The employer shall train his workers in the provisions of this program. The training shall be repeated as frequently as is necessary to maintain management and worker proficiency and compliance with the procedures. DISCLAIMERS: 1) You are not limited to the abatement methods suggested above. 2) The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all cases. 3) The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an appropriate abatement method.