Text For Citation: 03 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) The hazard of electrical shock which could result in death due to the accidental energizing of bare, live 240-volt electrical wires which were exposed to contact by employees who were rebuilding the gear box on the P & H 5-ton bridge crane in Plant 2, on or about 9/11/87. One feasible and acceptable abatement method among others, to correct this hazard, is to establish and enforce an adequate plant lockout procedure such as that stipulated by ANSI B30.17-1985, Section 17-2.3.2 (2) and (3), American National Standard Overhead and Gantry Cranes, and by ANSI Z244.1-1982, Section 4 and 5, American National Standard of Minimum Safety Requirements for Lockout/Tagout of Energy Sources for Personnel Protection. Essential elements of the lockout procedure would include: 1) Open and lock out the main power disconnect for the machine and bleed off any residual energy; 2) Provide each potentially exposed employee working in the area with separate lock and key to be placed on the lockout means; 3) Establish a written lockout policy, including procedures to be followed and training for all affected employees, both maintenance and operational crews; 4) Periodically evaluate the program and strictly enforce all of its provisions.