How to Design a Lock Out - Tag Out Program

Energy in machinery must be controlled before maintenance and repair operations.

Lock-out Tag-out programs describe the procedures necessary to isolate hazardous energy in a machine, equipment or tools prior to performing, maintenance repair or set-up. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that only specially trained employees attempt to isolate hazardous energy such as electricity, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal and potential energy. Because these procedures can be complex, OSHA and general industry best practices require several items to be present in the design of a Lock-out Tag-out program.

Instructions

1. Develop energy control procedures. OSHA requires that energy control procedures be established for all machines that will have maintenance, repair, set-up or clean-up operations performed on them and may expose workers to the unexpected release of hazardous energy. Oklahoma State University's environmental health and safety program indicates that energy control procedures must also include special rules for the removal of energy isolating devices and special circumstances such as shift change procedures.

2. Create employee training programs. Thee levels of training are needed for an effective Lock-out Tag-out program according to the Workplace Group. Authorized employees are individuals recognized as having sufficient training to safely perform Lock-out Tag-out procedures on machinery and equipment. This training must include standard rules of Lock-out Tag-out as well as machine specific procedural training.

3. Integrate a program review protocol. OSHA requires an annual review of the Lock-out Tag-out program procedures to ensure that the written procedures are being utilized and specific energy isolation procedures are correct.

Tips & Warnings

• Machine or equipment specific energy isolation procedures should have the following elements according to Workplace group. Sources and the method of control of hazardous energy must be identified and documented. Proper equipment shut down procedures and the location for the placement of energy isolating devices and lock-out tags must be indicated in the procedure. The testing procedure for completeness of energy isolation must be spelled out.

References

• Oklahoma State University: Lockout/Tagout Program Elements
• Workplace Group: Critical Elements of an Effective Lockout/Tagout Program
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 1910.147 The Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout)