The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the use of a Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) program to prevent injuries caused by the unexpected startup of equipment or the unexpected release of hazardous stored energy. LOTO is used to protect workers when performing maintenance or repairing a machine where the employee must remove or bypass a machine guard. LOTO is also required when an employee is required to place any part of his or her body into an area on a machine or piece of equipment where work is actually performed upon the material being processed (point of operation) or where an associated danger zone exists during a machine operating cycle (29 CFR 1910.147). Hofman Safety & Industrial Hygiene can assist you in developing a written LOTO program.

Equipment Specific LOTO Procedures

Each piece of equipment is required by OSHA to have its own LOTO procedure. Hofman will work with your maintenance staff and supervisors to create equipment-specific LOTO procedures. The equipment specific procedures will describe in detail how to lock out every energy source for that machine. Information included in equipment specific LOTO procedures are the type of energy source, the magnitude of the energy source, the location of the lock out point, how to lock out the energy source, and  how to verify that the energy source is isolated.

There are a variety of energy types that need to be locked out during each LOTO situation. The following is a list of the typical energy sources but any energy source that could cause a machine to startup or move should be locked out.

·          Electrical

·          Pneumatic

·          Gravity

·          Hydraulic

·          Chemical

·          Mechanical

·          Thermal

·          Stored Kinetic (Springs)

Employee Training

There are two types of employees as defined by 29 CFR 1910.147. An Affected Employee is one whose job requires him/her to operate or use a machine or equipment on which servicing or maintenance is being performed under LOTO, or whose job requires him/her to work in an area in which such servicing or maintenance is being performed. An Authorized Employee is a person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment. Both types of employees have different training requirements. Hofman can provide awareness training to Affected Employees, and in depth LOTO training to Authorized Employees. Annual refresher training is also strongly recommended.

Periodic Inspections

Periodic "inspections" of LOTO procedures are required. At least annually, each Authorized Employee must be observed and evaluated ("inspected") performing a machine LOTO. The periodic inspection shall be performed by an authorized employee, other than the one(s) utilizing the energy control procedure. In addition, each written procedure must be reviewed to assure LOTO procedures are current and remain valid. Hofman Safety can assist clients establish protocols for the periodic inspection of LOTO procedures.