Content area
Full text
Reading the OSHA lockout/tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, can be a daunting task. The standard covers four pages of fine print; there are specialized definitions of terms; the sections are lavishly subdivided by numbers, roman numerals, and capital letters. Cross references between sections have the reader jumping back and forth. The complexity is inevitable. OSHA had to write a legally enforceable standard that would hold up in court and be applicable to general industry, from abrasives to zippers and all points in between. If one cuts through the legal jargon and does a bit of reorganizing, the standard is revealed as largely common sense and good management.
Understanding the Basics
The standard addresses a very serious problem. Lockout injuries include a high percentage of amputations and fatalities. To aid compliance, it may be helpful to restate the main points of the standard in terms of some simplified "do's and don'ts."
Understand the intent of the standard, The standard is maintenance-oriented. It covers the servicing and maintenance of machinery where the sudden, unexpected release of energy stored in the machinery could injure the maintenance person or other employees. The standard does not apply to controlling hazards while machinery or equipment is in normal operation. Other OSHA standards apply in those circumstances.
Understand the meaning of "hazardous energy." When one thinks of hazardous energy, the first source that usually comes to mind is electrical power, but there are other sources. Many machines use hydraulic or pneumatic pressure in addition to electric current; if pressure is not relieved, a machine could unexpectedly cycle during maintenance and catch a finger, hand, arm, or worse.
Springs under tension may need to be safely released. Hot surfaces may need to be cooled, as in boiler work. Fuel lines may need to he locked out. Heavy, suspended components, such as press rams and shear blades, may need to be pinned or blocked to prevent falling. Your lockout procedures must cover all such sources.
Understand the meaning of "lockout" and "tagout." Lockout does not mean simply throwing the machine's off switch. According to the standard, lockout involves the placement of a "lockout device" on an "energy isolating device" so that the machine cannot be operated unless the lockout device is removed. In many...