• This session covers the safety procedure known as “lockout/tagout,”
which is required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) in its standard on Control of Hazardous Energy. This is part of
your training as an “affected employee”—that is, someone who
operates machinery or equipment on which servicing or maintenance
is being performed under lockout or tagout. This training is also
required if you work in an area where servicing or maintenance of
machinery or equipment is being performed, even if you don’t operate
or service any equipment.
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The main objective of this session is to familiarize you with lockout/tagout
requirements and procedures as they affect your job. By the time this
session is over, you should be able to:
• Recognize hazardous energy sources.
• Carry out your responsibilities related to lockout/tagout.
• Understand the purpose and use of energy control devises and
procedures.
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During the session, we’ll discuss:
• What hazardous energy is and how it is controlled;
• OSHA’s lockout/tagout regulations;
• Your responsibilities during and after lockout/tagout;
• Management’s responsibilities; and
• Lockout/tagout devices and procedures.
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What is hazardous energy? That’s an important question when you work
with or around machinery and equipment.
Hazardous energy can be defined as:
• Live or stored electricity; or
• Machine or equipment parts that are still moving—or have the
potential to move—after shut-off.
It’s also important to realize that hazardous energy is often invisible. In
other words, it’s not immediately obvious that a hazard exists. That makes
it especially hazardous.
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One major category of hazardous energy is the energy stored in machinery
or equipment after it has been turned off. Examples include:
• Heat;
• The force of gravity that could cause the machinery to continue to
move;
• Pressure of fluids or air, as with pneumatic or hydraulic equipment;
• Steam, such as when it remains in a pipe after shut-off; or
• Chemicals that might remain under pressure or subject to the force
of gravity.
Think about examples of hazardous energy in your workplace, including
machinery or equipment that could injure someone even after it is shut off.
Describe types of energy sources in your facility. Modify this slide to list the
energy sources at your facility.
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The release of hazardous energy can cause extremely serious injuries.
That’s why lockout/tagout procedures are so important.
• There are thousands of injuries every year resulting from hazardous
energy related to electricity. Injuries include electrocution, burns,
amputations, cuts, scalding, and crushing.
• Many of these injuries could be prevented by turning off equipment and
making sure it stays off before servicing it. In fact, a government study
showed that 80 percent of workers fail to turn of equipment before
servicing it.
• These types of injuries are primarily caused by:
– Unexpected start-up of equipment;
– The release of stored energy; or
– Failure to lock out or tag out machinery or equipment.
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To prevent injuries, hazardous energy must be effectively controlled. The
way we do that is by following lockout and tagout procedures and using
lockout and tagout devices. These procedures and devices prevent access
to hazardous energy and warn you to avoid it.
Lockout/tagout:
• Prevents machinery or equipment from being turned on during
servicing and maintenance;
• Prevents machine and equipment parts from moving, usually by using
locking or blocking devices; and
• Provides a means of warning you, usually with warning tags, when it is
not possible to lock out controls or parts.
Have you ever been in a situation where a machine started up or an
equipment part moved unexpectedly? It can be pretty frightening, and such
incidents show why lockout/tagout is so important.
Identify the types of machinery and equipment in the workplace that might
need to be locked or tagged out.
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Our lockout/tagout program is required by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, or OSHA. According to OSHA regulations, the
following employees must be trained in energy hazards and lockout/tagout
procedures:
• “Authorized employees” are those who service and maintain machinery
and equipment.
• “Affected employees” are the ones who operate machinery and
equipment but do not service and maintain them. If you do both, then
you must be trained as an authorized employee.
• Finally, “other employees” also need to be trained. These are workers
who do not service or operate equipment, but who work nearby and
need to know about energy hazards and control procedures for their
protection.
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Even though you don’t actually carry out lockout/tagout procedures, you
have important safety responsibilities related to these procedures.
Depending on whether you’re a machine operator or just someone working
nearby, you must fulfill some or all of the following responsibilities:
• Notify maintenance when equipment needs to be serviced or repaired;
• Leave all lockout/tagout devices in place while authorized employees
are servicing or repairing machinery;
• Wait for authorized employees to tell you it’s OK before using
equipment;
• Verify that equipment is safe to operate after servicing or repairs have
been completed and locks and tags have been removed;
• And finally, follow all safety rules when operating machinery or
equipment, or when working around machinery or equipment.
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Management also has important responsibilities related to lockout/tagout
and the control of hazardous energy. We must:
• Ensure that machinery and equipment is properly de-energized when
it’s time for service or repair;
• Ensure that employees recognize hazardous energy and know how to
avoid it;
• Provide the appropriate level of training, depending on whether you are
an “authorized,” “affected,” or “other” employee according to OSHA
regulations;
• Periodically review our lockout/tagout program to make sure it remains
effective;
• Maintain the program and revise it whenever necessary; and
• Administer appropriate discipline if employees do not follow proper
hazardous energy control rules and procedures.
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• Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information that has
been presented so far. Do you understand what hazardous energy is and
how it is controlled? Do you understand the roles of different
employees under OSHA regulations? Do you understand your
responsibilities related to lockout/tagout?
It’s important for your safety that you understand this information.
Answer any questions trainees have about the information presented in the
previous slides.
Conduct an exercise, if appropriate.
Now let’s continue to the next slide and discuss energy isolation devices.
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• An energy isolation device is a device used to isolate the machinery or
equipment from its energy source. Before authorized employees can
perform any service or maintenance on a machine, they have to use an
isolation device. This device ensures that there is no possibility of an
unexpected start-up or release of energy that could cause an injury.
• Examples of energy isolation devices include:
– Electrical circuit breakers;
– Pressure valves, such as pipeline valves; or
– Machine blocks
Can you think of any other isolation devices that prevent unexpected startup of machinery or equipment?
Describe or show examples of energy isolation devices in your workplace.
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A lockout device is a device that physically prevents access to the part of a
machine or equipment that controls the energy source. There are many
kinds of lockout devices that might be used, depending on the situation.
But all such devices must be capable of being locked. In addition, all types
of lockout devices must be durable and capable of withstanding attempts
to unlock or open them.
Examples of lockout devices include:
• Locks;
• Blocks;
• Chains;
• Multilock hasps;
• Wheel valve covers; and
• Ball valve covers.
Think about the kinds of lockout devices you’ve seen on the job. Did you
notice how they are designed to prevent unexpected start-up?
Show examples of lockout devices used in your facility.
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A tagout device is used when it is impossible to use a lockout device. Here
are some important things you should know about tagout devices:
• Tags are for warning purposes only; they do not control hazardous
energy.
• Tags must be readable and legible so that anyone working near them
can notice and understand them.
• They must be attached securely to the isolating device, at the same
place a lockout device would be attached.
• Tags must be resistant to degradation so that they cannot be crumpled
or rendered unreadable.
• And finally, tagout devices can be removed only by an authorized
employee once energy has been restored.
Think about the kinds of tagout devices you’ve seen on the job. Did you
notice how they are designed to attract your attention, warn you of the
hazard, and provide important safety instructions?
Show examples of tags used at your facility. [Materials to have on hand:
Examples of tags.]
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All lockout and tagout devices must be:
• Durable and capable of withstanding the environment they’re in;
• Standardized by color, size, and shape so that they are more easily
recognized;
• Substantial enough so that they cannot be accidentally removed; and
• Identifiable as safety devices with a legend that used phrases such as
“Do Not Operate,” “Do Not Start,” or “Do Not Energize.”
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Any machinery or equipment that contains or stores hazardous energy is
subject to lockout/tagout. Examples include:
• Presses;
• Power saws;
• Conveyors;
• Pumps;
• Production equipment; and
• Trash compactors.
Take a moment to think about the machinery and equipment in your
workplace that is subject to lockout/tagout.
Describe or show employees the type of machinery and equipment in your
workplace that is subject to lockout/tagout. Modify this slide to list the
energized equipment used in your facility.
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When should lockout/tagout devices and procedures be used? They must
be used:
• Whenever machinery or equipment is being serviced, maintained, or
repaired;
• When hazardous energy exists, such as electricity from a service outlet,
a generator, or a battery; and
• Whenever unexpected start-up could occur, such as if a machine
operator were to start up a machine without realizing it was being
serviced.
Authorized employees must consider all possible sources of hazardous
energy when servicing or repairing equipment. They can never afford to
take chances with your safety or their own by failing to observe
lockout/tagout requirements. The rule they must follow is: When in doubt,
lock it out!
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Even if you don’t perform service and repairs on machinery and equipment,
you should be aware of the actions and circumstances that trigger
lockout/tagout procedures. Basically, any time an authorized employee
could be injured by machinery or equipment during servicing or repair, it
should be de-energized and locked out.
Examples of circumstances like these include:
• Removing or bypassing a safety device while performing service or
repair;
• Placing any part of the body in harm’s way during servicing; and
• Potentially being exposed to hazardous energy while performing service
or repair work.
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Occasionally, there are exceptions to lockout/tagout requirements.
• The most obvious exception is when there is no potential for hazardous
energy to be released. For example, when equipment is not powered by
electricity, air or water pressure, or some other form of potentially
hazardous energy.
• Routine adjustments to a machine that are part of normal operation
also do not require lockout/tagout. It’s a good idea, however, to have a
second person near a disconnect who can shut down the equipment
while the first person works on it. If routine adjustments need to be
performed on operating equipment, whenever possible, the equipment
should be placed in neutral or idling mode.
• Equipment that is controlled by a power cord does not require
lockout/tagout because the hazardous energy is controlled simply by
pulling the plug. But there are lockout devices that fit the male end of
an electrical plug, and it’s a good idea for repair and service personnel
to use these to prevent any possibility that the equipment could be
plugged in unexpectedly while it’s being serviced.
• Finally, “hot tap” operations that could conceivably shut down our
facility are not subject to lockout/tagout if doing so would affect the
operation of the facility as a whole.
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If you operate machinery or equipment, you should understand the
lockout/tagout procedure, even though you don’t perform it.
Authorized employees must follow these basic steps:
• First, they should notify affected employees such as yourself of the
planned lockout or tagout.
• Then, they shut down the machinery or equipment.
• Next, authorized employees isolate the equipment from all energy
sources.
• They then lock or tag out the energy isolation device to prevent
unexpected start-up.
• Then, all energy must be released from the equipment, or restrained as
in the case of blocking.
• Finally, the machine must be tested—that is, there should be an
attempt to restart it—to make sure that isolation and de-energization
have actually occurred.
If you’ve witnessed this procedure, you’ve notice how careful authorized
employees are to follow all the steps.
Review your workplace’s specific lockout/tagout procedures, modifying this
and the next slide to include site-specific procedures.
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Following proper restart procedures after lockout/tagout is as important for
safety as the original shutdown and de-energization. Again, even though
you won’t be the person performing the procedure, you’ll probably be on
hand and therefore should know what will happen.
• First, the authorized employee inspects the equipment carefully to
make sure that nonessential items such as tools or old parts have been
removed and that all components are intact. This inspection is done
before any lockout/tagout devices are removed.
• Next, the authorized employee clears “affected” and “other” employees
away from the equipment and notifies you that all lockout and tagout
devices are about to be removed and the equipment is about to be
restarted.
• Then, the authorized employee removes the locks and tags and
reactivates any isolation devices that had been de-activated.
• Finally, the authorized employee restarts the machinery or equipment.
Think about the steps in the restart-up procedure. Do you understand why
following these steps is important to everyone’s safety?
Review your workplace’s specific restart procedures.
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• Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information
presented in the previous slides. Even though you don’t actually
perform lockout/tagout, as the operator of the machinery or equipment
being locked or tagged out, or as someone working nearby during
lockout/tagout, it’s important for your safety that you understand the
devices and procedures described in the previous slides.
Answer any questions trainees have about the information presented in the
previous slides.
Conduct an exercise, if appropriate.
Now let’s wrap up this session with some key points to remember.
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Here are the main points to remember from this training session on
lockout/tagout:
• Hazardous energy is dangerous and deadly. Failure to lock out
equipment is a leading cause of death and injury in the workplace.
• Lockout/tagout procedures must be used whenever unexpected startup or stored energy release could occur.
• Be sure to observe lockout/tagout rules and leave all devices in place
while equipment is being serviced, maintained, or repaired, and wait for
instructions from authorized employees before using equipment.
• Verify that equipment is safe to operate following lockout/tagout.
This concludes the training session on lockout/tagout.
Give trainees the quiz, if appropriate.
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