Energy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers—in fact, hazardous energy leads to workplace fatalities every year. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers, but there are ways to mitigate the risks posed by hazardous energy, namely through Lockout/Tagout procedures.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration upholds a standard for an employer’s responsibility to protect workers from hazardous energy, which includes the full implementation of Lockout/Tagout procedures and adequately training employees so that they know, understand, and are able to follow its provisions. As safety consultant experts, The SP Group has found that effective Lockout/Tagout training is the single most important factor in minimizing the risk of hazardous energy. Read on for our insight into optimizing your training program so that you can ensure your employees are safe and all regulatory requirements are met.
Lockout/Tagout (often referred to as LOTO) is a phrase to describe the safety procedures for the isolation of machinery and other work equipment in which energy is used, stored, or created. It’s a system that helps to avoid potential accidents and incidents that can occur during maintenance, servicing, repair, or inspection activities in the workplace.
LOTO involves placing a padlock on a machine once the energy has been fully isolated from it, and then attaching a tag to the machine to communicate that it should not be used. This ensures that workers can complete necessary maintenance, servicing, repair, or inspection work safely, without putting themselves or others at risk. LOTO is also used for machines that present risks during maintenance, servicing, repair, or inspection, such as power presses, processing machines and automatic processing lines, mixing machines, ovens, conveyor systems, and mechanical handling systems, amongst others.
Without these preventative measures, there’s a chance that machines that are being serviced and worked on could be accidentally activated, exposing maintenance personnel to hazardous electricity. The lock mechanism creates a physical barrier to prevent machines from being activated, and the tag gives a visual cue that indicates that a machine should not be activated. This should coincide with a training program that informs all employees, regardless if their job is associated with electrical work or not, what LOTO is and how to follow its provisions.
A robust lockout/tagout program is a regulatory requirement and a cornerstone of workplace safety. It protects your employees from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, preventing injuries and fatalities. Ensuring all devices are properly locked and tagged out during maintenance and repair operations is vital for safety and security. Benefits of a robust lockout/tagout training program include:
Your LOTO program and its corresponding training may need to be updated. It is an ongoing health and safety mechanism that should be continually evaluated for its effectiveness and compliance with regulatory standards. Be on the lookout for recurring safety incidents, outdated or worn-out lockout tags, non-compliance issues found in inspections, and negative feedback from employees. Also, be aware of changes or additions in machinery and equipment that should require updates to your LOTO program and training regimen.
As mentioned above, training is a crucial component of the LOTO program. Here are several tips to improve your LOTO training and thereby minimize potential risks:
LOTO programs are less useful if employees do not understand all their aspects. Your training program should be comprehensive, covering all relevant aspects, and straightforward, clear, and easy to understand.
OSHA requires LOTO training once a year, but accountability should be at the forefront of every training program. Consider assigning each employee a role to ensure the accountability of others in their team, and provide clear expectations about consequences should LOTO procedures be avoided or incorrectly followed.
Your training program should continually be reviewed for its effectiveness as well as its applicability to new, updated equipment and machinery. Consider conducting evaluations from a corporate perspective as well as from the employee level, such as asking whether there was any confusion about the process and whether the information provided in training was suitable for any updates your facility may have received.
Similarly to the above, investing in audits and inspections can help determine the overall effectiveness of a LOTO training program. By hiring the help of a third-party safety consultant, you can gain unbiased feedback about the training and safety procedures currently in place and receive insight into how to optimize them for a better workplace in the future.
An effective Lockout/Tagout training program is critical to ensuring that employees are safe from risks posed by hazardous energy. Unfortunately, LOTO programs and training are just one aspect of comprehensive occupational safety, and there are a plethora of safety risks employees and customers might face depending on a company’s industry. If you think your employees could benefit from an improved LOTO training program or if you have concerns about other facets of your workplace safety, contact The SP Group to learn more about partnering with a professional safety consultant today!