Risk Management
Employee Safety Manual
Lockout/Tagout
May 2007

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)

 1.         Purpose:

1.1       It is the official practice of John Wood Community College that any employee, during the normal course of their duties, engaging in the maintenance, repairing, cleaning, servicing, or adjusting of prime movers, machinery, or equipment will abide by the guidelines outlined in this procedure.  This procedure is designed to meet the requirements for compliance with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147, “Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)”.

2.         Procedure:

2.1       Definitions:

2.1.1    Lockout: The practice of using keyed or combination security devices (locks) to prevent the unwanted activation of mechanical or electrical equipment.

2.1.2    Tagout: The practice of using tags in conjunction with locks to increase the visibility and awareness that equipment is not to be energized or activated until such devices are removed.

2.1.3    Activation/Energization: To set machinery into motion by starting, switching, pushing, moving, or otherwise engaging power sources for such equipment.  To provide a flow of electricity or complete a circuit that is the main power source for the machinery/equipment.

2.1.4    Energy Control Procedures: Use of lockout/tagout equipment to ensure safe work practices.

2.1.5    Hazardous Motion: Motion of equipment under mechanical stress or gravity that may abruptly release and cause injury.  Hazardous motion may result even after power sources are disconnected.

2.1.6    Prime Mover: Power driven machinery and equipment.

3.         Responsibilities:

3.1       Physical Plant:

3.1.1    Ensure that the lockout/tagout procedures are in compliance with OSHA and Department of Labor requirements.

3.1.2    Provide training and document training of employees affected by lockout/tagout procedures.

3.1.3    Inspect and document inspections of energy control procedures and practices to ensure that general and specific lockout/tagout procedures are being followed using the Lockout/Tagout Inspection Form (Appendix A).

3.1.4    Ensure that each employee and each on-site contractor engaging in work requiring lockout/tagout procedures understands and adheres to those procedures.

3.1.5    Provide and maintain the necessary equipment and resources to remain compliant with OSHA and Department of Labor lockout/tagout standards.

3.2       Employees:

3.2.1    Adhere to specific practices for all tasks that require the use of lockout/tagout procedures as outlined in this procedure.

3.2.2    Assist the Physical Plant in their responsibilities relating to this procedure.

4.         General Guidelines:

4.1       Preparation for Lockout/Tagout:

4.1.1    Make a survey to locate and identify all isolating devices to be certain which switches, valves, or other energy isolating devices apply to the equipment to be locked or tagged out.  Be aware that more than one energy source may be involved.

4.2       Sequence of Lockout/Tagout System Procedure:

4.2.1    Notify affected persons that a lockout/tagout system is going to be utilized and the reason therefore.  The authorized employee should know the type and magnitude of energy that the machine or equipment utilizes and should understand the hazards thereof.

4.2.2    If the machine or equipment is operating, shut it down by the normal stopping method.

4.2.3    Operate the switches, valves, or other energy isolating devices so that the equipment is isolated from its energy sources.  Stored energy must be dissipated or restrained.

4.2.4    Lockout/Tagout the energy isolating devices with approved locks/tags.

4.2.5    After ensuring that no persons are exposed, double check whether the energy sources have been disconnected and operate the normal operating controls to make certain the equipment will not operate.  Remember to return the normal operating controls to the OFF position.

4.2.6    The equipment is now locked/tagged out.

4.3       Restoring Machines or Equipment to Normal Operations: 

4.3.1    After servicing and/or maintenance are complete and equipment is ready for normal operations, check the area around the machine or equipment to ensure that no person is exposed.

4.3.2    After all tools have been removed from the machine or equipment, guards have been reinstalled, and persons are not exposed, remove all lockout/tagout devices.  Operate the energy isolating devices to restore energy to the machine or equipment.

4.4       Temporary Removal of Lockout/Tagout Devices:

4.4.1    In situations where lockout/tagout devices must be temporarily removed from the energy isolating device and the machine or equipment must be energized to test or position the machine or equipment, the following sequence of actions should be implemented.

4.4.1.1             Remove non-essential items and ensure that the machine or equipment components are operationally intact.

4.4.1.2             Notify affected persons that lockout/tagout devices have been removed and ensure no persons are exposed.

4.4.1.3             Energize and proceed with testing and/or repositioning.

4.4.1.4             De-energize all systems and reapply energy control measures in accordance with this procedure.

4.5       Maintenance Requiring Undisrupted Energy Supply:

4.5.1    Where maintenance, repairing, cleaning, servicing, adjusting, or setting up operations cannot be accomplished with the prime mover or energy source disconnected, such operations may only be performed under the following conditions.

4.5.1.1             The operating station where the machine may be activated must at all times be under the control of a qualified operator.

4.5.1.2             All participants must be in clear view of the operator or in positive communication with each other.

4.5.1.3             All participants must be beyond the reach of machine elements that may move rapidly and present a hazard.

4.5.1.4             Where machine configuration or size requires that the operator leave the control station, and where there are machine elements that may move rapidly, such elements must be separately locked/tagged out.

4.5.1.5             During repair procedures where mechanical components are being adjusted or replaced, the machine or equipment shall be de-energized or disconnected from its power source.