 This program is designed to help employers and employees understand what is required in the standard that applies to the control of energy during maintenance and servicing of equipment and machinery. Employers are required to develop proper lockup procedures and provide protected materials and training for their employees. This program also presents valuable knowledge that can prevent injuries and death. Employees who run or repair machines are usually well protected. Employers wear personal protective equipment such as safety face shields and safety shoes. They guard the machine's hazard points, but when something goes wrong with the equipment and the worker has to get into the machinery, we want to be sure that the machine won't accidentally start up while they're in or around it. To prevent this, a proper lockout-tagout procedure for all sources of energy can be developed to protect workers from the unexpected or unwanted operation of systems, processes, or machinery. This is presently required by the Washington State Administrative Code, WAC, 296-24-110. Lockout is more frequently thought of in connection with electrical switches, because that's where they're commonly used. However, lockout-tagout systems shall be used to inert all energy. The lockout program shall address all types of energy. The WAC standard requires the following sources to be locked out, electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, gravitational, and stored energy for all of these. The present code requirements identify certain conditions that do not come under the lockout-tagout program. These conditions are normal production operations, unless personnel exposure exists as a result of the removal or bypass of a guard, or having any part of an employee's body in the point of operation of a machine, or any associated danger during a machine cycle. Work on cord and plug connected equipment provided that all energy is controlled by unplugging the equipment from the energy source, and the plug is under the exclusive control of the person performing the service. This means the person must be in possession, or within arm's length, and line of sight of the cord and plug, or locked out. Hot-tap operations involving transmission and distribution systems such as gas, steam, water, or petroleum products. Construction, agriculture, power transmission, and other industries will comply with their existing vertical standards. That standard will be supplemented as necessary to meet the full requirements of WAC 296-24 110. The lockout-tagout program requirements will include a written program, a statement of intended use, the classification of personnel involved, the training of personnel, the knowledge of lockout-tagout devices, the enforcement of procedures, and the inspections of the system. A written program shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, techniques, training, and inspection. Program elements utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance include, but are not limited to the following, a specific statement of the intended use of the procedure, specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy, specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, and transfer of lockout or tagout devices and the responsibility for them, specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout and tagout devices and other energy control measures. Each machine or piece of equipment must have a written procedure for the control of energy except where all of the following conditions are met. There is no potential for stored, residual, or reaccumulation of stored energy. If there is a single source of energy readily identifiable when isolated, when a lockout will completely de-energize and deactivate, when a lockout is actually accomplished with a single device, which is under control of an authorized employee, if service or maintenance does not create hazards for others, no accidents took place in this particular machine or equipment. There are three types of people referred to in this program. Authorized persons are designated by an employer to lock out machinery or equipment and are the only ones who may do so. However, there are no restrictions on the number of people who may be designated as the authorized person. Affected persons are employees working in the machine area and the machine operator not designated to repair or service equipment. Other persons are all other employees. The employer shall provide training to all employees to ensure that purpose and function of energy control are understood, knowledge and skills for safe application are received, and usage and removal of energy control are understood. The employer shall certify that employee's training has been accomplished and is being kept up to date. The certification shall contain each employee's name and dates of training. The training shall include the following. Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control. Each affected employee shall be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure. All other employees whose work operations are or may be in an area where energy control procedures may be utilized, shall be instructed about the procedure and about the prohibition relating to the attempts to restart or re-energize machines or equipment which are locked or tagged out. Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in the following, job assignments, machines or equipment, processes that present a new hazard, and energy control procedures. Additional training shall be conducted whenever a periodic inspection reveals shortcomings or whenever the employer has reason to believe that there are deviations from or inadequacies in the employee's knowledge or use of the energy control procedure. Retraining must re-establish proficiency and introduce newer revised control methods and procedures as necessary. Protective material and hardware generally used for lockout and tagouts are locks, tags, chains, self-locking fasteners, wedges, key blocks and adapter pins. All of this protective material and hardware will be provided by the employer. All items must be singularly identified, durable, the only device used for the program and not used for any other purpose. These devices must be standardized within the facility. The best lockout is with a key type padlock. When more than one person is involved, each shall use their own padlock and tag. At times, multiple devices that can hold six or more locks are used to accommodate all locks. This procedure ensures that a switch or control cannot be activated until everyone has removed their lock. Only an authorized person may actually lock out the system. Lockbox procedures are most useful and are used in applications such as multiple crew and crafts or multiple employers working on the same job, machine, system, complex machine or systems with multiple controls and the controls are in locations widely separated or remote from the actual work site. Lockout programs require an identification tag to be used with the lock. The tag must indicate the name, date and reason for the lockout. The tag shall be durable, able to withstand environment and exposure, and standardized throughout the workplace. Locks and tags shall be used together. The implementation of a lockout or tagout system shall be performed only by authorized employees. Authorized employees need to be notified that a machine is or will be shut down. A method of lockout would follow these steps. Ensure the on-off button is in the off or closed position. Lock the main disconnect switch, valve or lever and mark it with a tag. If the lockout involves high voltage, an electrician may be required. Sources of energy must be blocked, shut off or disconnected. All disconnecting means must be legibly marked to indicate which machines or systems they control. If more than one person is working on a machine, each must be an authorized person and attach their lock and tag to the disconnect. Each lock shall be identified to the person placing it by name, clock number or color code. Never use a button, on-off switch, console key or remote control as the lockout point. Equipment has been known to operate or short out with these devices in the off position. The only place for a tagout is at the main power disconnect. To check out the lockout, be sure the proper disconnect has been selected. Recheck the system to be sure the disconnect cannot be switched back on. Try to turn on the machine controls. If the energy is cut off, return the machine or system controls to the off position. Current standards require all electrical equipment to have disconnects. Check the machine or system for any residual or stored energy. Make certain it is rendered harmless, blocked, pin, chalk, etc. Check for other sources that could present a hazard like suspended parts or chemical reactions. After the work is completed, all guards have been replaced and employees have moved to a safe location. Make sure that each authorized employee is responsible for removing their lock. Employees do not re-enter the danger area without re-attaching a lock. The last person with a lock on the system, notify all other authorized personnel prior to removing the lock. The authorized person shall inspect the equipment to be sure that it is clear, reassembled, tools picked up and guards replaced. Lastly, affected employees must be notified of the removal of lockout devices. Personnel must be thoroughly indoctrinated to the seriousness of violating lockout rules. A lock left on could cause an employee to be called back to the work site, or workers may delay work until someone verifies he or she is safe. It is the responsibility of each worker to follow the lockout procedures exactly. Under normal circumstances, a lock should be removed only by the authorized employee to whom the lock is assigned. In an emergency, someone else's lock can be removed only after procedures are established for emergency lock removal. The procedures would involve the approval of management to ensure the safety of all personnel and locating the missing authorized person. The plant manager or designated person shall be responsible for cutting the lock. The missing person must have knowledge of the removed lock before resuming work. The supervisor should be responsible for properly executed departmental lockouts and the adequacy of the lockout procedure. When changing shifts, the relief person will attach his or her lock prior to the relieved person's lock being removed. The disconnect will always be protected during the procedure. Locks are a way to immobilize unattended vehicles or construction equipment during servicing or repair. Key removal from the ignition switch of motorized vehicles or equipment is one method of a lockout. Lockouts are used to control such things as fluids and gases and also on valves. Sometimes chains are also needed to implement the lockout. To isolate tanks or other confined spaces fed by piping, close the supply side valve to relieve the pressure. Start a blank in the flange and it should be locked in to prevent unauthorized removal. Drain and vents may be required to prove a lockout. Additional lockouts may be required to isolate the flange prior to blank removal to prevent against escaping fluids or gases that can cause considerable injury. Vent and bleeder should be installed in all lines behind the primary control valves in piping containing hazardous materials and make sure they're locked open. Personnel working with hazardous materials should always wear personal protective equipment. The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of energy control procedures to ensure the procedural requirements of the standard are being followed. The inspection shall be at least annually by an authorized employee other than the one utilizing the energy control procedure being inspected. All deficiencies must be corrected. Certification of the inspection should include the identification of the machine or equipment, date of inspection, employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection. There may be occasions when you must run a machine under lockout procedures. Some of these conditions are while making final adjustments, removing production materials or threading in carrier belts and ropes. Extreme care must be taken at these times. When testing, positioning or performing running adjustment procedures and where lockouts are temporarily removed the following sequence must be followed. Clear the machine of tools and equipment. Remove employees from the area. Energize. Test their position. And lastly, de-energize all systems and reapply energy control measures. When lockout or tagout is required by an outside contractor, the on-site and outside employers must inform each other of their respective lockout or tagout procedures. The outside employer shall assure that all outside personnel shall comply with all the requirements of the on-site employer's lockout-tagout control program. Any deviation is not permissible without specific prior approval of the on-site employer. An employer may use a tagout system in lieu of a lockout system provided the following conditions are met. The tagout device is attached to where a lockout would have been. The employees receive additional training. The tagout must provide the same level of employee protection as a lockout. This requires additional monitoring to ensure lockout tagout is not bypassed or overridden. Additional isolating measures are needed to remove the circuit element, locking of control switch, opening of additional disconnects, or removing a valve or handle. The special requirements that these tags must have are that they must be attachable by hand, have a self-locking tie which is non-releasable, and have a minimal locking strength of 50 pounds which is at least equivalent to a one-piece all-environment tolerant nylon cable test. The employee applying the tag must be identified on it. The tags will give warning against hazardous conditions such as do not start, do not open, do not close, do not energize, or do not operate. Refer to WAC 296-24-140. Employees must be trained in the limitations of tags. They must understand that tags are warning devices only. They must not be removed, bypassed, or ignored. They must be legible, and able to withstand environmental conditions to which exposed. Tags must be securely attached to avoid being inadvertently or accidentally removed. Tags may evoke a false sense of security, so employees must not disturb them unless they are the authorized person. A lockout or tagout is an easy way to prevent unauthorized use of equipment. It's also a good idea to use a lockout at home to keep children away from power tools. The lockout tagout program can be a nuisance, but with total compliance, at all times, it can prevent injuries, save lives, and prevent damage to property. This program was developed by the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Industrial Safety and Health. It's one of the many programs the division has to offer employers and employees to help them establish a safe and helpful workplace. For further information about this subject, call your local Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Division of Industrial Safety and Health Consultation Services.