Thursday, February 5, 2009
Safety Training
The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR that deals with an often forgotten safety consideration: lockout/tagout.
The OSHA Standard
Every year workers are injured, maimed, disabled or killed in gruesome accidents because they fail to disconnect the power source of machinery that they are repairing, servicing or using or because an unaware co-worker prematurely restarts the equipment. Accidents like these are preventable if you understand and follow OSHA's lockout/tagout (LOTO) standard (29 CFR 1910.147). You can print out a copy of this standard by going to: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9804&p_table=STANDARDS
The LOTO standard was developed to protect workers from the unexpected energizing of equipment. LOTO rules apply to machine repairs and maintenance as well as to routine production servicing when those tasks require removing or bypassing a guard or other safety device or placing a body part into a point of operation or other danger zone during and operation cycle.
NOTE: LOTO can be applicable in our industry when, for example, you may be cleaning commercial duct work that has in-line fans or there are other building areas where there are moving parts/machinery that you may come in contact with and must be locked and tagged out. In this case it would be the customer's on-site authorized personnel that would perform this service. Regardless of the situation you and employees must be aware of the need for this process when applicable circumstances arise.
Three Groups Requiring Training
- Authorized Employees - may include electricians, maintenance personnel and some machine operators. These are the only ones authorized to perform LOTO. Through training they are the only ones allowed by OSHA to perform LOTO. Training includes understanding how machinery is powered and to recognize hazardous energy sources. They also need to learn how to isolate and control energy by implementing the stated LOTO procedures.
- Affected Employees - may be comprised of machine operators and helpers who work with machines but aren't authorized to perform LOTO. This group needs to understand the purpose and use of LOTO and that they can't perform any repairs or maintenance on their equipment until it has been properly locked and tagged out. Finally, they need to know that they aren't authorized to remove a lock or tag.
- Other Employees - includes anyone who works in an area where LOTO procedures are used. They must be aware of the purpose of energy control procedures and the importance of not operating locked or tagged out machinery and of not interfering with locks or tags.
The Ten LOTO OSHA-required Procedures
What "authorized employees" only should:
- Notify all affected employees that equipment will be shut down and locked out for services or maintenance.
- Identify the type(s) of energy the equipment uses, e.g., electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical.
- Turn off the machine using the normal stopping procedure.
- Locate and deactivate all energy isolating devices, e.g., circuit breaker or disconnect switch.
- Lockout and/or tagout the energy control switches in an "off" or "safe" position. Tagout alone should only be used when it is impossible to lockout the energy source.
- Release or store blocked energy, e.g., releasing spring tension or blocking spring-driven parts; relieving trapped pressure by venting pneumatic lines, draining or bleeding hydraulic lines; blocking or bracing any gravity-driven moving parts.
- Test the operating controls to ensure energy is locked out and then return controls to "off" or "safe" position.
- Perform necessary repairs or maintenance.
- When the work is completed, make sure all tools and other items have been removed and that machine guards are properly reinstalled. Notify employees in the area that LOTO devices are being removed and keep everyone a safe distance from the machine.
- Remove locks and tags. Only employees who install locks and tags are allowed to remove them before re-energizing equipment, testing it and notifying affected employees that the machine is back on line.
Tagout Training
Employees must be trained in the following limitation of tags:
- Tags are basically warning devices affixed to energy isolating devices and do not provide the physical restraint on those devices that are provided by a lock.
- When a tag is attached to an energy isolating means it is not to be removed without authorization of the authorized person responsible for it, and it is never to be bypassed, ignored or otherwise defeated.
- Tags must be legible and understandable by all authorized employees, affected employees and all other employees whose work operations are or may be in the area in order to be effective.
- Tags and their means of attachment must be made of materials that will withstand the environment conditions encountered in the workplace.
- Tags may cause a false sense of security and their meaning needs to be understood as part of the overall energy control program.
- Tags must be securely attached to energy isolating devices so that they cannot be inadvertently or accidentally detached during their use.
Lockout/Tagout Supplies and Sources
There are a lot sources that may be found through the web for lockout/tagout supplies. Here is one kit from Labelmaster that contains a variety of tags and locks to take care of virtually any situation. It may be found at: http://www.labelmaster.com/lmstore/default.aspx?screen=product/catalog&cataloglevel=2715
Lockout/tagout kit
For additional information on LOTO training visit BLR's website at: http://www.blr.com/.
Labels: Personnel, Safety Compliance, Safety Management, Training
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