I spent this week surrounded by safety pros who wanted to learn the finer details of safety; one day was dedicated to LOTO. I always get some questions about spending a day on LOTO… “what the heck are we going to talk about LOTO for 8 hours?”. I think that if you were to poll…...
LOTO in 2017 has got to be better! Read More »
At 11:57 a.m. on December 27, 2016, an employee, 27 years old, was performing a “salt flush” on line four 2,500 lb. double ribbon mixer. He/she dropped an 80 lb. bag of salt into the mixer. A coworker walked down to close the mixer trap door, and the deceased employee entered the mixer to…...
OSHA issues LOTO citations regarding a ribbon blender fatality Read More »
Recently IN-OSHA issued citations to the nation’s largest grocery store chain when management at one of their retail outlets removed a contractor’s LOTO lock without following their own (or the contractor’s lock removal procedures). We can get some idea as to what happened based on the citations, but bottom line… BEFORE cutting off a LOTO lock, procedures…...
Here’s a LOTO scenario many don’t think about (Lock removal & $17K) Read More »
A 38-year-old welder was fatally injured while doing maintenance on a large chip conveyor at a commercial wood chipping facility. A new conveyor system had been installed to move wood chips from a large chipper to the yard area. The system was operational but not complete. Two workers, including a welder, were working at the…...
OSHA promulgated the LOTO standard in 1989, nearly 30 years ago, and yet… This is the “classic failure” that brought about the LOTO standard – employee kills employee – so when your employees say it never happens, you can provide this. At 11:57 a.m. on December 27, 2016, an employee was performing a salt flush on…...
The classic LOTO fatality still occurs! Read More »
Those who manage Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) in a “processing operation” know first-hand how different LOTO is as compared to how its done in an “assembly line” style operation. I have always picked up some “Best Practices” for LOTO at the companies I worked for over the years and as a consultant, I have seen many more at some of my…...
Guide for the Control of Hazardous Energy in the Process Industries (MIRM) Read More »
In OSHA’s LOTO standard (1910.147), the agency included in their definition of a “lockout device” a “blank flange” and “bolted slip blind” when in fact, these devices are actually “energy isolation devices.” So why would OSHA consider these devices a “lockout device”? NOTE: I am not in agreement with this and have never called a “blank…...
Why does OSHA consider a “blank flange” and “bolted slip blind” as a Lockout device? Read More »
In the Final Rule, OSHA determined that lockout is a surer means of ensuring equipment is de-energized than tagout and is the preferred method. However, the Agency also recognized that tagout will nonetheless need to be used instead of lockout where the energy control device cannot accept a locking device. Where an energy control device…...
When is an “energy isolation device” “capable of being locked out” Read More »
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has released the panel investigation report into the November 20, 2014, explosion and fatality on a platform. The explosion occurred on West Delta Block 105 Platform E, resulting in the tragic death of Jerrel Hancock. Mr. Hancock, a Turnkey Cleaning Services supervisor, died after an explosion inside…...
BSEE Releases Investigation Report into Platform Explosion (LOTO error) Read More »
A 54-year-old male employee was fatality injured while cleaning the de-stacker area of the mogul machine in the gummies department when he was crushed between a tray of product, and the frame of the de-stacker mechanism of the mogul machine. The mogul machine would become obstructed during the day with falling and shifting gummy trays,…...
Crushed by and caught-in between machinery (TN-OSHA) Read More »
A 38-year-old male was fatality injured when his arm, and upper body was pulled into an operating auger as he leaned over the catwalk railing to clean, and sanitize a poultry processing chiller tank. The victim, along with other employees, were cleaning, and sanitizing the reverse flow, cold water chillers in a poultry processing plant…....
Caught in Auger Fatality (TN-OSHA Inspection) Read More »
So does every single energy isolation REQUIRE a written procedure/plan that identifies the types of energy, their magnitude, the means used to isolate them, and the means used to verify zero energy state (ZES)? YES… there is ONLY ONE (1) special exemption that excuses us from having a task-specific isolation procedure/ plan, and that exemption…...
