Lockout Tagout

Way back in April 2016, the OSHRC published a decision that settled the argument about LOTO procedures for “specific equipment/machines” and what they must contain.  This important decision helped settle a lot of scuttlebutt about how LOTO gets managed in “complex” situations.  I like to explain to clients that LOTO in a chemical process is…...

To follow up on the post from yesterday regarding the use of these “lockout devices”, I was reminded by many of you in the same camp as me, that these devices are also highly questionable when we look at their ability to meet the “substantial“ requirement.  These safety pros all agreed that the use of…...

The standard specifies several information collection requirements. The following sections describe who uses the information collected under each requirement and how they use it. These requirements aim to control the release of hazardous energy while workers service, maintain, or repair machines or equipment when activation, startup, or release of energy from an energy source is…...

The OSHRC sided with the company that used Appendix A from 1910.147 as their machine-specific LOTO procedure.  They did so without any revisions to the content of the Appendix, and the OSHRC found this as an acceptable machine-specific LOTO procedure!   … Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a...

A manufacturer of rigid metal, plastic, and hybrid containers faces $503,380 in proposed penalties after OSHA inspectors responded to four (4) separate reports of workers suffering injuries at the facility. As a result of its investigations, OSHA cited the business for five (5) repeated and five (5) serious safety violations of machine safety procedures and placed…...

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…...

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…...