Line Breaking and Equipment Opening (LEO) hazards are oftentimes not well recognized or respected, even in PSM/RMP-covered processes. Once we are removed from a “covered process,” the lack of recognition and lack of respect only increases. But in my career, some of the more serious accidents involving LEO on lines/equipment did NOT involve processes covered […]
This is a fascinating case, as the OSHRC has upheld this citation, although they significantly reduced the $ and made it “other-than-serious.” But again, I disagree with this case, as the workers appeared to have been protected during the belt change; they did not follow the LOTO procedure, which I believe was “lazily written.” This
At 6:52 p.m. on August 10, 2020, three (3) employees attempted to remove a clog from a hydrolyzed. A hydrolyzed apparatus is used to conduct the hydrolysis reaction in starch. The employees were unable to get the steam to release from the pressure vessel. Employee #1, a senior maintenance worker, made the decision to open
In a lot of older plants, personnel who are locking out equipment are not granted the convenience of a “local electrical disconnect,” meaning they have to use what I call “knife disconnects” such as this: Or do we make the qualified electrical workers the “gatekeepers” of all electrical LOTO, and thus only they operate these
While cleaning an auger used to rice potatoes, a 39-year-old production worker found her left arm caught in a running auger. The worker suffered multiple lacerations and a partial amputation of her arm. Co-workers had to cut the auger apart to free her arm. An investigation in September 2020 by OSHA determined that the business
A manual ¼ turn ball valve (#1) was the lead isolation valve in a Double Block and Bleed arrangement. The valve handle was incorrectly secured using a run of pipe BELOW the valve. As shown, the valve handle would swing down in order to OPEN the valve. With the chain securing the valve on the
Scenario: A piece of equipment has twelve (12) energy sources, which must be isolated to get the piece of equipment down to a zero energy state (ZES). I have a task that will expose me to ONLY 1 of these 12 energy sources – can I just lockout the one (1) source or must I
Most facilities will have a piece of equipment that is so large and complex that it will entail isolating many sources of all types of energy in order to get the entire system to a zero energy state (ZES). But what do we do when we have a task that involves exposure to only one
This is SIGNIFICANT for those who truly believe in the purpose and function of OSHA’s LOTO standard. I was never more disappointed in an ALJ than after they decided to vacate such a clear violation of LOTO. I may have even said, “Why do lawyers/judges make for bad safety professionals.” This fatality involved an apprentice
Have you ever been told… “it moves too slow to be a hazard”? If you stay in the safety profession long enough, you will be presented with this viewpoint. But LOTO is NEVER about how slow something moves; there is no exemption in the standard for such a thing. Here is a case we can
This is a written explanation of how I was taught to perform Group Lockout and how to manage contractors working on-site under a Group Lockout. There are many things in this document that are NOT required by OSHA; however, they are in the program to ensure compliance with OSHA’s minimum expectations. We did it this
If we had a dime for each time we get pushback on the most fundamental aspect of Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), we could all retire! NEVER is an authorized employee allowed to work under someone else lock – PERIOD! When servicing and maintenance that requires LOTO is performed, then EACH authorized worker MUST HAVE EXCLUSIVE CONTROL of
