We have all heard stories about “pressure” killing workers. One of my favorite trick questions to ask a group attending my LOTO training is, “Just how much pressure does it take to kill a human?” The incident below occurred at a power generation station and involved 40 psi, but PLEASE remember that much less energy…...
Some interesting, yet very DATED data, regarding LOTO accidents. This was from OSHA’s preamble when they tried to justify the need for the Control of Hazardous Energy Standard. TABLE III – ACTIVITY OF TIME OF ACCIDENT and TABLE IV – CIRCUMSTANCES OF INJURIES are VERY TELLING and still reflect the LOTO accidents we see today. …...
If you spend enough time working on Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), you are bound to come across some crazy situations. Luckily I have some world-class clients who allow me to share my “interesting finds” and encourage me to share with all of you. This most recent find was at an OSHA VPP STAR site. We have been…...
Scenario: A contractor is hired to make repairs to a piece of equipment. This work will require the machine’s energy sources to be isolated per 1910.147. The facility has a machine-specific procedure for said equipment. The contractor follows the machine-specific procedure and uses their company’s LOTO locks per their written LOTO program/practices to lockout this…...
As human nature goes, we know if we give an inch, some will take a mile. This belief could not be more real than in Lockout/Tagout and the “Minor Servicing” exception. The “rule” is to LOCK IT OUT, and the “minor servicing” exception is just that, an exception to the rule. OSHA has set the…...
Here we sit, ending the year 2013, 20+ years after OSHA promulgated its Control of Hazardous Energy (e.g., Lockout/Tagout) standard. Yet, we still see so much confusion regarding this safety-critical standard. We get so much resistance on some of the most basic requirements of LOTO that I thought it would be helpful to dispel two…...
CAL-OSHA has published a very nice LOTO manual with many great tips for everyone, inside and outside of the state of CA! Failure to develop and follow lockout and blockout procedures before working on machinery is one of the major causes of serious injury and death in the USA. Workers can become electrocuted – or…...
It is widely known that OSHA permits a worker who is in EXCLUSIVE CONTROL of an electrical plug when electrical is the ONLY energy source to perform their servicing and maintenance without applying a lockout device on the plug. This is permitted by 1910.147(a)(2)(iii)(A) Work on cord and plug connected electric equipment for which exposure…...
OSHA believes that because of the need to follow the steps in the energy control procedure carefully and specifically, and the number of variables involved in controlling hazardous energy, a documented procedure is necessary for most energy control situations. However, the Agency has determined that in certain limited situations, documentation of the procedure will not…...
A male food production worker, 54, who a pizza dough manufacturing facility employed, sustained fatal injuries due to deep neck lacerations made by a steel blade on a dough machine. On the day of the incident, the victim and a co-worker were assigned to clean two dough machines, an “elevator” and a “divider”. The “elevator”…...
Whenever I do LOTO training I always mention some of the more “interesting” methods used to control hazardous energy and in each class I always get accused of fudging the truth, as “no one can be that stupid”. Well here is a 2013 LOTO citation from OSHA that is proof positive that we still have…...
A 51-year-old sanitation worker at a frozen-food packaging facility died after he collapsed while cleaning one of the conveyor lines. He was assigned to clean the North Pea Line. He opened the access doors on both sides of the cleaning pan blower housing in preparation for the cleaning. The equipment was not shut down nor…...
