In September 2007, a worker at a meat processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa suffered
a fatal chemical burn when she attempted to open a valve to an
Ammonia piping system that was not locked out. Other workers suffered
injuries and had to seek treatment. Lock out/tag out is a way to
protect your employees by guarding against unexpected machine
start-ups and ensuring that machines remain completely and
temporarily turned off. Activities that require lock out/tag out
include lubrication, cleaning, adjustments, retooling, un-jamming,
repairing, servicing and inspections of equipment that is either
normally energized, has moving parts, or conducts a fluid.
Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC) can help you to
develop a lock out/tag out program that will work for your
workplace.
The release of hazardous energy in the industrial setting is an issue of
urgent concern to OSHA and those charged with the safety of employees
in the workplace. The absence of an effective energy control policy
accounts for approximately 10% of all serious accidents and a
substantial number of fatalities in the occupational environment
every year. To address this problem, OSHA enacted its Control of
Hazardous Energy Standard, more commonly referred to as the Lock
Out/Tag Out Standard. (29 CFR1910.147).
The standard at its core addresses some of the fundamental practices and
procedures essential to safeguard employees from an unexpected start
up of machinery and equipment and hence release of hazardous energy
during routine service and maintenance activities. The standard
applies not only to hazards powered by electricity, but also to
energy sources such as hydraulic, pneumatic, steam, chemical, and
vehicular. The goal is an effective energy isolation and control
policy that is not simply an overview of lock out/tag out procedures
but trains authorized employees to understand the purpose and
function of such a policy.
Additional information on the lock out/ tag out standard can be found at the OSHA website at
http://www.osha.gov/sltc/controlhazardousenergy/recognition.html
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