3. Clearly Mark All Isolation Points
All energy control points should be clearly and permanently marked with standardized tags or labels.
Tags and labels should be easily visible. It is also very important to make sure all energy isolation points are consistent with the machine-specific procedures we discussed in tip #2.
4. Develop a Rigorous Training Program
Effective training is an indispensable part of a successful lockout program. It can also be one of the most difficult parts because all workplaces and workforces need to be trained according to their specific needs.
First, it is important for each worker to know exactly what his role is. Tasks should be clearly defined and clearly assigned to the appropriate worker. There are three types of workers involved in lockout operation: authorized, affected, or other. An authorized employee is directly involved in locking out equipment or machinery. An affected employee means any employee whose work is affected by a lockout.
Usually, this means an employee who is working on locked out equipment. An employee is classified as other if he or she does not work on the machine receiving maintenance or repair but still works in the same area. Each worker needs to know what type of employee he is, and strong communication needs to be developed among all workers. Authorized employees must clearly alert all affected employees when a lockout device is placed or removed. In order to prevent unsafe removal of devices, only authorized employees can remove devices that they have placed. Lockout padlocks have room for workers to clearly write their names in permanent ink, which underscores the strong need for clear assignments and individual responsibility.
As with procedures and isolation points, documentation is an important component of training. Recording exactly what types of training have occurred is helpful on several levels. First, it helps management make sure that all workers have been trained, as well as trained in the right tasks. Any gap in training can be easily found and corrected. Second, it documents when training took place, which helps workplaces plan ahead. If you know when your last training session took place, it is easier to plan when the next one should take place. Last, looking at documentation of lockout training can help one see one's program from a new, more objective perspective. Suggestions can then be taken into account and improvements can be made. Training also should be tailored to each specific workplace. If one has a multilingual workforce, for instance, multilingual training tools, signs, and documents should be used. Workers should be encouraged to relate their specific safety needs.
OSHA requires that lockout/tagout training occur at least annually. Yearly training should be seen as a bare minimum rather than an ideal. In many cases, it would be helpful to revisit training exercises more frequently than yearly in order to ensure that critical repairs and maintenance are still being done safely. Also, repeat training helps workforces keep a "safety first" mentality. When deciding exactly how much training is necessary, it is important to keep workers engaged in the process and to make sure their ideas and concerns are carefully considered.
.png?itok=k2IwFSM2){kind=logo}
Talk to Us!
Leave a reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *