Page 50 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2017

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
ANSI/ASSE Z244.1 (2016): Bringing the Latest Practices to Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Methods
The 2016 standard was written to be scalable to meet the needs of both large and small compa- nies with varying levels of technology present in their machinery and processes.
guidance since the 2003 Z244 Standard revision was issued. Working as a committee member alongside the many industry representatives, trade associations, labor groups, and subject-matter experts contributing to this latest revision has been a real privilege and a valuable experience.
Although OSHA has clarified its position on ele- ments of the 1910.147 regulation through letters of interpretation, no definitive updates or substantial changes have been issued in the more than 25 years it has been in effect. ANSI, on the other hand, has looked closely at the advancements in technology and solutions provided by a wide range of industries and has reaffirmed or revised Z244.1 every five years to continuously improve the application of this impor- tant safety practice. This better protects people doing potentially hazardous work on machinery, equip- ment, or processes.
The Z244 Committee continues to agree with OSHA: Workers should be protected from injury due to unexpected equipment startup or release of potentially hazardous energy. However, the com- mittee did not try to align fully with every historic OSHA compliance requirement. We took carefully into consideration the improvements made in safety rated technology and other advancements in energy control methods proven by experience to effectively provide protection beyond basic lockout regulatory requirements. This offers enhanced opportunities to meet the needs of technology-driven and fast-paced modern workplaces without compromising the safety of personnel working hard to keep the wheels of in- dustry turning.
The committee has made deliberate efforts not to make major changes in recommended practice that would create completely new obligations for employ- ers and participating personnel. Instead, we focused on addressing the right thing to do to prevent sud- den startup accidents based on the current knowledge available to us. The intent has been to offer a plain- language approach that describes how a range of well proven energy control practices can be accomplished and adapted to a wide range of industries. The 2016 standard was written to be scalable to meet the needs of both large and small companies with varying levels of technology present in their machinery and pro- cesses. Important new and expanded information provided in the 2016 revision of Z244.1 covers the fol- lowing sections.
Section 5—Design of Machinery
The advancement of technology and engineering op-
BY TODD GROVER
Without question, the methods of pro- tecting workers against the sudden startup of machinery have greatly evolved over the years. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.147 regulation became law in 1989 and was heavily based on ANSI’s original Z244.1 Lockout Standard first published in 1982. Industry has come a long way since then in terms of technology and new methods, but there certainly is a long way to go.
Each year, OSHA publishes its Top 10 Most Cit- ed Violations and, again for fiscal 2016, lockout was ranked fifth (with outcomes very similar to 2015) in terms of the particular rules that were cited and val- ue of the citations issued. Heightened self-reporting requirements for serious injuries and fatalities are bringing more violations to OSHA’s attention, and it seems many U.S. employers just do not recognize that these types of accidents continue to occur with greater frequency and severity.
The ANSI/ASSE Z244.1 (2016) The Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout, Tagout and Alterna- tive Methods standard seeks to address these trends with the most significant expansion of best practice
46 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2017
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