Page 48 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2018

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
alternative methods, periodic auditing, and a ready resource for ensuring best practices. Upon completion of the classroom por- tion, class participants are introduced to their respective Lockout Leaders, and the hands-on portion of training begins.
Lockout Leader Qualities
So what exactly is a Lockout Leader? They are specially prepared advocates that are part of a “Lead by Example” program for con- sistently using good lockout practices whenever sudden startup or release of energy could cause an accident. These leaders are hands- on trainers for the machinery in their assigned areas. They are rec- ognized as friendly resources for lockout information, the eyes of the lockout program to reinforce good practices when observed and correct insufficient practices when noted. They often are the periodic inspectors of authorized personnel and equipment-spe- cific lockout procedures in their assigned work area. As part of the inspection process, Lockout Leaders are likely to be the verifiers of new or modified machinery in their area to be sure new or updated lockout procedures will fully isolate the equipment before it goes into service.
Who commonly is involved in the Lockout Leader position?
Geographic or functional areas of the facility are established and often led by operations and maintenance managers, foremen, lead people, safety committee members, and experienced authorized personnel who know the machinery and processes and have dem-
onstrated their commitment to routinely work safely. To get full engagement from the people willing to serve as Lockout Leaders, it is important to discuss that they usually are not enforcers of rules or behavioral critics, as this can discourage their interest in partici- pation. Instead, they are most effective as role models and mentors that positively affect the adaptation of routine and thorough use of energy control practices. Disciplinary action for intentionally and/or repetitively disregarding the guidance provided by Lockout Leaders is provided by the offending worker’s direct supervisor per usual channels.
Lockout Leaders need to be seen in a positive role by consis- tently demonstrating good lockout practices in their personal work. They enjoy sharing best practices in one-on-one interac- tions and welcome inquiries for more information or necessary resources like procedures, training, lockout devices, or improve- ments to machinery. They notice and congratulate good lockout performance on an ongoing basis. And they confidentially coach deficient performance and recognize conditions when injuries could be a consequence of not locking out. They often use inspec- tions to document good performances and corrective actions on an ongoing basis.
As an illustration of the contributions of a lockout leadership program, let’s look again at the most often cited OSHA violations that lead to the serious accidents we all are trying to avoid.
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Energy Control Procedures—Lockout Leaders know the
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42 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2018
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