Page 48 - Occupational Health & Safety, August 2018
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LOCKOUT/TAGOUT TRAINING
The standard also spells out what procedures an authorized em- ployee must follow before he or she removes lockout or tagout devices and before energy to the machine is restored.
When the authorized employee who applied the lockout or tagout device is not available to remove it, the device may be re- moved under the direction of the employ- er, provided that specific procedures and training for the removal have been devel- oped, documented, and incorporated into the employer’s energy control program, the standard states at 29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3).
But that’s not all: The employer must verify that the authorized employee who applied the device is not at the facility; must make all reasonable efforts to contact the authorized employee to inform him or her that the lockout or tagout device has been removed; and must ensure the autho- rized employee knows the device has been removed before he or she resumes work at the facility.
Retraining and Certification of Employees’ Training
Employee retraining is covered in 1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(A).
“Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees when- ever there is a change in their job assign- ments, a change in machines, equipment or processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedures,” it states. The follow- ing section states that additional retrain- ing must be conducted whenever a peri- odic inspection reveals, or whenever the employer has reason to believe, that there are deviations from or inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures.
The retraining is to “reestablish em- ployee proficiency and introduce new or revised control methods and procedures, as necessary,” the standard states.
At 1910.147(c)(7)(iv) is the require- ments that the employer is to certify that employee training has been accomplished and is being kept up to date, and the certifi- cation must include each employee’s name and the dates of training.
Jerry Laws is the editor of Occupational Health & Safety.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/lototraining/ tutorial/empl.html
2. https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/ MidvalePaperboxCo_1268278.pdf
on recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means needed for energy isolation and control [29 CFR 1910.147(c) (7)(i)(A)].
■ Affected employees must receive training on the purpose and use of the ener- gy control procedure [29 CFR 1910.147(c) (7)(i)(B)].
■ Other employees (employees whose work activities are or may be in an area where energy control procedures may be utilized) must be instructed about the pro- cedure and about the prohibition relating to attempts to restart or reenergize ma- chines or equipment that are locked out or tagged out [29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(C)].
Removal of Locks and Tags
The standard also spells out what proce-
dures an authorized employee must follow before he or she removes lockout or tagout devices and before energy to the machine is restored. The procedures are:
■ Inspection of the machine/equip- ment: The work area must be inspected to ensure that nonessential items, such as tools or spare parts, have been removed and that all of the machine or equipment components are operationally intact.
■ Employees’ locations: The work area must be checked to make sure all employ- ees have been safely positioned or have cleared the area. Also, all affected employ- ees must be notified that the lockout or ta- gout devices have been removed before the equipment is restarted.
■ Removal of the lockout or tagout de- vice: Each lockout or tagout device must be removed from the energy-isolating device by the employee who applied it.
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Circle 20 on card.