Page 10 - OHS, March 2020

LOTO
How Today’s Technology is Enabling the Next Generation of Electrical LOTO
Electrical LOTO programs are important for any safety program.
BY RACHEL BUGARIS
As we enter a new decade, lockout tagout (LOTO) will remain a mainstay of any safety program. However, as standards and regulations evolve, so must a company’s LOTO procedures, requiring it to evaluate, improve and expand upon its electrical safety processes. Many sources of energy must be considered in a LOTO pro- gram: mechanical, pneumatic, chemical, hydraulic, thermal and electrical to name a few. Electrical energy often presents unique challenges due to its invisible nature—we can’t see, hear, or smell electricity. Yet, if it is left unchecked and an incident occurs, it can be one of the most fatal and costly. Regardless of the indus- try, one thing that all modern manufacturing facilities have in common is the presence of electricity. From heavy industry to commercial and everything in be- tween, identifying and controlling electrical hazards is an important part of every safety program.
When thinking about electrical hazards, it is im- portant to take a comprehensive view. Not only does electricity impact all facilities, but it also impacts everyone present at the worksite. Electrical safety programs must address not just electrical work, but also electrical hazards encountered during normal plant operations as well as routine maintenance, un- scheduled service, cleaning, and repair situations. An electrical safety program will impact electricians, non-electrical maintenance workers, technicians, op- erators, cleaning crews and groundskeepers.
As manufacturing processes become more con- nected, it is not uncommon to see the need for multi- ple trades to access electrical equipment increase, and more distractions introduced. Even the best workers have bad days, and experienced workers can become complacent. Consequently, most incident investiga- tions reveal multiple errors or deviations from the
8 Occupational Health & Safety | MARCH 2020
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