Lockout / Tagout - Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation

ENERGY CONTROL PROGRAM
1. COMPANY NAME_________________________________________________
2. PLANT ADDRESS_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3. Purpose.
a. This program document describes the procedures and methods at
________________________ [Fill in Name of Company and Facilities] to protect employees
from energization or start up of machinery and equipment, or the release of stored energy
which could cause injury during servicing and maintenance. This Energy Control Program
document is intended to commit to writing all aspects of the program and to collect all
records in one place so that they can be reviewed and understood. This program is also
intended to establish compliance with the OSHA Standard on Control of Hazardous Energy
[29 CFR 1910.147].
b. Servicing and maintenance activities include constructing, installing, setting up, adjusting,
inspecting, modifying and maintaining and/or servicing machines or equipment. Other
activities include lubrication, cleaning, or unjamming of machines or equipment and making
adjustments or tool changes.
***NOTE: The OSHA Standard allows minor tool changes. adjustments, and other minor servicing activities
which take place during normal production operations to be completed without lockout, if there is no
employee exposed to hazardous movement or energy because of guarding or alternative measures
which provide equal protection. The UAWs accident analyses shows that employee protection can only be
achieved by a zero energy state assured by lockout, and that the use of control circuit devices is
unacceptable.
***COMMENT: The OSHA lockout standard doesn't cover electrocution hazards. This program is written to
cover electrocution dangers as well as all other hazardous forms of energy.
c. The OSHA standard states that: “lockout applies whenever an employee performing
servicing or maintenance is:”
1. "Required to remove or bypass a guard or other safety device; or"
2. "Required to place any part of his or her body into a point of operation [an area on a
machine or piece of equipment where work is actually being performed on the
material being processed] or where an associated danger zone exists during a
machine operating cycle."
***COMMENT: This paragraph is exact language from the lockout standard.
d. This program will be based on the principle of one person-one energy source--one lock--one
key. Each employee (including management) exposed to the hazards above will secure
each energy source with his or her individually assigned lock. (e.g. six people-six locks)
Tags shall be used only for identification or informational purposes. Tags are not required if
locks are otherwise indelibly marked so as to identify the person(s) to whom they belong.
e. A written procedure will be developed for each specific equipment situation which exposes
employees to the hazards of uncontrolled energy. Specific lockout procedures will be
developed in consultation with employees who perform those procedures.
***COMMENT: Where equipment or lockout requirements are exactly the same - no differences at all - one
written procedure covering several of the same conditions may be acceptable.
***NOTE: While OSHA does not require the posting of these procedures at the equipment site, the UAW
believes that they can best be utilized at the equipment site. Employees work on or service many pieces of
equipment. and cannot be expected to consult an office file before starting work.
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