OSHA

Many industrial accidents caused across the globe are due to the sudden start-up of machines, equipment or by the uncontrolled release of energy. Many of these accidents can be prevented by the use of proper Lockout/Tagout procedures.

Barcadi’s Bottling Corporation faces fines of more than $190,000 after an OSHA investigation into the death of a worker in its Jacksonville Florida facility.

Another example of lockout/tagout not being correctly enforced after a worker died from injuries caused by a conveyor.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has several additional requirements for the enforcement of lockout/tagout, which can be found inside section 1910.147 of the Federal Register (The Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout).

Once lockout/tagout procedures have been used and any maintenance has been completed, authorised employees can then go about the process of removing the lockout.

Why do we perform lockout? Well, quite simply, it is to maintain control of an energy source, and to stop machinery from being switched on while essential maintenance and service is being carried out on that particular piece of machinery.

Under the rules and regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) it is the responsibility of an employer to provide relevant training in the application and enforcement of lockout/tagout procedures.

Under the rules and regulations of lockout/tagout which is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, they outline exactly when lockout and tagout should be utilised, and it is the legal responsibility of the employer to ensure they follow the rules and regulations that are outlined.

In the United States, there are a significant amount of rules and regulations enforced by the Occupational Health and Safety Association (OSHA) which must be followed in order to avoid severe penalties, fees and possible criminal investigation.