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OSHA Lockout/Tagout Services
The OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.147, addresses the practices and procedures necessary to disable machinery or equipment, thereby preventing the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing and maintenance activities. The standard outlines measures for controlling hazardous energies—electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and other energy sources.
A lockout/tagout procedure should include the following six steps:
- Preparation
- Shutdown
- Isolation
- Lockout/tagout
- Stored energy check
- Isolation verification
OSHA Arc Flash Labels
OSHA Arc Flash Labels are required by NFPA 70e in the United States and CSA Z462 in Canada. The latest edition of NFPA 70e identifies the minimum arc flash warning label requirements that must be field installed at time of installation.
It states:
Article 110.16: Flash Protection. Switchboards, panelboards, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor control centers in other than dwelling occupancies, which are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized, shall be field marked to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc flash hazards. The marking shall be located so as to be clearly visible to qualified persons before examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance of the equipment.
OSHA requirements requires employers to be responsible for workplace safety signs and other methods to make sure their workers are safe. It also mandates that to improve electric shock and arc flash safety and worker compliance, additional information can be included on labels, including the flash hazard boundary, working distance and required PPE. When additional arc flash labeling is included, it must be assured that the information is understood by everyone required to work on the equipment. Too much information that is unclear to the workers will be ignored and can be as bad, if not worse, than no information at all. It is extremely important the arc flash label is as clear and accurate as possible. While it is obvious that insufficient PPE is dangerous, over-clothing workers can also increase the risk of an arcing fault due to limited mobility and visibility.
Large equipment such as switchgear can often have different levels of incident energy due to feeder and protective device configuration. Multiple arc flash labels can also be placed on a single piece of equipment depending on the access point and proximity to the arc source for a given activity. However, it is good practice to provide a single arc flash label for the largest incident energy available. Workers should not enter the flash protection boundary to work on live parts unless they are wearing the proper PPE for the level of hazard that could occur. The specific flash protection boundary, working distance, and incident energy values should be readily accessible to all workers, either identified by an equipment mounted label, or otherwise documented and available for reference or review.
Lockout/Tagout Procedures:
- Notify all affected employees that a lockout/tagout procedure is ready to begin.
- Turn off the equipment at the control panel.
- Turn off or pull the main disconnect. Be sure all stored energy is released or restrained.
- Check all locks and tags for defects.
- Attach your safety lock or tag on the energy isolating device.
- Try to restart the equipment at the control panel to ensure that it is secured.
- Check the machine for possible residual pressures, particularly for hydraulic systems.
- Complete the repair or servicing work.
- Replace all guards on the machinery.
- Remove the safety lock and adapter.
- Let others know that the equipment is back in service.
Common mistakes in lockouts:
- Leaving keys in the locks.
- Locking the control circuit and not the main disconnect or switch.
- Not testing the controls to make sure they are definitely inoperative.
Review the Following Points:
- Equipment should be locked out while being repaired.
- Lockout means to place a lock on a device that prevents energy release.
- Tagout means to place a tag on a switch or other shut off device that warns not to start that piece of equipment.
- Make sure to remove keys from the locks.
- Lock the main switch.
- Test the controls to make sure they are definitely inoperative.
- Replace all guards on the machinery after servicing.