The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout Tagout) Policy

Scope:

The scope of this policy includes, but is not limited to, electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and any other forms of hazardous energy. The requirements outlined in this policy apply to all employees and contractors who perform, supervise, or support work involving the servicing, maintenance, inspection, or repair of equipment at any Stony Brook-owned or operated facility.

Policy:

1. Responsibility

   1. Departments who have responsibility to operate or maintain hazardous equipment are responsible for implementing the requirements of this policy, including, but not limited to:
      1. Perform assessments and develop written energy control procedures that document specific procedural steps for performing Lockout Tagout (LOTO).
      2. Maintain an inventory of equipment in their department that requires equipment specific energy control
      3. Provide LOTO devices to authorized staff (tags, locks and/or any other hardware) for isolating, securing or blocking of machines or equipment.
      4. Identify affected/authorized employees and ensure they receive LOTO training prior to performing work on equipment that requires LOTO.
      5. The supervising department shall continually monitor employee performance regarding compliance with this procedure and shall correct any deviations or inadequacies observed.
      6. When a machine or other equipment is replaced or repaired, renovated or modified, or newly installed, departments must ensure that it is designed and/or capable of accepting a LOTO device.
      7. At least annually, supervising departments shall conduct a review of their energy control program and update as required.
   2. Department of Environmental Health & Safety
      1. Provide LOTO training to all University personnel that are involved in the operation, servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment in which the unexpected startup of the equipment or release of stored energy could cause injury.
      2. Assist departments with their assessments and review of their energy control procedures.
      3. Provide recommendations for policy changes and equipment used to perform LOTO.
         
         

2. Written Specific Energy Control Procedure

   1. Written specific energy control procedures are needed whenever employees are servicing or maintaining equipment where the unexpected startup, release of stored energy, or energization could cause injury.
   2. Written specific energy control procedures, when required, shall include the following information:
      1. Purpose statement of the intended use of the procedure.
      2. Scope to identify the equipment involved.
      3. Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating blocking and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy.
      4. The title of the employees authorized to implement the specific energy control procedure.
      5. Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout devices or tagout devices and the responsibility for them.
      6. Specific requirements for testing a machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout tagout devices, and other energy control measures.
      7. Specific requirements to restore equipment to service.
         
         
   3. Written specific energy control procedures are not required for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist:
      1. The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy, or for re-accumulation of stored energy after shut down, which could endanger employees.
      2. The machine or equipment has a single energy source that can be readily identified and isolated, de-energized and/or deactivated.
      3. The machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance.
      4. A single lockout device will achieve a lockout condition.
      5. The lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance.
      6. The servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees.
      7. The department has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergizing of machines or equipment during servicing or maintenance.
         
         
   4. The following steps shall be used for LOTO of equipment that does not require specific energy control procedures.
      1. Notify all affected employees that servicing or maintenance is required on a machine or equipment and that the machine or equipment must be shut down and locked out to perform the servicing or maintenance.
      2. Review the type and magnitude of the energy sources involved with the machine or equipment with affected employees.
      3. If the machine or equipment is operating, shut it down by normal stopping procedure.
      4. Deactivate the energy isolation device(s) so that the machine or equipment is isolated from the energy source(s).
      5. Place a lock and tag on the energy isolating device(s).
      6. Ensure that the equipment is disconnected from the energy source(s) by first checking that no personnel are exposed, then verify the isolation of the equipment by operating the push button or other normal operating control(s) or by testing to make certain the equipment will not operate.
      7. The machine or equipment is now locked out.
         
         
   5. Restoring equipment to service: When the servicing or maintenance is completed and the machine or equipment is ready to return to normal operating condition, the following steps shall be taken:
      1. Check the machine or equipment and the immediate area around the machine or equipment to ensure components are operationally intact.
      2. Check the work area to ensure that all employees have been safely positioned or removed from the area.
      3. Verify that the controls are neutral or off.
      4. Remove the lockout devices and reenergize the machine or equipment. Note: The removal of some forms of blocking may require re-energization of the machine before safe removal.
      5. Notify affected / authorized employees that the service or maintenance is completed and the machine or equipment is ready for use.
         
         

3. Outside Personnel

   1. 1. Whenever outside servicing personnel (contractors) are to be engaged in activities covered by the scope and application of this policy, the supervising department and/or the outside employer shall inform each other of their respective LOTO procedures.
      2. The supervising department shall ensure that his/her personnel understand and comply with restrictions and prohibitions of the outside employer’s energy control procedures.
      3. The supervising department shall ensure that all outside personnel have been properly trained in accordance with OSHA 29CFR 1910.147 “The Control of Hazardous Energy.”
         
         

4. Group LOTO Requirements

   1. Group lockout shall be utilized where complex LOTO operations involve many employees and numerous energy-isolating devices.
   2. The primary authorized employee must implement and coordinate the LOTO of hazardous energy sources and verify that the steps are taken, in accordance with the specific written energy control procedure.
   3. Each authorized employee shall affix a personal LOTO device to the group lockout device, group lockbox, or comparable mechanism before he or she begins work, and shall remove those devices when he or she finishes working on the machine or equipment being serviced or maintained.
      
      

5. Shift or Personnel Changes

   1. Whenever work is being performed under group LOTO, outside the normal shift or working hours a primary authorized employee must always be present.
   2. When changing shifts, the supervising department may, through an orderly transfer, designate a new primary authorized employee. This new primary authorized employee must attach their personal lockout device to the group lockout device or LOTO box before the previous authorized employee removes their lockout device.
   3. Whenever work is being performed over a period of time and is not continuous, the primary authorized employee shall walk through the affected work area(s) to verify effective isolation protection prior to beginning work.
      
      

6. LOTO Devices

   1. LOTO devices shall be standardized within departments in at least one of the following criteria: color, shape, or size: and additionally, for tagout devices print and format shall be standardized.
   2. LOTO devices should only be removed by the employee that applied the device. In special circumstances and under approval by the authorized supervisor exceptions may be made.

Definitions:

Affected Employee: An employee whose job requires him/her to operate or use a machine or equipment on which servicing or maintenance is being performed under lockout or tagout, or whose job requires him/her to work in an area in which such servicing or maintenance is being performed.

Authorized Employee: A trained individual who has been granted the responsibility to implement energy control procedures, including the placement, use, and removal of lockout/tagout devices in accordance with this policy and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147.

Capable of Being Locked Out:  An energy isolating device which has a hasp or other means of attachment to which, or through which a lock can be affixed.

Contractor: Any non-employee individual or company hired to perform work or provide services on site, including but not limited to maintenance, repair, installation, construction, or inspection activities involving equipment, machinery, or energy sources that fall under the scope of this policy. Including but not limited to SFE workers, service providers, contractors, sub-contractors and technicians.

Energized: Connected to an energy source or containing residual or stored energy.

Energy-Isolating Device: A mechanical device that physically prevents the transmission or release of energy, including but not limited to the following: a manually operated electrical circuit breaker; a disconnect switch; a manually operated switch by which the conductors of a circuit can be disconnected from all ungrounded supply conductors, and in addition, no pole can be operated independently; a line valve; a block; and any similar device used to block or isolate energy.

Energy Source: Any source of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal or other energy.

Group LOTO: A lockout that occurs when more than one employee will be performing maintenance on a single piece of equipment simultaneously.

Hazardous Equipment: Any machine, system, or device that contains, uses, or is capable of releasing stored or supplied energy that could cause injury, illness, or death if the equipment is unexpectedly energized, started, or if stored energy is released during servicing or maintenance. 

Lockout: The placement of a lockout device on an energy isolating device, in accordance with an established procedure, ensuring that the energy isolating device and the equipment being controlled cannot be operated until the lockout device is removed.

Lockout Device: A unique device that utilizes a positive means such as a lock, either key or combination type, to hold an energy-isolating device in a safe position and prevent the energizing of a machine or equipment meeting the requirements of LOTO procedures.

Primary Authorized Employee: An authorized employee who has overall responsibility for meeting the requirements of LOTO procedures.

Qualified Person: A person designated by the department as having the training, knowledge and experience for that job function.

Servicing and/or Maintenance: Workplace activities such as constructing, installing, setting up, adjusting, inspecting, modifying and maintaining and/or servicing machines or equipment. These activities include lubrication, cleaning or un-jamming of machines or equipment and making adjustments to tool changes, where the employee may be exposed to startup of the equipment or release of hazardous energy.

Tagout: The placement of a tagout device on an energy isolating device, in accordance with an established procedure, to indicate that the energy isolating device and the equipment being controlled may not be operated until the tagout device is removed.

Tagout Device: A prominent warning device, such as a tag and a means of attachment, which can be fastened securely to an energy-isolating device, in accordance with an established procedure, to indicate that the energy-isolating device and the equipment being controlled may not be operated until the tagout device is removed.

Contact:

Additional information about this policy is available here:

Environmental Health & Safety
110 Suffolk Hall
Stony Brook, NY 11794-6200
Phone: 631-632-6410
Email: ehsafety@stonybrook.edu

Relevant Standards, Codes, Rules, Regulations, Statutes and Policies:

• • • 29 CFR 1910.147 - The Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout)