LOTO Policy for your Workplace

Lockout and tagout devices must meet the following criteria to ensure that they are effective and not removed inadvertently:

• Lockout devices must work under the environmental conditions in which they are used. Tagout device warnings must remain legible even when they are used in wet, damp, or corrosive conditions.

• Lockout and tagout devices must be designated by color, shape, or size. Tagout devices must have a standardized print and warning format.

• Lockout devices and tagout devices must be strong enough that they can’t be removed inadvertently. Tagout devices must be attached with a single-use, self-locking material such as a nylon cable tie.

• Any employee who sees a lockout or tagout device must be able to recognize who attached it and its purpose.

• Each lock must have a unique key or combination

Authorized employees who lockout or tagout equipment or do service and maintenance must follow specific written energy-control procedures. The procedures must include the following information:

• The intended use of the procedure

• Steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing equipment

• Steps for placing, removing, and transferring lockout devices

• Equipment-testing requirements to verify the effectiveness of the energy-control procedures

Employees must do the following before they begin service or maintenance work:

• Inform all affected employees of equipment shutdown.

• Shut down equipment.

• Isolate or block hazardous energy

• Remove any potential (stored) energy.

• Lockout or tagout the energy sources.

• Verify the equipment is isolated from hazardous energy and de-energized.

Employees must do the following they remove lockout or tagout devices and re-energize equipment:

• Remove tools and replace machine or equipment components.

• Inform coworkers about energy-control device removal.

• Ensure all workers are clear of the work area.

• Verify machine or equipment power controls are off or in a neutral position.

• Remove the lockout or tagout device.

• Re-energize equipment.

When an energy-isolating device is locked or tagged and it is necessary to test or position equipment, do the following:

• Remove unnecessary tools and materials.

• Ensure that all other employees are out of the area.

• Remove locks or tags from energy isolating devices.

• Proceed with test

• Deenergize equipment and lockout or tagout energy-isolating devices.

• Operate equipment controls to verify that the equipment is de-energized.

Employees who may be exposed to hazardous energy will receive training before assignment to ensure that they understand (company name) energy-control policy and have skills to apply, use, and remove energy controls. The training will include the requirements of 1910.147 and the following:

• Affected employees will be trained in the purpose and use of energy-control procedures. An affected employee uses equipment that is being serviced under lockout or tagout procedures or works in an area where equipment is being serviced.

• Authorized employees will be trained to recognize hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of energy in the workplace, the methods and means necessary for isolating and controlling energy, and the means to verify that the energy is controlled. An authorized employee locks out or tags out equipment to do service work. An affected employee becomes an authorized employee when that employee’s duties include service or maintenance work on equipment.

• Employees whose jobs are in areas where energy-control procedures are used will be trained about the procedures and the prohibition against starting machines that are locked or tagged out.

• Employees will be retrained annually to ensure they understand energy-control policy and procedures.

• Authorized and affected employees will be retrained whenever their job assignments change, energy-control procedures change, equipment or work processes present new hazards, or when they don’t follow energy-control procedures.

(Company name) will perform and document annual inspections of energy-control procedures to ensure that employees understand and use them effectively. Documentation will include the following:

• The equipment on which the procedure is used.

• The date of the inspection.

• The employees included in the inspection.

• The inspector