Lock Out Accidents with an Effective-Program and Training Requirement

Lock Out Accidents with an Effective

Program and Training Requirement

Compliance with Lockout Requirements

As an employer, you are required to establish written procedures for locking out the piece of machinery or equipment that will be worked on and to provide training for all employees who might be injured if those procedures are not properly followed.
Your written procedure must include specific steps for:

• Shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy
• The placement, removal, and transfer of lockout or tagout devices, and the responsibility for them
• Testing the machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of any control measures used

Employee Training

You must also provide training to ensure that your employees understand the purpose and function of the energy control program and acquire the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls. Your training must include the following:

• Authorized employees (those who do the locking out in order to perform servicing or maintenance on the machine or equipment) must receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
• Affected employees (those whose jobs require them to operate or use a machine or equipment under lockout) must be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure.
• All other employees (those whose work operations are or may be in an area where energy control procedures may be used) must be instructed about the procedure and about the prohibition relating to attempts to restart or reenergize machines or equipment that are locked or tagged out.

Retraining must be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever:

• There is a change in their job assignments, in machines, equipment, or processes that present a new hazard, or in the energy control procedures.
• A periodic inspection reveals, or you have reason to believe, that there are deviations from or inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures.

The retraining must reestablish employee proficiency and introduce new or revised control methods and procedures, as necessary.

Organization are also required to certify that employee training has been accomplished and is being kept up to date. The certification must contain each employee's name and dates of training.