Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Policy Number:OS-2
Title: The Control of Hazardous Energy Sources
Effective Date: 9/88
Revision: R3- 9/97
Number of Pages: 4
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to outline procedures that will protect University employees from the unexpected energization, start up or release of stored energy, that could cause injury or death, during servicing or maintenance on machines and equipment.
Scope: This policy is for University-wide application.
Responsibilities:
A. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety shall be responsible for:
1. Selecting standardized lockout and tagout devices in compliance with OSHA and distributing to supervisors new locks and tags for new employees and lost equipment.
2. Designating and arranging for the necessary training of employees who are authorized to perform a lockout or tagout.
3. Auditing the program, annually in conjunction with the LOTO Committee.
4. Maintaining training documentation.
B. Supervisory personnel shall be responsible for:
1. Assuring that only trained and authorized subordinates perform a lockout or tagout. Supervisors shall carefully monitor their employee's compliance with this policy and assure that employees are performing lockouts when necessary.
2. Maintaining related records (who has been issued locks, who has been trained in their shop).
3. Removing a lock from service when a key is reported lost.
4. Notifying EH&S when new employees (or transfers) need initial training.
5. Notifying EH&S when an employee is in need of retraining.
C. Employees are responsible for:
1. Implementing a lockout or tagout when necessary and authorized by their supervisor.
2. Removing locks or tags promptly when work necessitating their installation has been completed.
3. Reporting the loss of a Lock, tag or key immediately to their supervisor.
4. Never remove a lock or tag without using this procedure.
5. If you can not lockout a piece of equipment, notify your supervisor. Only authorized electricians are permitted to perform "live" work.
General
All equipment operated by air, electricity, mechanical power, ect. shall be locked out, tagged out or both to protect against accidental or inadvertent operation, when such equipment is being inspected repaired or serviced. No one shall attempt to operate any switch, valve or other energy isolating device that is locked or tagged out.
Each person assigned to work on or around machines or equipment requiring lockout shall place his/her personal lock and tag on the energy isolating device(s). When more than one employee is required to lock out, then a multiple lockout device shall be used. These devices should be obtained through the individuals supervisor or from the EH&S office.
DO NOT OPERATE tags should be used for the temporary labeling of unsafe plugs or cords connected equipment and other situations where lockout is not possible.
Electrical plug lockout devices should be used whenever work is performed on equipment where the safest method of de-energization is to unplug the equipment. Locks and tags are to be used to prevent removal of the plug lockout devices.
Exclusions From Coverage
A. hot tap operations including gas, steam, water or petroleum products when continuity of service is essential, shutdown is impractical and documented procedures are followed to provide proven effective protection for employees.
B. When power is needed to find a problem in the system, employees will use good judgment and follow safety procedures.
De-energizing Procedures
The person(s) performing a lockout/tagout shall:
a. Notify all affected employees, any outside contractor working in the area and Power Plant Base as a clearinghouse, that a lockout or tagout system is going to be utilized, the equipment involved and the reason for the lockout. The authorized employee(s) shall know the type and magnitude of energy the machine/equipment utilizes and shall understand the hazards thereof.
b. If the machine or equipment is operating, shut it down by normal stopping procedures (stop button, toggle switch, ect.).
c. Locate all points of energy distribution.
d. Operate the switch valve or other energy isolating device(s) to the off or closed position so that the equipment's isolated from the energy source(s). Stored energy (such as in capacitors, springs, elevated machine members, rotating flywheels, hydraulic system and air, gas, steam or water pressure, ect.) shall be dissipated or restrained by a method such as repositioning, blocking, bleeding down, ect..
e. Lockout and/or tagout the energy isolating devices with assigned personal lock(s) or tag(s).
f. After ensuring that no personnel are exposed, and as a check on de-energized sources, operate the push button(s) or other normal operating controls to make certain the equipment will not operate. When working on electrical circuitry, test for de-energization with a meter.
Caution: Return operating control(s) to "neutral" or "off" position after the test.
g. The equipment is now de-energized.
Restoring Machines or Equipment to Normal Operations
- After the servicing/maintenance or repair work is complete, remove all tools, and reinstall any guards.
- Check the work area around the equipment or machine. Make sure the area is policed and all other employees are clear.
- Remove all tags and locks. Remember - each person must remove their own tag/lock.
- Equipment may now be started.
- Inform Power Plant Base that the LOTO has ended.
Shift or Personnel Changes
When work necessitating a lockout / tagout is not completed on a given shift and work continues into a succeeding shift, personnel leaving work will remove their locks and tags, and those beginning shift will replace them with their own locks and tags. Supervisory personnel shall closely monitor this process and, if necessary, install their own lock and tag to prevent the possibility of energization of equipment.
When It Is Necessary to Leave a Job Incomplete
Physical Plant personnel who find it necessary to leave a job incomplete and still in need of lockout/tagout, shall arrange to have their supervisor install a shop lock and tag, prior to removal of their personnel lock. The supervisor is then responsible for maintaining the lockout/tagout.
Failure to Remove a Lockout/Tagout Device
Only the employee who installs a lock or tag shall remove that lock or tag. However, in the event of an emergency, where the employee is not available, the supervisor may cut the lock/tag providing he/she verifies that:
a. The employee who installed the lock/tag is not at the facility.
b. All reasonable efforts are made to contact the employee to inform him/her
that his/her lock and /or tagout device needs to be removed.
c. The employee is informed of such removal before he or she returns to work at
the facility by checking the lockout log book in the Power Plant before the
day's shift ends.
Outside Contractors
A. Whenever outside servicing personnel are engaged in activities covered by the scope and application of this policy, the outside employer and the University shall inform each other of their respective lockout or tagout procedures, during the pre-job stage.
B. The University shall ensure that its personnel understand and comply with restrictions of the outside employers energy control plan.
Work on Energized Circuits
The following section applies to working on "live" circuits. Where employees are required to work on "live" electrical circuits, they shall follow the procedures as outlined here.
When work must be performed on "live" electrical circuits, the employee shall notify the supervisor. The supervisor shall verify the necessity for "live" work, and if live work is deemed absolutely necessary, shall follow the procedures listed below.
A. "Live" work may not be performed in areas classified as hazardous by the National Electrical Code*.
B. Employees shall remove finger rings and all other metal or loose fitting jewelry before working on any live equipment.
C. Only circuits of 227V or less are to be worked on "live", and this work shall be performed by authorized, qualified electricians only.
D. All adjacent conductors shall be protected by insulating blankets. Conducting services through which the employee might contact ground shall be protected with approved rubber (or equivalent) insulation.
E. There shall always be an employee at the job site to act as standby when electricians work on dangerous equipment. The standby shall know the location of switches that de-energize the circuit(s) being worked on, or those nearby.
F. Rubber gloves (rated above the working voltage) with leather protectors shall be worn by both the electrician and standby.
G. The electrician shall test to ensure that:
a. The "live" circuit is carrying the correct voltage.
b. The work to be performed will not energize any equipment loads.
c. The feeders to be tied in are free of ground faults and shall have no electrical load.
