Under the rules and regulations of lockout/tagout which is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, they outline exactly when lockout and tagout should be utilised, and it is the legal responsibility of the employer to ensure they follow the rules and regulations that are outlined.

This section is found inside Section (c)(2) of the  Federal Register under the heading  OSHA Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR) The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). - 1910.147.

The principle of using lockout/tagout comes under the introduction of an ‘energy control program’, which is utilised by an employer to make sure they have a comprehensive procedure in place that enhances the safety of personnel carrying out routine maintenance/servicing on dangerous energy sources.

In section (c)(1) of the Federal Register, OSHA defines the Energy Control Procedure as being a means that:

“The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and to periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.”

Lockout Capability

The next section of OSHA’s rules and regulations outlines exactly when you should use lockout, and when it is acceptable to use tagout. It is recommended that a combination of both is used wherever possible, but this may not always be the case.

Section (c)(2)(i) states:

“If an energy isolating device is not capable of being locked out, the employer’s energy control program under paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall utilize a tagout system.”

The next section, (c)(2)(ii) goes on to say:

“If an energy isolating device is capable of being locked out, the employer’s energy control program under paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall utilize lockout, unless the employer can demonstrate that the utilization of a tagout system will provide full employee protection as set forth in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.”

The final section elaborates on the scope of when lockout/tagout should be applied, and how machines should be made to accept these device at isolation points. The section – (c)(3)(i) – says:

“After January 2, 1990, whenever replacement or major repair, renovation or modification of a machine or equipment is performed, and whenever new machines or equipment are installed, energy isolating devices for such machine or equipment shall be designed to accept a lockout device.”

In other words, these three sections have the following points you must remember:

  • Machinery must be made to accept lockout devices whenever replacement, repair, renovation or modification takes place.
  • Lockout must be used unless it is completely impossible.
  • If it is impossible, tagout can be used, but it the employer’s responsibility to make sure that it maintains the same level of safety as lockout does with reference to section (c)(3).

When Lockout Can’t be Used and Full Employee Protection

As we’ve just learned, it is possible to use tagout as a replacement of lockout, but only if full employee protection is guaranteed by taking other steps.

Under section (c)(3)(i), Osha states that:

“When a tagout device is use don an energy isolating device which is capable of being locked out, the tagout device shall be attached at the same location that the lockout device would have been attached, and the employer shall demonstrate that the tagout program will provide a level of safety equivalent to that obtained by using a lockout program.”

The steps taken to do this are elaborated on further in the next section, (c)(3)(II):

“In demonstrating that a lavel of safety is achieved in the tagout program which is equivalent to the level of safety obtained by using a lockout program, the employer shall demonstrate full compliance with all tagout-related provisions of this standard together with such additional elements as are necessary to provide the equivalent safety available from the use of a lockout device. Additional means to be considered as part of the demonstration of full employee protection shall include the implementation of additional safety measures such as the removal of an isolating circuit element, blocking of a controlling switch, opening of an extra disconnecting device, or the removal of a valve handle to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent energization.”