Course Duration: 30 Minutes

Burnt Mountain LLC. Learning Management System (BMLMS)

Safety Manager

• Responsible for ensuring this program is current and meets all applicable regulations.
• Ensures that the affected managers and employees are meeting the requirements of this program.

Managers and Supervisors

• Responsible to control and enforce this plan and to see that all their employees and contractors that are affected by lockout/tagout procedures have the knowledge and understanding required for safe application, usage, and removal of all energy controls and devices.
• Ensure employees are trained and comply with the requirements of this program. 

Employees

• Employees who are affected by this program are required to attend training on an annual basis.
• Are required to follow the provisions of this program.

General

Only an authorized employee or employees performing the duty of servicing or maintenance shall perform lockout duties. All employees are allowed to apply a tagout device to any tools, equipment, machines or any other physical item to warn of a danger and instruction not to use that item. 

Devices

• Lockout Device: If an energy source can be locked out, a device that utilizes a lock to hold an energy isolating device in a safe position shall be used.  Each site shall have the same type of lock as specified by the Company.
• Tagout Device: If an energy source cannot be locked out with a lockout device, a tagout device shall be used.  Tagout devices are a warning only level of protection and shall be weather and chemical resistant, standardized in color, with clear written warning of the hazardous energy (i.e. Do Not Operate, Do Not Start, Do Not Energize, etc.)  Each site shall have the same style of tags specified by the Company.

Specific Energy Control Procedures

Each manager or supervisor is responsible for developing specific step-by-step shutdown and startup procedures for a particular machine or piece of equipment in their respective area. 

• A written, step-by-step isolation procedure for shutdown and startup shall be prepared for each type of machine or piece of equipment.
• This procedure shall include: 
  
  • Equipment number if assigned. 
  • Equipment location. 
  • Energy Source(s) (i.e. electrical, hydraulic, gas pressure, etc.)
  • Location of isolating controls (i.e. breaker switches, valves, etc.) 
  • Quantity of isolating controls 
  • Quantity of locks required to isolate the equipment 
  • Other hardware required to isolate the equipment (i.e. chains, valve covers, blocks, etc.) 
  • List any residual energy required to be dissipated before work begins. 

Specific Sequence for Application of Energy Control

1. Notification

Authorized employees must notify all other affected employees of the application and removal of lockout/tagout devices.  Notification shall be given before the controls are applied and before they are removed from the machine or equipment. 

2. Preparation for Shutdown

Before an authorized or affected employee disconnects the power source of a machine or equipment, the authorized employee shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled and the methods or means to control the energy. 

3. Machine or Equipment Shutdown

The machine or equipment shall be turned off or shutdown using the procedures established for the machine or equipment.  An orderly shutdown must be utilized to avoid any additional or increased hazard(s) to employees as a result of the equipment stoppage.

4. Machine or Equipment Isolation

All energy isolating devices that are needed to control the energy to the machine or equipment shall be physically located and operated in such a manner as to isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source.

5. Lockout/Tagout Devices and Application

• Each authorized employee shall have the proper number of locks and devices to be able to perform proper lockout/tagout procedures for machines or equipment that they may be working on. 
• Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy isolating device by authorized employees.
• Lockout and tagout devices shall include name of individual placing device. 
• Devices shall indicate the identity of the employee applying the device.
• Lockout devices shall be affixed in a manner to hold the energy isolating devices in a safe or off position.  
• Tagout devices used with energy isolating devices with the capability of being locked out shall be fastened at the same point at which the lock would have been attached.  If a tag cannot be directly attached to the energy isolation device, it shall be located as close as safely possible to the device in a position that will be immediately obvious to anyone attempting to operate the device.
• Each energy source shall be locked out completely isolating the equipment. 

6. Stored Energy and the Possibility of Reaccumulation

Following the application of lockout or tagout devices to energy isolating devices, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy shall be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe.

If there is a possibility of re-accumulation of stored energy, verification of isolation shall be continued until the servicing or maintenance operation is completed, or until the possibility of such accumulation no longer exists.

7. Verification of Isolation

Prior to starting work on machines or equipment that have been locked or tagged out, the authorized employee shall verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished.

Procedures for Handling Multiple Groups of Workers Involved in a Group Lockout

A crew of authorized employees may use a group lockout or tagout device.    This will afford the group of employees a level of protection equal to that provided by a personal lockout or tagout device.  Procedures include:

• A tailgate meeting shall be conducted to review the lockout procedures and other information as required for safe work to continue – all crafts and effected departments shall be involved.
• An authorized employee will isolate the equipment and ascertain the exposure status of individual group members.
• All workers will then place their individual locks on the device’s group lockout or tagout device after they have verified the procedure.
• An authorized employee has primary responsibility for a set number of employees working under the protection of a group lockout or tagout device. The authorized employee should ascertain the exposure status of individual group members.  Each Company employee or contractor shall attach a personal lockout or tagout device to the group's device while he/she is working, and then removes it when finished.
• During shift change or personnel changes there are specific procedures to ensure the continuity of lockout or tagout procedures. These include:
  
  • In the event shift or personnel changes occur during maintenance and/or repair activities, the designated Company employee in charge shall take the necessary steps to maintain the continuity of the lockout/tagout protection. This includes maintaining that all provisions in this procedure are adhered to and the transfer of lockout/tagout devices between authorized employees is accomplished.
  • No work shall be allowed to proceed following personnel or shift change unless these requirements are met.  The job supervisor must observe that all personnel or shift change locks or tags are properly transferred during the process.
  • Before the last outgoing person is allowed to leave, they must remove their lock (or warning tag) and the incoming authorized person shall affix their lock or (warning tag) to prevent the lock out device or tag warning device from ever not being locked or warning if a lock out device is not practicable.
  • This also applies to all group lockout tagout situations.
  • This also applies to all contract personnel working on Company projects.
  • If any outgoing person leaves the site and their lock/tag is still attached, then follow Removal of Locks guidelines below.

Release from Lockout/Tagout

When servicing or maintenance is completed or when Lockout / Tagout devices must be temporarily removed, the equipment requires testing. In such case the following steps shall be taken, in this order: 

• Check the machine or equipment and the immediate area surrounding the machine or equipment to ensure that all nonessential items such as tools have been removed and that the machine or equipment components are operationally intact.
• Check the work area to ensure that all personnel have been safely positioned or removed from the area. 
• Remove the Lockout/Tagout device
• Energize and proceed with testing
• Deenergize and reapply control methods including Lockout / Tagout devices
• Document the procedure by use of the completed isolation log and provide to supervisor for filing 

Removal of Locks

The authorized employee who applied the lock shall be the one to remove their lock. However, after all work has been completed, certain conditions may arise which prohibit this person from being present to remove the lock.

The following procedures shall be followed to allow for the removal of a lock that another person has applied:

• Every effort shall be made to contact the authorized employee who applied the lock to obtain the key(s).
• If the key(s) cannot be made available, the employee who requests removal of the lock shall contact their supervisor. 
• The supervisor shall verify that every effort was made to contact the original authorized employee who applied the lock and to obtain the key(s).
• The employee removing the lock shall note on the Service Report that the lock(s) were removed with permission by supervisor.
• All reasonable efforts will be made by supervisor to notify that employee their lock has been removed, ensuring that the authorized employee has this knowledge before they return to work.
• If the equipment is client owned, the supervisor or employee requesting to remove the lock(s) shall contact the client to get the lock removed. Clients must remove their lock(s).
• NOTE: Company employees shall not remove any client locks. 

Contractors

Contractors performing lockout procedures on Company property shall comply with this procedure.  Contractors shall supply their own locks.  Company shall initially lockout Company machines and equipment before the contractor will be allowed to apply their own lock in addition to the Company’s lock.

Periodic Inspections of the Energy Control Procedure

Periodic inspections of the energy control procedure must be conducted at least annually to ensure that the procedure is being followed.

The Company Safety Manageror their designee performs the inspection (it must be someone other than those actually using the lockout/tagout in progress).  The inspector will produce a certified review of the inspection including date, equipment, employees, and the inspection shall be documented.  They will verify that:

• Each authorized and/or affected employee has been trained as required. 
• Any new equipment added has specific lockout procedures developed and documented. 
• Current procedures are adequate for performing complete isolation of equipment and resulting in a zero-energy state. 
• A copy of the audit maintained on file in the Company Document Management System.