Lockout/Tagout Oregon OSHA's Guide to Controlling Hazardous Energy
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WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY Lockout/Tagout Oregon OSHA’s guide to controlling hazardous energy. Oregon OSHA Lockout/Tagout Oregon OSHA’s guide to controlling hazardous energy About this guide Lockout/Tagout is an Oregon OSHA Standards and Technical Resources Section publication. Piracy notice Reprinting, excerpting, or plagiarizing this publication is fine with us as long as it’s not for profit! Please inform Oregon OSHA of your intention as a courtesy. Table of Contents Introduction . 1 What you will learn from this guide . 1 Understanding energy . 1 Energy and motion . 1 Forms of energy . 2 How energy becomes hazardous . 2 Hazardous energy in the workplace can kill . 3 Controlling hazardous energy . 3 Identifying energy sources and energy-isolating devices . 3 De-energizing equipment . 4 Secure energy-isolating devices in a safe position . 5 Dissipate or restrain potential energy that can’t be isolated . 5 Verify equipment isolation . .. 6 Lockout, tagout, or lockout/tagout? How to decide . 6 Facts about lockout and tagout devices . 7 Your energy control program . 7 Develop your written energy control procedures . 7 Train your employees . 8 Perform periodic inspections . .9 Putting it all together . 10 Common questions . 10 Traditional lockout vs. group lockout . 12 Working by the rules . 13 Definitions . 14 Oregon OSHA services . 15 Introduction Understanding energy Energy surrounds us as we work. Energy is critical in Energy and motion every place of business. Energy that is unexpected may be hazardous. Hazardous energy may be obvious, but Energy is the power for doing work. Energy exists often is not. Hazardous energy threatens if you do in different types see( Page 2), but all are associated the following: with motion. Regardless of the type, energy exists in two basic states: potential energy and kinetic energy. ` Service or maintain equipment that could Tensioned objects such as suspended loads have unexpectedly start or move. potential energy – energy that has the opportunity for ` Work near equipment when it’s being serviced. motion. Releasing the load converts potential energy to ` Remove or go around machine guards. kinetic energy, causing the load to drop. ` Fail to follow established energy control procedures. This guide is based on the requirements in Oregon OSHA’s standard for hazardous energy control – Subdivision 2/J, 1910.147, which protects employees who could be injured as a result of the unexpected release of hazardous energy. The requirements apply when an employee doing service or maintenance on a machine or equipment could be injured by the unexpected startup or release of hazardous energy. Lockout (LO) and tagout (TO) are the primary methods of controlling hazardous energy. Service or maintenance includes erecting, installing, constructing, repairing, adjusting, inspecting, unjamming, setting up, troubleshooting, testing, This forklift truck, raised for repair work, has potential energy. cleaning, and dismantling machines, equipment, or processes. In this guide, equipment means equipment and machines, whether fixed or mobile. What you will learn from this guide ` Why you should be concerned about hazardous energy. ` Safe practices for controlling hazardous energy. ` Key requirements of Oregon OSHA’s hazardous- energy-control standard – Subdivision 2/J, 1910.147. Remember: This guide will help you understand how to control hazardous energy and meet the requirements of 1910 147,. but it The forklift truck uses kinetic energy to raise/lower its load. does not take the place of 1910 147. 1 Forms of energy Pneumatic Pressurized air or gas systems, including pipes, pumps, Potential valves, actuators, and pressure vessels such as those Stored energy that can be drawn upon to do work. found in coating or pesticide sprayers, air compressors, Potential energy can be viewed as motion waiting and tank and pipe purging systems. to happen based on an object’s position, such as the energy found in elevated, suspended, compressed, or Radiation coiled materials. Potential energy can be converted to Visible light, infrared, microwave, ultraviolet, and kinetic energy to do work. X-rays. Non-ionizing radiation includes lasers, radio frequency (RF), and microwave (MW). Ionizing radiation Kinetic includes computed tomography (CT) and X-rays. Energy resulting from moving objects, such as released loads, uncoiling springs, and moving machinery. When Thermal these objects are released, their potential energy is Hot water, heated oil, steam, and equipment need time converted to kinetic energy. to cool, while liquefied gases, such as nitrogen, need Types of energy time to warm to safe thermal levels. Energy Transformation Chemical Energy is often converted from one type to another Liquids, such as gasoline, diesel, benzene, acids, and to make it more useful. Chemical energy stored caustics. Gases, such as propane, natural gas, and within a fuel such as natural gas is released as thermal methane. Solids, such as fertilizer, wet and dry cell energy when it is burned at a power plant. This batteries, and combustible dust. thermal energy is used to heat water within a boiler Electrical to create steam, which expands to rotate a turbine, generating electricity. The electrical energy is then Alternating (AC) and direct (DC) currents. Includes distributed along power lines to businesses where the equipment and conductors at both household and electricity can be used to power an air compressor. industrial voltages, photovoltaic systems, circuit The compressor’s electric motor forces ambient air breakers, transformers, capacitors, inverters, motors, into a pressure vessel, confining large amounts of and hybrid vehicles. air into a small space for future use. This stored air is Gravitational pneumatic potential energy that can be used at a later time. During an electrical power failure, you can still Objects such a hoisted vehicles, raised dumpster lids, use an air-powered tool, as long as sufficient potential objects supported by a crane, and elevated dump pneumatic energy (compressed air) remains within the truck beds. air compressor’s pressure vessel to operate the tool. Hydraulic How energy becomes hazardous Pressurized hydraulic systems, including hoses, pumps, Energy becomes hazardous when it builds to a valves, actuators, and reservoirs such as those on a dangerous level or is released in a quantity that could forklift, in an automotive vehicle hoist, power press injure a worker. Hazardous energy is never far from equipment, or an injection molding machine. those who need to service or maintain equipment. Mechanical Simply turning the power off does not make the equipment safe! It is critical that those who service or Sources such as a breeze rotating a wind turbine, water repair equipment know how hazardous energy could moving a paddle wheel, vehicle/mobile equipment harm them and how to control it. movement, and a spring under compression. Extreme sound is also a hazardous mechanical energy. 2 Hazardous energy in the Controlling hazardous energy workplace can kill The son of the owner of a commercial drywall con- struction company, who was also an employee, was To control hazardous energy, you must prevent preparing an aerial lift for a job and had replaced two it from being transmitted from its source to the battery terminals. He raised the aerial boom and was equipment that it powers. You can accomplish reaching toward the battery compartment across the that by doing the following: metal enclosure that houses the lift’s toggle controls when the boom dropped and pinned him to the con- 1. Identify energy sources and energy-isolating trol panel. His father discovered him and summoned devices emergency responders, but the son died at the site. 2. De-energize equipment Investigation findings 3. Secure energy-isolating devices in a safe position ` The employee did not use lockout procedures 4. Dissipate or restrain potential energy that can’t while he was working on the lift and did not block be isolated the boom to prevent it from dropping. 5. Verify equipment isolation ` The lift’s emergency valve, hydraulic hoses and fittings, and electrical wiring were inspected after 1. Identifying energy sources and the accident and were not defective; however, the energy-isolating devices on/off key switch had been bypassed so that the Identify equipment in your workplace that needs operator could use the toggle switches without service or maintenance. Determine the types of using the key. energy (there may be more than one) that powers ` The battery charging system was missing a fuse the equipment, including potential energy that may that would stop the system from charging, and remain when the energy sources are disconnected. the spring-loaded toggle switches that controlled Example 1: Industrial coffee bean roasters must be the boom did not have guards to prevent serviced to maintain optimum bean flavor and reduce accidental contact. fire risk. ` The owner had not reviewed the lift’s Depending on equipment options, some have rotating, instruction manual with the victim or other heated drums; natural gas burners; cyclone chaff company employees. collectors; rotating cooling agitators; motorized trays; The accident resulted in the following powered paddles; cooling blowers; and integrated carbon monoxide and heat exhaust systems. Once violations: turned off, the electrical, mechanical (moving parts), 1910.147(c)(4) – The employer did not develop, chemical (natural gas), and thermal (heated parts) document, and require employees to use