Lockout / Tagout
1.0 Regulatory Authority
Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 1910.147; California
Code of Regulations, Title 8, Sections 2320.1 and 3314; CSU,
Fullerton Injury and Illness Prevention Program.
2.0 Policy
It is the policy of California State University, Fullerton
to maintain, insofar as is reasonably possible, a campus environment
for faculty, staff, students and the public that will not
adversely affect their health and safety nor subject them
to avoidable risks of accidental injury or illness. Furthermore,
the University has an obligation to safeguard employees from
hazardous energy while they are performing servicing or maintenance
on machines and equipment.
3.0 Purpose
Hazardous energy appears in the workplace in the form electrical,
mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and thermal energy and includes
chemical, water, steam and gaseous energy systems. Lockout/Tagout
procedures prevent the unexpected energization, start up or
release of stored energy that could cause injury to employees
working on equipment. OSHA estimates that nearly 2% of all
deaths in the workplace would be affected by adherence to
this rule.
The purpose of this program is to identify the practices
and procedures necessary to shut down and lock out or tag
out machines and equipment. It requires that employees receive
training in the lockout/Tagout program and requires that periodic
inspections be conducted to maintain and enhance the program.
4.0 Scope and Application
This program applies to all University departments whose
employees service or maintain equipment and machines which
could either unexpectedly start up, or work in areas where
the possibility of the release of stored energy could cause
injury to employees. This includes authorized employees who
perform repair, servicing and maintenance operation and affected
employees who work with the equipment to be lock or tagged
out.
This program does not apply in the following situations:
- Servicing or maintaining of cord and plug connected electrical
equipment.
- During hot tap operations that involve transmission and
distribution systems for gas, steam or water when they are
performed on pressurized pipelines.
- When employees are provided with an alternative type
of protection that is equally effective.
5.0 Definitions
Affected Employee - an employee who performs the duties
of his or her job in an area in which the energy control procedure
is implemented and servicing or maintenance operations are
performed, or work with the equipment to be locked or tagged
out.
Authorized Employee - an employee who performs servicing
or maintenance on machines and equipment. Lockout or Tagout
is used by these employees for their own protection.
Energy Isolating Device - any mechanical device that
physically prevents the transmission or release of energy.
These include electrical circuit breakers, disconnect switches,
line valves, and blocks.
Energy Source - any source of electrical, mechanical,
hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal or other energy.
Energy Control Procedure - written documentation that
contains all information needed for authorized employees to
safely control hazardous energy during servicing or maintenance
of machines or equipment.
Lockout - the placement of a lock on an energy isolating
device such as a circuit breaker, disconnect switch, line
valve or block in accordance with established procedure so
that the equipment or machine controls cannot be activated
until the lockout device is removed.
Tagout - placement of a tag, sign or label to an energy
isolating device as a warning to others that the equipment
or machine cannot be operated until the Tagout device is removed.
6.0 Responsibilities
6.1 Department
The director or chair of each department is responsible for
determining if activities involving the use of hazardous energy
sources are subject to and performed in accordance with the
requirements of this program. EH&IS will be assisting
departments in this determination.
6.2 Physical Plant
A majority of the hazardous energy sources on campus are
the responsibility of the Physical Plant Department. They
are responsible for the following:
- Identify all Plant maintained machinery or equipment which
would be subject to this program.
- Identify "authorized" and "affected"
employees within Physical Plant.
- Ensure that all authorized and affected employees in Physical
Plant receive proper training on the Lockout/Tagout Program.
- Develop, document and utilize written energy control procedures
for each potentially hazardous energy source.
- Ensure all new and refurbished equipment is capable of
accommodating lockout devices.
- Provide ongoing funding of the lockout/Tagout program.
6.3 Environmental Health and Instructional Safety
Environmental Health and Instructional Safety will be responsible
for the following:
- Develop and maintain a written program which complies
with the requirements of OSHA and Cal/OSHA.
- Provide training to Physical Plant supervisors on the
requirements of the program.
- Assist Physical Plant in identifying hazardous energy
sources and choosing of proper lockout/Tagout devices.
- Perform periodic inspections to ensure compliance with
program procedures.
6.4 Authorized and Affected Employee
- Comply with the provisions of the Lockout/Tagout Program.
- Assist in the identification of hazardous energy sources
and report these to their supervisor.
- Report to their supervisors whenever lockout procedures
are not being followed.
7.0 Lockout/Tagout Program
7.1 Identification of Sources
Physical Plant and other departments which have hazardous
energy sources must identify all machinery and equipment that
is subject to the lockout/Tagout program. All rooms and equipment
will be signed with warning labels.
7.2 Energy Control Procedure
Written procedures for each energy source must identify the
information authorized employees must know in order to control
hazardous energy during servicing or maintenance. If the information
is the same for a group of machines or equipment, then a single
energy control procedure may be sufficient. Procedures will
include the following:
1. Procedural steps to shut down, isolate and secure machines
or equipment.
- Prepare for shutdown.
- Shut down the machinery or equipment.
- Apply the lockout or Tagout device.
- Tagout devices shall state the reason for the interruption
of equipment usage.
- Safely release all stored energy.
- Verify the isolation of the machine or equipment.
2. Procedural steps to shut down, isolate and secure machines
or equipment during a hazardous material abatement project.
- Contractor must contact EH&IS prior to commencement
of abatement project.
- Contractor shall notify project manager, IOR, EH&IS
to coordinate shut down of mechanical air handler during
actual abatement.
- Authorized Central Plant personnel will apply lockout/tagout
devices in addition to the contractor's own lockout/tagout
devices.
- Notification to Service Center and Central Plant Manager
will be made by EH&IS once abatement time has been established.
- Notification to remove the lock will be made to Service
Center, Central Plant Manager, and Authorized Central Plant
personnel by EH&IS once confirmation of adequate safety
measures have been established.
3. Procedural steps for re-energizing equipment after servicing
is complete.
- Inspect the work area to ensure all items have been removed
and that the equipment is intact and capable of operating
properly.
- Notify affected employees immediately after removing locks
or tags and before starting equipment or machines.
- Make sure tags or locks are removed only by those employees
who attached them.
Exception:
When the authorized employee who applied the lockout or tagout device is not available to remove it, that device may be removed
using a master key, under the direction of the Associate Director
of Physical Plant, provided that the following conditions
are met:
- Verification by the employer that the authorized employee
who applied the device is not at the facility
- Make all reasonable efforts to contact the authorized
employee to inform him/her that his/her lockout or tagout
device has been removed.
- Ensure that the authorized employee has this knowledge
before he/she resumes work at the facility.
7.3 Lockout/Tagout Devices
In every instance, a lockout device is preferable to a tag
because tags do not present a physical restraint to the startup
of equipment. Tags are warning devices which can be easily
removed, bypassed, obscured or ignored. When a tag is used,
further steps must be taken such as removing a circuit fuse
to ensure the safety of others.
The following are requirements for lockout/Tagout devices:
- Departments are responsible for providing employees with
a sufficient number of devices for control of hazardous
energy. Employees in each affected department will be
issued locks to be used for lockout/tagout.
- Employees in each affected department will be issued
tagout devices. It will be of re-usable type and will
contain the employees identification and contact information.
- A designated color for lockout devices will be assigned
for each department/shops. Identification of owner
and contact information shall be clearly visible on lockout
and tagout devices. Tagout devices shall clearly state the
reason for the interruption of equipment usage.
- Lockout/Tagout devices must be only used or controlling
energy and shall not be used for other purposes.
- Lockout/Tagout devices must be capable of withstanding
the environment for the period of time they will be applied.
Tagout devices must be constructed and printed so that the
exposure to weather, wet conditions or corrosive environments
will not alter the tag or make it unreadable.
- Lockout/Tagout devices must be standardized within the
University. Color, shape or size must be standard. With
Tagout devices, print and format must be standard.
- Lockout devices must be sturdy enough to prevent removal
without the use of excessive force. Tagout devices must be
sturdy enough to prevent inadvertent or accidental removal. Tagout attachment devices must be non-reusable and self-locking.
- Devices must indicate the identity of the employee applying
the device. Tagout devices shall warn against hazardous
conditions if the machine or equipment is energized and
shall include warnings such as "Do Not Open, Do
Not Close, Do Not Operate."
Note: Lockout devices issued for the lockout/tagout
program are not intended for use to lockdown equipment that
is out of service for an extended period of time. Please
refer to Physical Plant's Maintenance Procedure for this type
of situation.
7.4 Inspection Procedures
To ensure this compliance with this program, the department
must conduct an annual inspection of the procedures.
- Inspection must be conducted by an authorized employee
other than the one using the control procedures.
- Inspection must be designed to correct any deficiencies.
- The inspections shall include a review of procedures with
the authorized employees.
- The inspection must be documented with the name of the
machine or equipment for which the procedures are utilized, the date, the employees
included and the person conducting the inspection. Records
must be kept for five years.
8.0 Employee Training
The department or Environmental Health and Safety will be
responsible for training to ensure the purpose and function
of the lockout/Tagout program is understood by all authorized
and affected employees.
8.1 Employees
- Authorized employees must receive training in the recognition
of hazardous energy sources and the methods used for isolation
of these sources.
- Affected employees shall be instructed in the purpose
and use of the energy control procedure.
- All other employees who work in the area must be made
aware of the control procedures and the about the prohibition
on restarting equipment that has been locked or tagged out.
8.2 When tags are used, training must include the following:
- Tags are warning devices and do not provide physical restraint.
- Tags cannot be removed other than by the authorized person
responsible for it.
- Tags must be legible and understandable by all employees.
- Tags must be made out of sturdy material and capable of
withstanding the environment in which they are used.
- Tags must be securely attached so that they cannot be
inadvertently detached.
8.3 Retraining
Retraining shall be provided whenever there is a change in
job assignment, a change in machines, equipment or processes
or when there is a change in the energy control procedures.
8.4 Record keeping
Documentation must be kept on the employee's name, date of
training and name of trainer.
9.0 Contractors and Vendors
Contractors and vendors who perform work on University property
must adhere to the polices of this program
minimum Cal/OSHA requirement. Training must be provided
to contractor's employees by the contractor and must adhere
to the minimum training requirement established by Cal/OSHA.
It is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure
these instructions have been carried out.
10.0 Policy Exceptions
A written procedure need not be developed for a particular
machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist:
- There is no potential for energy to be stored or re-accumulated
after the shutdown.
- There is a single, readily identifiable source of energy
isolation, and the isolation completely de-energizes the
equipment.
- The machine is locked out during service.
- Application of a single lockout device provides a complete
lockout condition.
- The lockout device is under the exclusive control of the
employee performing the work.
- The maintenance or service does not itself create a hazard
to other employees.
- There have been no accidents or incidents involving the
unexpected activation of machines during service or maintenance.
Revised: 1/31/2002