Lockout/Tagout: 5 Things You Need to Know

You can't ignore lockout/tagout when performing maintenance or repairs on machinery. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has standards in place to protect workers from injury, one of which is lockout/tagout. Below are five things you need to know about lockout/tagout and how it works.

#1) Protects Against Accidental Startup and Stored Energy

Lockout/tagout is designed specifically to protect against accidental startup and stored energy. Machinery must be turned off so that you can perform maintenance or repairs. If the machinery starts up while you are working on it, however, you may sustain an injury. Lockout/tagout is designed to prevent machinery from starting up accidentally or releasing stored energy. This OSHA standard essentially protects workers from injury associated with the accidental startup or release of stored energy during maintenance and repairs.

#2) Developed in the 1980s

Think lockout/tagout is new? Think again. The standard has been around since the early 1980. It was developed by OSHA in 1982. Initially, lockout/tagout wasn't a law. It became a law in 1989, however. Today, businesses in the United States are required to implement lockout/tagout procedures for their respective machinery.

#3) Lockout vs Tagout

While the term "lockout/tagout" is used to describe OSHA's standard for protecting workers from accidental machinery startup and the release of stored energy, lockout and tagout aren't the same. Lockout involves the use of a device, such as a circuit breaker lock, to restrict machinery of its energy source. The energy source is essentially isolated from the machinery. Tagout, on the other hand, involves the use of a label-like tag to convey the type of repair or maintenance that's currently being done on the machinery.

#4) Saves 120 Lives Per Year

Why is lockout/tagout important? According to OSHA, it saves approximately 120 lives per year. Lockout/tagout also prevents an estimated 50,000 work-related injuries per year.

#5) Not Limited to Electrical Machinery

Some people assume that only electrical machinery requires lockout/tagout, but this isn't the case. Lockout/tagout encompasses all types of "energized" machinery. Some machines are powered by electricity. Other machines are powered via pneumatics, hydraulics or mechanics. Electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical are all forms of energy. Regardless of the specific type of energy powering a machine, lockout/tagout is necessary to protect workers from injury.

In Conclusion

Lockout/Tagout is an OSHA-developed safety procedure designed to protect workers from hazardous energy sources during machinery maintenance or servicing. It ensures that the machinery won't start up accidentally, which could otherwise cause injury to workers who are repairing or maintaining the machinery.