Hazardous Energy Control Policy
(Lock out/Tag out)
Environmental Health & Safety
Finance & Administration
University of Florida
UFEH&S-OHS-05/31/2003
This policy is intended to prevent injury to employees from the unexpected energizing, start up, or release of stored energy during servicing or maintenance of machines or systems.
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147
Only authorized employees are permitted to isolate hazardous energy in machines or systems. Authorized employees must understand the types, magnitude, and hazards of energy presented by the equipment they are authorized to lock out.
Specific written lock out procedures must be developed for each type of machine or system. Work cannot proceed until a specific procedure is developed.
Lockout the energy isolating devices with assigned individual lock(s). Tags may be used only with the written permission of EH&S when there is no feasible way to lock the machine or system. A specific procedure must be developed where tags are used with an additional disabling step taken in addition to the tag.
Only the employee who applied a lock should remove it. When the employee is not available the supervisor may remove the lock. The supervisor must notify the employee immediately upon returning to work that his or her lock was removed.
Locks must remain in place where shutdowns span shift changes and weekends.
This policy does not apply to work on cord and plug connected electric equipment for which the hazard of unexpected energizing or start up is controlled by the unplugging of the equipment from the energy source and by the plug is under the exclusive control of the employee performing the servicing or maintenance.
This policy does not cover minor tool changes and adjustments, and other minor servicing activities, which take place during normal operations, if they are routine, repetitive, and integral to the use of the equipment provided the work is performed using alternative measures which provide effective protection.
Normal and routine servicing or maintenance is covered by this policy if an employee is required to remove or bypass a guard or other safety device; or to place any part of his or her body into an area on a machine or piece of equipment where a danger exists during machine operation.
This policy does not cover hot tap operations involving transmission and distribution systems for substances such as gas, steam, water or petroleum products when they are performed on pressurized pipelines, provided that the supervisor demonstrates that continuity of service is essential; shutdown of the system is impractical; and specific procedures providing proven protection for employees are approved in writing by EH&S.
Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for the development of this policy for the control of hazardous energy.
It is the responsibility of University divisions, maintenance organizations, and laboratory principal investigators to implement this policy through the development of the necessary specific written procedures, training of staff, purchase of equipment, and modification to machines and systems where necessary.
It is the responsibility of the supervisor to maintain specific written lock out procedures for each type of machine or system, and to assure that the necessary equipment is provided and that hazardous energy control procedures are consistently and correctly implemented.
The supervisor should identify authorized employees and ensure they are adequately experienced and trained to identify potential hazards and apply appropriate means to secure those hazards.
It is the responsibility of authorized employees to verify that they poses adequate training and experience to understand the types, magnitude, and hazards of energy presented by the equipment they are authorized to lock out.
Authorized employees are responsible for the implementation of the specific written lock out procedures developed for each type of machine or system
All employees who provide or support maintenance, utility distribution, or renovation services shall be familiar with the significance and requirements of hazardous energy control procedures. Employees must be able to recognize locked or tagged equipment and must not attempt to defeat these controls.
Project managers must inform all outside contractors whose work involves shut down of machinery or systems of the elements of this program.
Project managers will ensure compliance for contractor work efforts covered by this policy.
UF employees must place locks on systems shut down by contractors when UF employees will also work on this equipment.
Comply with the specific written lock out procedures developed for the type of machine or system. Work cannot proceed until a specific procedure is developed.
The authorized employee or supervisor must notify people affected by the shutdown that a loss of service will occur, and provide the expected start and duration of the project and a description of all the systems affected. Sufficient lead-time should be provided to allow affected areas to prepare for shutdown.
Where necessary authorized employees may exchange their assigned locks/tags or keys with other authorized employees. Authorized employees assuming control of lockout of equipment must be fully briefed in the scope and stage of the work by those being relieved.
Training shall be provided for employees authorized to develop written procedures and apply locks or tags.
Training shall also be provided to personnel that may encounter locked/tagged out equipment through the course of their work.
Retraining will occur when new or revised control methods and procedures are implemented.