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Lockout
Tagout
Plan

(Control of Hazardous Energy)


Review and Approval Authority
Page Omitted


Table of Contents

Emergency Telephone Numbers

Policy Statement

Glossary of Terms Related to Lockout/Tagout

Information and Training

UM Lockout/Tagout Procedures

Implementing LOTO

Appendices:
29 CFR 1910.147 (Control of Hazardous Energy)    Appendix I
Specific Instructions for Hazardous Machinery      Appendix II
Checklist for Using the LOTO Plan                           Appendix III


Emergency and Assistance Telephone Numbers

Fire - Police - Rescue - Emergency Medical Service - 24 hour #    9-1-1

Call Immediately For Any Emergency Including Confined
Space Incident, Chemical Spill, Fire, Injured or Sick Person

Environmental Safety (Main Office)    (301) 405-3960
    (Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety & Health, Hazardous Waste Management,
    Fire Protection, Radiation Safety, Insurance Services,
    Hazard Communication, Accident Investigation, Air Monitoring
    and Safety Education)

University Health Center - Occupational Health     (301) 314-8172
    (Medical Consultation and Evaluation)

Facilities Management, Work Control Center    (301) 405-2222
    (Repair of Facility Equipment Deficiencies, e.g., steam
    line leaks, electrical failures, ventilation, etc.)


Policy Statement

Approved by the President March 13, 1996

  1. Purpose

    This is a statement of official University policy to establish the process for compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, "Control of Hazardous Energy", 29 CFR 1910.147. It is intended to protect University employees from hazards caused by the inadvertent activation of equipment during maintenance. This policy establishes the minimum requirements to protect employees from such hazards.

  2. Scope

    Servicing and/or maintenance which takes place during normal production operations is covered by this plan if: 1) An employee is required to remove or bypass a guard or safety device; or 2) An employee is required to place any part of his or her body into an area of the machine or piece of equipment where work is actually performed upon the material being processed (point of operation) or where an associated danger exists during a machine cycle.

    Minor tool changes and adjustments (e.g., clearing jammed paper from a copier, printer or typewriter) and other minor servicing activities, which are routine, repetitive, and take place during normal production operations, are not covered by this plan. This type of maintenance must be completed using alternative safety measures (e.g., proper use of manufacturer-required and recommended machine guards).

    This plan also does not apply to work on cord and plug connected electrical equipment for which exposure to the hazards of unexpected start-up is controlled by unplugging it from the energy source if the plug is under the exclusive control of the employee performing the service.

  3. Policy

    The University is dedicated to providing safe work facilities for students and employees, and complying with federal and state occupational health and safety standards. Administrators, managers, faculty, staff and students all share a responsibility to reduce hazards due to the unintentional release of hazardous energy.

    The Lockout/Tagout Plan (LOTO) shall be implemented for all facilities at the College Park Campus where there is need to perform maintenance or provide routine service to machinery or equipment. Servicing of all electrically, chemically, pneumatically, thermally and/or hydraulically powered machinery is included in this plan. Contractors who perform work on University equipment shall also comply with the procedures outlined in this plan.

  4. Duties and Responsibilities

    1. Department of Environmental Safety (DES) shall:

      1. Provide consultation to assist in the identification of equipment where LOTO should be utilized.
      2. Prepare the LOTO Plan with periodic review and revisions as needed;
      3. Distribute the LOTO plan to each affected department for distribution to all individuals who are authorized by the department to perform maintenance on energized equipment;
      4. Approve locks to be used by individual departments;
      5. Investigate and document all reported accidents and/or near-miss accidents that are directly or indirectly related to the locking and tagging of equipment; and
      6. Provide training and retraining to all authorized employees.

    2. Department Heads shall:

      1. Designate supervisors to implement specific LOTO procedures; and
      2. Select appropriate locking and tagging devices for their respective department.

    3. Designated Supervisors shall:

      1. Implement all provisions of the LOTO for work areas under their control;
      2. Inventory and identify all potentially dangerous equipment capable of releasing hazardous energy during maintenance in work areas or facilities under their control;
      3. Prepare specific LOTO and emergency procedures for hazardous machinery (refer to Appendix A of the LOTO Plan;
      4. Identify persons authorized to implement LOTO procedures and assure that each person attends training provided by the Department of Environmental Safety;
      5. Report all workplace injuries, unsafe conditions and near-misses to the Department of Environmental Safety;
      6. Instruct authorized LOTO personnel regarding the applicability of this plan to their respective shop;
      7. Provide proper locking and tagging equipment including locks, tags, multiple lock holders, etc.;
      8. Direct periodic safety audits of LOTO procedures to determine regulatory compliance, and recommend action to correct conditions of non-compliance; and
      9. Comply with necessary documentation requirements.

    4. Authorized employees shall:

      1. Adhere to the requirements of the Lockout Tagout Plan;
      2. Follow guidelines referenced in this plan to protect themselves and others from the release of hazardous energy;
      3. Ensure the security of their own locking devices;
      4. Complete all safety training requirements and comply with documentation procedures; and
      5. Report all workplace injuries, unsafe conditions and near-misses to their supervisors and/or the Department of Environmental Safety.

    5. Affected employees shall:

      1. Notify the appropriate persons when equipment needs servicing; and
      2. Follow LOTO instructions given by the authorized employees.

  5. Information

    Assistance will be provided by the Department of Environmental Safety to any Department or individual requesting guidance or training to satisfy implementation of this policy. (Departmental telephone number is (301) 405-3960; electronic mail (E-Mail) address is safety@umd.edu; WWW Home Page address is http://www.des.umd.edu)


Glossary of Terms

Affected personnel: Persons that may use the machine being serviced during the course of their work day and may attempt to activate machinery while service is being done. Affected persons also include those persons whose job requires working in an area while such servicing or maintenance is being performed.

Authorized personnel: Persons that have received training in the use of Lockout/ Tagout equipment and are authorized to perform maintenance. Authorized personnel also include those persons responsible for properly locking and tagging machinery that is to be serviced. (Affected personnel may also be authorized personnel when that employees duties include servicing or maintenance of machinery.)

Blank: A disk inserted into the space between two pipe flanges to prevent the passage of liquid or gases through a pipe.

Bleed: The release of stored hydraulic, electrical or pneumatic energy.

Energy Sources: Any source of electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, thermal, chemical or other type of energy.

Lock: Keyed device, specified in type and color by the department completing the service, used to secure equipment. Keys for the lock shall be kept by the person completing the service only. Locks issued for use with this plan shall not be used for other purposes. Additionally, locks shall be able to withstand the environment in which they are being used.

Lockout: A system in which a lock, when properly attached to a power or energy source, prevents the unintentional activation of equipment. The lock physically hold the switch or handle in the "off" position until it is removed by the authorized personnel.

Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO): A list of procedures, abbreviated as LOTO, designed and implemented to protect employees from an accidental discharge of energy. LOTO is used interchangeably with, "Control of Hazardous Energy".

Servicing and/or Maintenance: Constructing, repairing, installing, adjusting, inspecting, modifying, lubricating, cleaning and/or clearing jammed equipment.

Tagout: A tagging procedure, intended to act only as a warning device, used to prevent the unintentional activation of equipment. The tag used at UM will contain the name and title of the authorized employee and read "Do Not Operate". Tagout device attachment means shall be of a non-reusable type, attachable by hand, self-locking, and non-releasable with a minimum locking strength of no less than 50 pounds. All tags and attachment means shall also be made to withstand the environment in which they are being used.


Information and Training

All participating UM employees must assume an active role in maintaining a safe working environment by reporting any problems or noncompliance with policies to their supervisor and/or the Department of Environmental Safety (DES). All employees are expected to assist their peers and should fully utilize any information provided during formal and informal training sessions. Any staff member who does not understand a policy or procedure should consult their supervisor or DES for clarification.

All employees required to service machinery that has the potential for release of hazardous energy shall be provided with information and training regarding the Lockout Tagout Plan (LOTO). Employees shall be informed of:

  1. The contents of the OSHA standard;

  2. The location and availability of the LOTO Plan;

  3. The procedures covered by the LOTO Plan including:
    1. Explanations of provisions;
    2. Description of physical hazards common to inappropriate locking and tagging of machinery;
    3. Description of hazardous energy sources common to UM;
    4. Review of measures to protect employees, faculty, students, staff and visitors from the inadvertent release of hazardous energy;
    5. Discussion of procedures to de-energize equipment and release or secure all residual energies; and
    6. Location of University reference materials on the control of hazardous energy.

  4. Evaluation technique to determine if energy hazards are present.

Training of employees and supervisors in the methods and procedures for LOTO and the provisions of the OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy Standard's requirements, shall be conducted by DES during training sessions scheduled through the Department of Personnel Services Employee Relations and Training, or through special arrangement. The individual department managers and supervisors shall be responsible for training of all authorized employees in the specific operations, safety equipment and emergency procedures used by their respective departments.

Documentation of general LOTO training conducted by DES shall be maintained by the Department of Personnel Services as part of the employee's permanent record. Documentation of department-specific training, provided by department managers and supervisors, shall be maintained within each department. Departmental training records may also be included in the employee's permanent record by sending a copy of the training record with a note requesting it be included in the employee's personnel file to Payroll, Rm. 1101L, Chesapeake Building.

Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job assignment, a change in machines, equipment or processes that present new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedure. Retraining shall also be conducted whenever a periodic inspection reveals deficiencies in the program.


Procedures

The following are minimum requirements for the use of energy isolating devices whenever maintenance or servicing is done. They shall be used to ensure that the machine or equipment is stopped and isolated from all potentially hazardous energy. Additionally, they will serve as an outline to protect workers from the inadvertent release of hazardous energy.

Locking devices and tags shall be used when employees are performing maintenance or service to any machine or system where unexpected or unintentional motion could cause harm. Locking devices shall also be used when guards or other safety devices must be removed during service or when moving or energized parts put any part of the employee's body at risk of injury.

Examples of conditions where locking and tagging should be used may include, but are not limited to:

  1. Clearing blocked or jammed mechanical equipment;
  2. Maintenance or repair work on equipment with moving parts;
  3. Confined space entries (Refer to the University Confined Space Plan); and
  4. Repairs or installation of electrical equipment.

If the equipment being serviced must be temporarily re-activated (for example, to test the equipment as part of the installation) all start-up and lockout procedures must be followed.

Specific Instructions for Hazardous Machinery

Specific instructions shall be developed for the locking and tagging of machinery or equipment under the following conditions:
  1. When the machine being serviced has the potential for stored or residual energy, or the re-accumulation of stored energy after shut down;
  2. When the machine has multiple energy sources;
  3. When the isolation and locking of the machine will not completely deactivate it;
  4. When the machine cannot be locked out;
  5. When a single lockout device will not achieve a lockout condition; or
  6. When the lockout device will not be under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the service.
(Appendix II of this plan can be used to assist the supervisor in preparing specific procedures.)

Working Without a Lock

If a lock cannot be applied to the equipment, and the supervisor can demonstrate that the tagging procedure will provide a level of safety equivalent to that obtained by the use of a lock, a tag may be used instead. A tag used without a lock shall be supplemented by one additional safety measure that provides a level of safety equivalent to that obtained by the use of a lock. Additional safety methods may include the removal of an isolating circuit element, blocking of a control switch, opening of an extra disconnecting device or the removal of a valve handle to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent activation. The tagout device shall be attached to the same location that the lockout device would have been attached.


Implementing Lockout/Tagout

Employees shall implement an orderly shutdown of machinery to avoid any additional or increased hazards resulting from equipment stoppage. The following is a list of steps to be used during shutdown.

  1. Preparing for Shutdown
    1. Identify the types of energy and sources
    2. Notify affected employees of intent to service equipment

  2. Shutting Down the Equipment
    1. Turn off equipment
    2. Deactivate energy
    3. Release all stored or residual energy
    4. Attach locking and tagging devices
    5. Verify that equipment is secure and deactivated

  3. Preparing to Return Equipment to Service
    1. Remove all tools from the equipment
    2. Inspect the controls to verify they are in the "off" position
    3. Remove all locking and tagging devices
    4. Re-energize the equipment
    5. Notify affected employees when machine is back in service

  1. Preparation for Shutdown:

    1. Identification of the Energy Type or Source
              Determine where and how equipment is being energized. Since some equipment is powered by several sources (e.g., electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, chemical, thermal and hydraulic), all energizing sources shall be identified. For complex equipment, refer to the manufacturer's control diagram detailing the locations of all isolating points. These points may include breaker panels, switches and valves. Furthermore, possible residual energy and methods used to dissipate or restrain that energy shall be identified. In addition to identifying energy sources, the employee must determine the magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled and the methods or means to control the energy. If authorized employees are unable to determine each form of energy, they must consult their supervisors before work is started.

    2. Notification of employees
              Affected employees must be notified by authorized personnel of the intent to service equipment. Notification shall be given before LOTO controls are applied and should contain the name and job titles of authorized employees, location of equipment being serviced, and duration/date of service.

  2. Shutdown of Machine:

    1. Shut Off Equipment
              If the machine or equipment is operating, employees shall shut it     down by the normal stopping procedures (depress the stop button, open the switch, close valve, etc.).

    2. Deactivate the Energy
              Disconnect the device from all energy sources and release all residual energies that may present a hazard. Inspect the equipment to ensure all energy sources are disconnected.

    3. Release of Stored or Residual Energy
              Release stored or residual energy, such as that in capacitors, springs,     elevated machine members, rotating flywheels, hydraulic systems and pressurized systems (air, gas, steam, or water). If energy is incapable of being released, the employee shall reposition, block or utilize some other protective measure to prevent the release of residual energy while service is in progress.

    4. Attach a Lock and Tag
              Attach a lock and tag, of designated color, type and descriptive warning, on each disconnecting means used to de-energize circuits and equipment on which work is to be performed. The lock shall be attached to prevent persons from operating the equipment. Tags must be securely attached to energy isolating devices so that they cannot be inadvertently or accidentally detached during use. Additionally, tags shall be attached to all points where equipment or circuits can be energized. If multiple employees are servicing the same equipment, each shall attach their own lock to a multiple lock plate.

      Note: No attempt shall be made to remove another employee's lock unless the requirements listed in Section III (c) of this document are satisfied.

    5. Verify that equipment is secure and deactivated
              Test the deactivation of the equipment to ensure that equipment cannot be energized and potential energy sources secured. This should be done by:

      1. Checking that no personnel are exposed;
      2. Verifying the isolation of equipment by operating the push button or other normal operating controls. Secure all switches to prevent movement to the "on" or "start" position;
      3. Checking pressure gauges to ensure de-pressurization of lines; and
      4. Inspecting electrical circuits to confirm zero voltage.

    Note: All employees should consider equipment to be operable at all times except when they have personally locked it out.

  3. Returning Equipment to Service

        After service has been completed and the machine is ready to be tested or returned to service the following steps must be followed.

    1. Inspect the machine and work area
              Inspect the machine(s) to insure that non-essential materials have been removed and the machine is in operating order. Visual inspections shall be conducted to ensure: a) tools and equipment are removed and secured safe guards are in place; and b) blocks, pins and chain (used during the lockout) are removed. Additionally, employees shall verify all equipment components are fully assembled and operational. Finally, employees shall inspect the work area to ensure that all employees have been safely positioned or removed from the area.

    2. Inspect the controls
              Verify the controls are in neutral or the "off" position.

    3. Remove the lock devices
              Each lock shall be removed by the authorized employee that applied it or under his/her direct supervision. If the authorized employee is absent from the work place then the lock or tag can be removed by a qualified person designated to perform this task provided that the immediate supervisor:

      1. Verifies that the employee is not present and therefore unable to remove the lock;
      2. Makes all reasonable efforts to inform the authorized employee that the lockout/tagout device has been removed; and
      3. Ensures that the authorized employee knows the lockout/tagout device has been removed before work resumes.

    4. Re-energize the machine.
              After completing the above steps, restore the energy to the machine.

    5. Notify affected employees
              Notify affected employees that the servicing or maintenance is completed, and the machine or equipment is ready for use.



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