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In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber asking what is considered alternative control under the lockout/tagout standard. See what the experts had to say. Q: What is considered alternative control under the lockout/tagout […]
Warehousing is one of the riskier industries due to the use of high-powered machinery and vehicles operating within close proximity of each other. Warehouse safety should be your utmost priority to keep employees safe, ensure efficient operation, maximize productivity, and minimize injury or damage.
Lockout/tagout refers to the procedures that safeguard employees from the sudden and unexpected start-up of machinery; the reenergization of equipment could be dangerous for those close to the machinery, especially if workers believe the equipment is safely shut down. It is imperative to ensure that dangerous machines are completely shut off and are not able […]
Two construction workers were severely injured by demolition robots in separate incidents, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries reported in a recent construction hazard alert.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is asking for comments, data, and information about possible revisions to its Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard. The agency is considering whether to accept alternatives to energy-isolating devices.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited a food manufacturer and staffing agency, seeking over $300,000 in penalties, for lockout/tagout and other violations after a temporary worker lost two fingers cleaning dough-rolling machinery.
OSHA may be planning to explore alternative methods of ensuring workers are protected from sources of hazardous energy (chemical, electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, pneumatic, thermal, and others). OSHA announced plans in the Department of Labor’s (DOL) most recent agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions to issue a pre-rule request for information (RFI) on alternatives to its […]
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) vacated OSHA’s citation of Wal-Mart and one of its contractors for alleged violations of the lockout/tagout standard. The alleged violation was cited following an incident in which a worker at a Brundidge, Alabama, distribution center was struck by an automated trolley October 18, 2016, and sustained a serious leg injury.
As part of its Temporary Worker Initiative, OSHA has provided guidance on the responsibilities of temporary-worker staffing agencies and host employers to protect temporary workers under the federal Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard (29 CFR 1910.147).
Failure by employers to develop and use hazardous energy control procedures as required by OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147) is one of the Agency’s annual top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations. Perhaps the most demanding compliance obligation is establishment of a written energy control program.