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Lockout/Tagout: Construction Safety Education Program

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54 views9 pages

Lockout/Tagout: Construction Safety Education Program

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Uploaded by

Love
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAM

#6

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT

This education program provides a guideline for the implementation of a lockout procedure. It is intended to give contractors and workers practical information relating to safety lockout procedures. This education program contains general information. For specific regulatory requirements, pleas consult the appropriate regulation(s) adopted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and the Canadian Safety Association Standards (CSA).
2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
Preventing Machine Surprises

Each year in construction and the associated trades several serious or fatal accidents occur as result of mistakenly assuming that machinery or equipment was safely off or de-energized before working on it.

In order to prevent such occurrences, it is absolutely essential for your employer to have an effective lockout procedure in place and to ensure it is diligently practiced without exception.

A lockout procedure is a written practice which, when followed, will allow workers to carry out their job functions without undue risk of injury. The procedure can be quite simple, yet precise, such as locking out a single piece of machinery, or complex, such as the locking out of an entire processing system. A lockout may be electrical or mechanical in nature.

This is due to the fact that there are many different sources or types of energy in addition to electrical energy. For instance, there is stored energy in hydraulic and air powered systems and transfer vessels as well as spring energy and gravity systems.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

However, it really doesnt matter what type of hazard or energy source you are faced with, the truth of the matter is that there is always a way to reduce the equipment to a state of zero energy so that it cannot cause harm to you or any of your co-workers.

Some workplaces have very complex machinery or process systems in their production lines.

This fact often presents special hazards to contractors of all types who might find themselves performing renovations or other mechanical or electrical repairs on the equipment itself or in the vicinity.

Examples of some special hazards to watch for include machinery which is fed electrical energy from more than one source or fans and other machinery which operates intermittently and starts and stops automatically or is controlled from elsewhere. Be sure that you know and understand the basics of the above before you start work and also remember that the safety rules and lockout procedures of the client take precedence over your own.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

Because the hazards of working on live or energized equipment are so great and the results often so tragic, it is not surprising that provincial workplace safety and health regulations are very explicit on the subject.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

Yielding to such temptation is foolhardy as any electrician lucky enough to survive will tell you. If you walked away from your last contact, consider yourself lucky and take the opportunity to change your habits before its too late.

Manitoba Regulation 19/86 under the Electricians License Act encourages electricians to work safely. The regulation permits testing, troubleshooting and adjusting work on live equipment only if provisions have be taken to ensure the safety of those involved. An example of such provisions would be the use of special insulated gloves and insulated tools.

A SPECIAL NOTE

Pulling fuses is not an acceptable alternative for locking out as it does not guarantee that the circuit is dead and will remain so as someone could replace the fuses not knowing that you are working on the equipment. Locking and tagging is the only acceptable practice.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

The term lockout is especially important to electricians and their apprentices because they work with electricity on a daily basis. They know the power it possesses and the damage it can do.

Although electricians are highly trained, skilled professionals they are not immune to shock hazards. Perhaps the most common mistake often made is viewing a job as too small or unimportant to merit locking out. This is a common factor in many low voltage incidents which, by the way, are responsible for more deaths that high voltage contacts.

Never work on live equipment regardless of its potential unless adequate safe work procedures have been developed and necessary safety equipment is readily available.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

The following flowchart outlines a typical lockout procedure from start to finish and can be used as a guide in developing one for your company or in performing a lockout of your own on a piece of machinery or equipment.

Explanation of Steps In Lockout Flow Chart


1. 2. Receive work assignment. Locate the area and identify the equipment or machinery to be worked on. 3. Identify all power sources affecting the equipment or machinery such as electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, steam, gravity, or momentum. 4. Determine whether lockout is required to perform the work assignment. 5. Locate and identify all power source components on equipment or machinery. 6. Determine whether it Is physically possible to lock out each power source. 7. If lockout is required, check with qualified operations personnel before proceeding. 8. Have qualified personnel shut down the equipment or machinery. Install your personal safety lock with tag indicating name, employer. Time / date, and work location. 9. Any power or product remaining in the equipment or machinery must be discharged or disconnected by qualified personnel. 10. With extreme caution, try to start the equipment or machinery manually. 11. Look for any movement or functions. 12. If none observed, try to restart again. 13. Look for any movement or functions. 14. If none observed, confirm that all power sources are at a zero energy state. 15. Carry out work assignment. 16. When work is complete and area ready to resume operation, remove all locks, tags and lockout devices. Check that all personnel are clear of the equipment or machinery. 17. Have qualified personnel restart the equipment or machinery. 18. Assignment complete once equipment or machinery is operating satisfactorily.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

LOCKOUT SAFETY CHECKLIST


Does your company have a written policy or procedure regarding lockouts? If so, have you received any training or instruction concerning this application? Have you been issued your own personal lock or been made aware of where you can obtain locks and tags when you need them? Is an adequate supply of protective equipment such as insulated gloves, multi-lock adapters and other special lockout devices such as chains, plug caps, valve caps, or blocks readily available at the workplace? Do the appropriate personnel assess all the jobs before work commences and identify all the parts of any system that need to be shut down including sources of energy other than electrical energy? Are all the above effectively neutralized? Are lockout situations communicated to all those who need to know that a lockout/tagout procedure is taking place? Does someone actually try the switch or controls or otherwise confirm that all energy sources have been neutralized before work actually begins? __ YES __ NO

__ YES __ NO

__ YES __ NO

__ YES __ NO

__ YES __ NO

__ YES __ NO

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

Unless you can answer yes to all of the above questions, you and your coworkers are taking unnecessary risks, thus increasing the chances that any one of you may become this provinces next accident statistic. Bring any concerns you may have to your supervisors attention as soon as possible so that any deficiencies may be corrected.

2005 Construction Safety Association of Manitoba www.constructionsafety.ca

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