4.15 Hazardous Energy Control (Lockout/Tagout) Program

The Church’s Hazardous Energy Control Program, hereafter referred to as the lockout/tagout program, includes the use of locks and warning tags to protect people from hazardous energy sources (including electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, and mechanical energy sources) during maintenance and servicing of equipment. Employees should follow the procedures outlined below as well as all local laws and regulations.

Follow lockout/tagout procedures before anyone performs any activity in which the unexpected start-up or release of stored energy could cause injury. These procedures should also be followed when an employee needs to do any of the following for service and maintenance that take place during normal production operations:

Remove or bypass a guard or other safety device.
Work on the area of a machine or piece of equipment where the machine comes in contact with the material being processed (at the point of operation).
Come in contact with or come close to dangerous moving parts of a machine or piece of equipment.

Please note that the instances listed below do not require following the guidelines discussed in the lockout/tagout program:

Minor tool changes and adjustments and other minor servicing activities that take place during normal production operations and that use alternative measures to provide effective protection.
Work on electrical equipment that is connected to its electrical source by a cord and a plug that can be disconnected. The employee doing the work must be in exclusive control of the plug.
Work on electrical equipment that is energized (this situation is discussed in section 4.6.9, “Energized Electrical Work”).

4.15.1 Individuals Involved in the Lockout/Tagout Procedure

Below is a list of the individuals who may be involved in the lockout/tagout procedures:

Authorized employees are those who apply locks or tags to machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment.

Affected employees are those who operate or work with equipment or machinery but are not authorized to use lockout/tagout procedures.

Other employees are those whose work operations are or may be in an area where energy-control procedures may occur.

Safety professionals are those who, because of their education, experience, and work assignments, help implement, provide training for, and evaluate the implementation of the lockout/tagout program.

Supervisors and managers are those who oversee employees, including authorized and affected employees.

4.15.2 Lockout/Tagout Procedures

Managers and supervisors should ensure that employees understand the importance of lockout/tagout safety requirements. Training new and transferred employees about the purpose and use of these procedures is especially important.

To develop procedures specific to the servicing of equipment, managers and supervisors should establish a lockout/tagout procedure template (hereafter referred to as the procedure template) or equivalent format (a template or form that is selected internally and meets or exceeds the requirements of the procedure). The equipment-specific procedure identifies the energy sources that need to be isolated for complex equipment. A sample of an electronic procedure template and training on how to use it are available through the Risk Management Division representative. One lockout/tagout procedure may cover multiple types of equipment if they are essentially similar and have identical energy-control requirements.

However, an equipment-specific lockout/tagout procedure does not need to be developed for a specific machine or piece of equipment if all of the following criteria are met:

The machine or equipment has no potential for storing energy or holding residual energy.
The machine or equipment has a single energy source that can be readily identified and isolated.
The isolation and locking out of that single energy source will completely de-energize and deactivate the machine or equipment.
The machine or equipment is always isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance.
A single lockout device will achieve a locked-out condition.
The servicing or maintenance of the machine does not create hazards for other employees.
When following the guidelines discussed in this exception to policy, there have been no incidents involving the unexpected activation or re-energization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.

Whenever lockout/tagout is required, follow the general steps outlined below.

Determining the Lockout/Tagout Procedure and Notifying Employees

Determine the lockout/tagout procedure to be followed and who is authorized to implement the procedure. If a lockout/tagout procedure is not already in place, refer to the information above and use the procedure template or similar template or form to establish a procedure. Equipment-specific procedures should identify the energy-isolation devices and prescribe the sequence for isolating energy sources. See the manufacturer’s equipment manual for equipment-specific guidelines.
Notify affected employees of the lockout/tagout, and explain the reason for it.

Attaching Locks and Tags

The authorized employee uses the following steps to attach locks and tags:

Shut down the machine or equipment using standard operating procedures.
Turn off the energy to the machine or equipment (at circuit breakers or other disconnect switches).
Block or bleed stored energy and pressure (in springs; raised machine parts; flywheels; hydraulic [fluid] systems; air, gas, and steam systems; and so on).
Attach a lock (with accompanying warning tag) to prevent the equipment from being operational.
Test the machine or equipment by trying to start it. Ask that employees stand clear.
After the test, return the equipment’s operating controls to the neutral or off position.
Use warning tags alone when it is not possible to lock out the equipment.
- Write your name on the tag.
- Place the tag near or attached to the energy-isolation device in a place where it can be easily seen.

Maintaining the Lockout/Tagout Status

Ensure safe working conditions by maintaining the lockout/tagout status during the entire period this status is needed.

When a lockout/tagout status must be maintained across shifts, employees who are leaving must brief incoming employees on lockout/tagout conditions.
The incoming employees will then place their locks or tags on the energy-isolation devices before the departing employees remove their locks or tags.

Removing Locks and Tags

After the required servicing and maintenance are complete and the machine or equipment is ready to be used, inspect the area and equipment to ensure the following:

Everyone is standing clear of the machine or equipment.
Tools and other nonessential items have been removed.
All machine and equipment parts are intact.

Only the authorized employee who attached the lock or the warning tag may remove it. Before starting the machine or equipment, the authorized employee should notify all affected employees in the area that the lock or warning tag has been removed and that the machine or equipment is ready to be turned on and used.

However, if the authorized employee cannot be found at the facility or is otherwise unavailable, his or her supervisor may remove the lock or tag when necessary by doing the following:

Verifying that the employee who applied the device cannot be found at the facility or is not available.
Making all reasonable efforts to contact the authorized employee to determine whether the lock or tag may be removed.
Ensuring that the authorized employee is aware that the lock or tag has been removed before the employee resumes work at the facility.

Using Group Lockout/Tagout Procedures

When more than one employee is required to lock or tag equipment, the supervisor, manager, or other authorized person designates one authorized employee as being primarily responsible for the lockout/tagout procedure. This employee is responsible to ensure the following:

Each authorized employee has a personal lock or tag attached to the energy-isolation device. If more than one lock cannot be attached to a switch or other device, use one of the following methods to secure the device.
- Use a multiple-lock device, such as a hasp.
- Use a single lock to lock out the machine or equipment, and place the key in a box or cabinet locked with multiple locks.
Safe working conditions are maintained throughout the lockout/tagout period by following the guidelines provided above.

4.15.3 Contractors

When outside contractors service Church machinery and equipment, the Church manager or supervisor and the outside contractor inform each other of their respective lockout/tagout procedures. Church managers help maintenance employees understand and comply with the contractor’s energy-control procedures. Contractors also train their employees to understand and comply with the Church’s energy-control program. Refer to section 2.9, “Managing Construction and Maintenance Contractors,” for more information on working with contractors.

4.15.4 Materials and Hardware

Managers and supervisors provide locks, tags, chains, wedges, key blocks, adapters and pins, self-locking fasteners, and other hardware needed for blocking and isolating machines and equipment from their energy sources. These devices are required to be standardized, sturdy, and durable (safety professionals can help identify acceptable devices).

Locks and warning tags for controlling energy should be appropriately identified and used solely for lockout/tagout procedures. The person attaching the lock must have sole control of the key to that lock.
Tags must be made of a material that will not be damaged by weather, damp conditions, or conditions in other work environments. Tags must include warning information about the hazards of re-energizing the equipment.
Lockout devices must be capable of accommodating the locks of all employees involved in servicing or maintaining the equipment.

4.15.5 Training and Inspections

Initial Training

Managers and supervisors, under the direction of safety professionals if needed, ensure that:

Authorized employees are trained to use proper lockout/tagout procedures and to recognize hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy, and methods to block, bleed, or isolate the energy sources.
Affected employees are instructed in the purpose and use of the lockout/tagout procedures.
Other employees who work in an area where lockout/tagout procedures may be used are instructed about the lockout/tagout program and procedures. They should be instructed to not remove or bypass lockout/tagout devices or attempt to start locked-out equipment.

Managers and supervisors should also maintain an up-to-date training record that lists the names of all employees and when each received these trainings.

Follow-Up Training

Retrain or give additional training to employees when any of the following situations occurs:

Employees change jobs or are rehired.
Machinery or equipment is changed.
New hazards are recognized.
Energy-control procedures change.
Inspections show that employees lack the knowledge needed to effectively follow the energy-control procedures.
Employees need to improve proficiency in following lockout/tagout procedures.

Periodic Inspections

Managers and supervisors partner with safety professionals to ensure that energy-control procedures are inspected periodically. The purpose of these inspections is to determine if the equipment-specific lockout/tagout procedures sufficiently protect workers and to ensure that authorized employees are following the procedures; these inspections are used to discover and correct deficiencies. The inspections should be conducted by an authorized employee who is not normally involved in performing lockout/tagout procedures on the equipment being reviewed.

The Lockout/Tagout Procedure Periodic Inspection form (see chapter 7) is used to document the inspection. Managers, supervisors, and safety professionals should maintain the two most recent records of the inspections for each procedure.