Lockout Tagout

Lock Out / Tag Out Program

Control of Hazardous Energy

Emergency Telephone Numbers

Fire / Life / Medical Emergency:  911 and Ext. 3300

Public Safety/UMES Police Department:  Ext. 6590

Environmental Health and Safety:  Ext.  6652

Physical Plant Work Control Office:  Ext. 6650

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to establish procedures for the safe control of energy through locking and tagging of equipment and machinery at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. This program is consistent with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Lockout/Tagout Standard as found in 29 CFR 1910.147

Scope

This program applies to all UMES employees who are authorized to perform maintenance service activities on equipment or processes and is intended to protect University employees from the hazards caused by the inadvertent activation of equipment during maintenance. Servicing and/or maintenance which takes place during normal production operations is covered by this plan if:

  • An employee is required to remove or bypass a guard or safety device; or
  • 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.

Responsibilities and Procedures

Environmental Health and Safety

  1. Administers this program and ensures that the program satisfies the requirements of all applicable federal, state, or local lockout/tag out requirements.
  2. Provides training of employees on lockout/tag out procedures
  3. Maintains the training records of all employees included in the training sessions
  4. Verifies through periodic audit that the energy control program effectively protects employees servicing powered equipment

 Designated Supervisors

  1. Complete energy control plans for each specific piece of equipment or process within the institution requiring lockout.  The plan will identify all energy isolation points to be locked and tagged, as well as any special information required to safely achieve a zero energy state.
  2. Ensure that only authorized employees service equipment within the facility and that they have received training on appropriate lockout/tag out procedures and energy control plans
  3. Ensure that appropriate energy isolation devices are available for all equipment or processes within the institution
  4. Coordinate activities of contractors that may affect lockout/tag out and energy control procedures within the institution

Authorized Employees

  1.  Comply with the company’s energy control program
  2. UMES maintenance personnel shall make the “first break” on all circuitry lines or equipment.
  3. Shut down prepare, lock out and tag any piece of equipment to be cleaned, repaired, inspected, or physically altered.  All equipment that contains energy of any form will be locked out prior to being serviced or maintained.  This lock-out tag out procedure shall be followed to protect persons from injury due to the inadvertent operation of power driven equipment, opening of pipe-line valves, or energizing of electrical circuits.
  4. Each worker on the job should put on and remove his own lock and tag. Voltage tests to ensure that a circuit is de-energized shall be performed by a qualified person using approved test equipment.  
  5. Ensure the security of their own lock and key; tags shall not be altered or used for other than the intended purpose. UMES locks and tags should be the first on and the last off. 
  6. Communicate activities to all affected employees and other authorized employees
  7. Lockout checklist and safe startup checklist will be used during all service and maintenance activities to ensure the safety of both authorized and affected employees

 Work Requiring More Than One Person

  1.  If more than one person is required to lock or tag out equipment, each person shall place his or her own lock and tag on the energy isolating device.
  2. When an energy isolating device cannot accept multiple locks and tags, a multiple lockout device or hasp will be used.

Affected Employees

  1.  Advise the maintenance department when equipment needs servicing
  2. Following the direction of the authorized employee as it affects the operation of their equipment

 Contractors

Contractors who perform work on campus equipment will comply with campus lock-out/ tag-out procedures.  Contractor’s employees shall also lock-out and tag these services for their own protection.  Locks and tags used by the contractor shall include the contractor’s business name, telephone number and date.

Any exceptions to this procedure should require a written approval from the UMES Project Supervisor or the UMES Safety Inspector directly involved with the work.

Any willful violation of this procedure should result in disciplinary action deemed appropriate by the Director of the Physical Plant.

Evaluation Recordkeeping

The OSHA Lockout/Tag-out Standard requires that you keep accurate records of all energy control program evaluations.  Evaluations must be done annually at a minimum and must include:

  •  Interviews with each authorized employee to discuss the employee’s responsibilities under our written energy control program and lockout/tag out procedures.
  • Checks to make sure proper locks and tags are being used
  • Checks to make sure all lockout/ragout procedures are being followed

Training Recordkeeping

The OSHA Standard also requires that you keep accurate records of all lockout/tag out training activities. This calls for keeping a record of all participants, the training received, the date of training and who performed the training.

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