Avoiding Hazardous Energy Accidents
Hazardous Energy Lockout Regulations: Perhaps you’ve seen this term, or something similar, on posters in your workplace, in your facility safety manual, or even on tags with the words printed on them. However, do you really understand the important role such regulations play in the safety of the everyday worker?
Let’s start at the beginning…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA, is the agency responsible for enforcing safety and health legislation in the workplace. OSHA was created in response to the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 in order to help employers provide a safe working environment for their employees. Since OSHA’s establishment, injury and illness rates in the workplace have dropped 60 percent, and occupational deaths have dropped to their lowest annual number since 1992.
OSHA has a set of requirements that each employer must follow to comply with hazardous energy lockout regulations. This standard clearly defines minimum performance requirements for the service and maintenance of equipment and machines that may unexpectedly begin running, accidentally be turned on, or release stored energy that may cause harm to employees.
We’ve all heard the stories of serious injuries caused by someone cleaning or reaching inside a machine without realizing the machine was still on. In more serious cases, these mishaps can even result in death. These tragedies can easily be avoided by placing a lockout device on an energy isolation mechanism such as a circuit breaker or disconnect switch. In turn, a tagout procedure should also be implemented, in which a tag is hung on the outside of the machine indicating that the machine should not be operated.
Another way to increase safety in hazardous energy situations is to post hazard signs throughout the facility to identify dangerous areas, and give instructions on safe procedures and behavior when in the presence of hazardous energy and machinery.
By taking these steps to ensure lock-out and electrical safety in the workplace, injuries and fatalities can easily be avoided. Lockout signs, tags and labels are sold online by large companies focusing on safe business solutions, such as Emedco.com. It is easy to customize products to your specific needs, and orders usually ship within one day.