At the recent National Safety Council (NSC) Congress & Expo, Kyle W. Morrison, senior associate editor for Safety+Health Magazine presented the Top 10 most frequent violations for Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) citations in the fiscal year 2013. Lockout / Tagout ranked at number 8 (Safety+Health releases Top 10 OSHA violations for FY2013).

On March 4, 1913, one of President Taft’s final actions on his last day in office was to sign a bill establishing the Department of Labor (DOL) as a Cabinet-level Department in the U.S. Federal Government. Previously the DOL had been known as the Bureau of Labor under the Department of the Interior.  In 1970 the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed into Law by President Nixon, gave way to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration as an agency under the United States Department of Labor. “OSHA’s core mission is to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for every working man and woman in the Nation,” according to the OSHA Mission Statement.

In the Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR) for Occupation Safety and Health Standard, General Environmental Controls, standard 1910.174, title: The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) Appendix A, the DOL and OHSA have outlined all of the standards, procedures and documentation requirements necessary for employer compliance.  Additionally, there is also standard number 1910.174 App A, title: Typical minimal lockout procedures, where a, “simple lockout procedure is provided to assist employers in developing their procedures so they meet the requirements of this standard.” (OSHA, Typical minimal lockout procedures – 1910.147 App. A, General)

Over the coming weeks we will be discussing the control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)  with an in-depth look at lockout and tagout devices available from American Lock® and the Master Lock® Safety Series™. It is our hope that with a stronger understanding of the lockout / tagout regulations and standards by employers, authorized employees and affected employees unnecessary workplace accidents and OSHA violations will be avoided.

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