Something we have been running into a lot lately is companies which need to change their lockout tagout procedures. These requests are coming in for a number of reasons – new facilities, new machinery, outdated procedures, new personnel, etc. – but the desired outcome is always the same: change the current lockout tagout procedures which are no longer accurate or up to date. And we are finding most of these companies come to us after they have already attempted to fix their broken procedures themselves, leaving us with some pretty complex issues to work out.

So if you find yourself in a situation where you need to change your lockout tagout procedures for any reason, it is not usually advisable to try it on your own if you are not an expert in the field. And the reason for this is simple: if creating lockout tagout procedures is hard, amending someone else’s existing procedures is nearly impossible.

Fortunately, there are a number of reputable companies around which specialize in lockout tagout procedure creation and maintenance. So instead of trying to be a jack of all trades, you can focus on your business and leave the lockout tagout nightmare to someone else. And if you hire a good lockout tagout firm, then you will have procedures which are designed to account for future changes.

If you have any questions about how to change your current lockout tagout procedures, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about changing lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

When thinking about creating lockout tagout procedures, efficiency is often not a consideration. Instead, most safety personnel and business owners focus on getting done as quickly as possible while staying within the complicated requirements of OSHA Standard 1910.147. But inefficient procedures can lead to long term complications which can create headaches for years down the line. So when creating your system, keep efficiency in mind.

By efficiency, we mean several things – how easy are the procedures to read, how easy are the procedures to update and amend, have redundancies been eliminated, and have unnecessary tasks or steps been removed. These four areas of your lockout tagout procedures, if not efficient, can create health and safety risks to employees should a lockout tagout event occur, can create a need to rewrite your entire procedures in the event of a change in the future, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars in wasted employee hours.

To reduce these inefficiencies, it is advisable to have a qualified third party lockout tagout specialist review your lockout tagout procedures. Someone with years of experience in the industry will easily spot inefficiencies and errors, streamlining your procedure and setting you up for success today and into the future. And with online tools like our Factory Solutions Software, you can sleep easy knowing that your procedures will remain up to date and efficient going forward.

If you have any questions about creating lockout tagout procedures or about lockout tagout procedure audits, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about creating efficient lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

Creating effective lockout tagout procedures is more of an art than a science. You need to be able to effectively navigate OSHA Standard 1910.147; properly audit your machinery, taking all potential variables into account; create a coherent procedure with this information; and account for future business and regulatory changes. And if you do all of this correctly, your procedures are only good for the time in which your business remains exactly the same; once one variable changes, the procedures need to be updated to reflect the change.

Because of the difficulties with creating effective lockout tagout procedures, most employers rely on qualified third party lockout tagout specialists to create their procedures. A qualified individual who dedicates himself to understanding the lockout tagout regulations can easily assess most facilities and create unique procedures based upon that facility’s needs relatively quickly.

In addition, a qualified lockout tagout specialist will create procedures which account for change. There will be room for change built into the procedures and a plan will be in place for how to account for those changes. Changes can be accounted for in a number of ways, but ensuring there is some plan in place is crucial when hiring a lockout tagout specialist to assist you in creating your procedures.

If you have any questions pertaining to the creation of effective lockout tagout procedures or updating lockout tagout procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of devising a plan for change in lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

Anyone who owns or manages a company which deals with machinery that is covered by OSHA Standard 1910.147, which is the lockout tagout standard, can tell you how difficult it is to initially create lockout tagout procedures. The standard is difficult to read, the shortcut material available is often inaccurate or vague, and any inaccuracies in the procedures can lead to serious workplace injuries or even death. For these reasons, many owners ultimately hire a professional firm to help in creating those lockout tagout procedures. The feeling for most is that the small upfront expense is worth protecting the company from OSHA, and its employees from serious harm.

Unfortunately, there are many, many occupational safety and health auditing firms which claim to have the ability to help these business owners. And we have had more than a few instances where we were brought in to fix a problem created by a competitor. So to help you avoid that potential problem in the beginning, make sure to do your due diligence and thoroughly vet the prospective company, including the auditor who will be coming to help you. Make sure the auditor can answer questions about your facility, about lockout tagout in general, and about how best to prepare for potential future changes. And if you sense any hesitation or that anything is amiss, it is probably a good idea to find someone else.

If you have any questions about creating lockout tagout procedures, or about vetting a potential lockout tagout auditing firm, please contact us. If you have anything to add about creating lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

We are often called to help companies update existing or establish new lockout tagout procedures after they have had an issue with their existing procedures. Many clients have already hired a third party to create their initial procedures, but the procedures were either created incorrectly or were not created in such a way that they could account for changes. In these situations it can often be far more difficult to fix the incorrect procedures than it would have been to simply establish new procedures the correct way.

For these reasons, we always recommend credentialing the firm which will help you to establish your lockout tagout procedures. There are a number of ways to do this, including checking what certifications (if any) the firm has, finding out about the work history of the firm and its employees, and asking for references. But at the very least, it is important to question the person who will be auditing your facility and developing your procedures about lockout tagout in general and your facility specifically, focusing on how you will be able to update your procedures in the future, should your needs or regulations change. It is amazing how little unqualified specialists know, and you can usually sniff that out.

If you have any questions about your existing lockout tagout procedures, or if you are interested in establishing new procedures, please contact us and we can explain how our process ensures compliance for you now and in the future. If you have anything to add about the importance of establishing lockout tagout procedures correctly the first time, please leave a comment.

After establishing Lockout Tagout procedures, it is important to maintain them. A key component of maintaining lockout tagout procedures is to routinely audit them. These audits should include a full review of the current lockout tagout procedures, a review of any changes since the last review, and a review of the machines covered in the procedures. Additionally, it is important to review the training plan, how the procedures are made available to employees, and how management is held accountable for ensuring lockout tagout compliance.
When reviewing the lockout tagout procedures, it is important to be mindful both of changes to the facility and personnel, as well as changes to the OSHA standards. Both of these components are vital, as you will not be in compliance if either piece changes and is not accounted for in the procedures.
When reviewing the changes, it is important to understand the “why” behind the change as much as understanding the actual change. Many clients will update their procedures correctly, meaning the changes are in compliance with OSHA standards, but the changes are not correct for the need, so the company is still out of compliance.
And finally, the training and availability are as important as the procedures themselves. If an effective plan is not in place for employees to learn the procedures, then they will not be properly followed, and the hazards will still be present.
If you have not recently had your lockout tagout procedures audited, please contact us so that we can help you determine if you are in need of a review. And if you have anything to add about the importance of auditing lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.