The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a zero-tolerance policy around most safety processes. But that policy is most easily seen in reference to lockout tagout procedures. Governed by OSHA Standard 1910.147, lockout tagout procedures are highly scrutinized and deficiencies carry hefty penalties. The primary difficulty with this is that Standard 1910.147 can be extremely difficult to understand and can be interpreted in multiple ways depending upon the plant or factory in question. And even when appropriate procedures are created, it can be a daunting task to maintain them through every company change.

Whether changing personnel, equipment, machinery, or layout, the procedures need to be updated. Similarly, if OSHA updates the standard, the procedures must reflect the updates. In order to keep up with this, many companies hire third parties to manage and update the lockout tagout procedures. Unfortunately, this means that the company’s ownership is no longer in control of the situation, and is instead reliant upon a third party. So that third party can dictate pricing and terms, and can do a poor job of managing the procedures without anyone at the company knowing.

Now, there is another option that blends the expertise of a third party with the internal control of self management. It is our web based software, Factory Solutions, which is a fully customizable application that manages lockout tagout procedures. Changes and updates to a facility are input into the software, and it tracks and catalogues the lockout tagout procedures to ensure they remain compliant. Additionally, if any regulatory changes are made which impact the lockout tagout procedures, notifications are sent. So it gives you the strength of a premier lockout tagout specialty firm and the control most business owners want.