Lockout tagout is one of the most difficult areas in occupational safety and health to properly
establish and maintain. It is difficult to establish lockout tagout procedures because they are
created based upon a very complex OSHA standard, Standard 1910.147. This standard is
infamous for its difficulty, and can literally be interpreted differently for every facility. But even
more difficult is the maintenance of lockout tagout procedures. These procedures need to be
updated as OSHA regulations change, as do any other procedures, but they also need to be
updated anytime there is a change is machinery, location, layout, or personnel.
This creates the potential for an enormous workload for a safety team. Many facilities will
routinely upgrade machinery or move machines within the facility to increase productivity. But if
these movements are not properly accounted for in the lockout tagout procedures, they could
become an audit exception and a major safety risk for staff.
For some, the answer is to maintain it in-house. Thought it takes a lot of resources, smaller
companies can rely upon the safety team to manage the changes and effectively update lockout
tagout procedures. For others, the answer is to hire a third party to audit the facility on a regular
basis, and provide updating services as needed. Unfortunately, this can be very expensive and
takes the lockout tagout procedures out of the hands of management.
But now, there is another option. It is called Factory Solutions Software, and it is a fully
customizable, fully scalable, online based program which creates, stores, and updates your
procedures as needed. You can go in and make changes based upon machinery or personnel
changes, and it will ensure the changes are up to code. It will also notify you of any changes to
the standards, and how the changes will impact you.
If you have any questions about updating lockout tagout procedures or about our factory
solutions software, please contact us. If you have anything else to add about the importance of
maintaining accurate lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.
Leave A Comment