OSHA Standard 1910.147, which governs all things lockout tagout, is an extremely difficult
standard to work with. It is long, intricate, can be interpreted in multiple different ways, and has
a laundry list of variables. All of these complications make creating lockout tagout policies and
procedures a nightmare for anyone who does not specifically specialize in lockout tagout. And
even for those who do, there can be pitfalls.
But what is even harder is maintaining these policies and procedures. Unlike most occupational
safety and health policies and procedures, which can be created then reviewed every so often to
make sure nothing has changed in the standards, lockout tagout policies and procedures need to
be perpetually reviewed and maintained. This is because every time there is a change in
personnel, machinery, facility layout, or location, the lockout tagout procedures will need to be
updated, accordingly.
This can mean changing your lockout tagout policies and procedures multiple times a year,
which is no small feat. And if any updates are missed, the lockout tagout procedures will be
outdated, and could lead to serious ramifications for employees, in working in an unsafe
environment, and management, in the form of an OSHA audit.
To help protect employers, we have developed a web-based lockout tagout maintenance
application called Factory Solutions Software. This software is fully scalable, fully customizable,
and is monitored by a leading third party lockout tagout auditing firm. You can upload your
policies, then make changes as needed, ensuring you maintain adequate policies and procedures.
If you have any questions about lockout tagout or our Factory Solutions Software, please contact
us. If you have anything to add about the importance of routine lockout tagout policy and
procedure maintenance, please leave a comment.
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