Don’t Get Zapped, Cut, or Crushed
Proper lockout can save lives
Story by Khaalid Walls
 Lockout
deficiencies are the single largest cause of fatalities in UAW plants.
Last year, six UAW members were killed on the job because of improper
machine safeguarding, inoperative safety devices or deficient lockout
procedures.
In all six cases, proper machine guarding or an effective lockout procedure
would have prevented the incident.
Hazardous energy sources, which at times are not apparent in industrial
equipment and machinery, cause an alarming number of injuries and deaths.
And machine maintenance and repair workers are constantly at risk because
the safety devices often have to be removed during troubleshooting or
maintenance.
That’s why controlling these energy sources with lockout is very
important.
Lockout devices use a lock, placed on electrical disconnects and valves,
to isolate the energy source during service periods.
Posted lockout procedures assist workers performing service and maintenance,
listing the steps to lockout a machine or piece of equipment. Simple graphic
lockout procedures are posted on workstations throughout many UAW workplaces.
In 1979, the UAW petitioned OSHA for a lockout standard.
Though many companies and management associations opposed it, in 1989
OSHA issued a final rule on the control of these hazardous energy sources
that went farther to eliminate risks.
However, today many limitations in this old standard still allow workers
who conduct machine maintenance and servicing jobs to be exposed to hazards.
In an effort to improve the current standard, the UAW testified before
OSHA.
The UAW suggested identifying individual service and maintenance tasks
for each machine. And if these tasks are done often, automatic and passive
devices should be installed to power down the machine when workers enter
hazard zones.
New advances in machine controls can protect workers automatically when
they enter hazard zones. For instance, light curtains or presence-sensing
devices can automatically shut a machine down when a worker enters a hazard
zone.
These methods should never be used in place of lockout, but rather they
should be used to provide protection during routine repetitive tasks.
Machines that are powered by compressed air, hydraulic pressure, molten
metal, water, compressed springs, spinning flywheels, gravity and electricity
require lockout procedures whenever any body part enters a hazard zone.
Because many lockout procedures are complicated and time consuming, workers
feel pressured to take shortcuts to meet production deadlines.
Workers who service computer-controlled machinery often have difficulties
locking out the machines, too. Because the machines are cycled by complex
computer programs, they are very difficult to restart once they have been
shut down.
Simple changes like placing placards on machines indicating hazards and
de-energizing steps can be an effective safety measure. Making the easiest
lockout procedure the safest one offers a very practical solution. Equipment
redesigns that keep workers out of hazard zones during servicing can also
reduce risks.
And, as these safety procedures are instituted, workers should be actively
involved in their development.
Proper lockout training is also paramount.
All workers who are required to enter the hazard zones must be thoroughly
trained. They must know the types and magnitude of the energy sources.
They must also be able to effectively use the lockout devices. Even workers
who don’t service machines should have awareness training on hazardous
energy sources and lockout procedures.
And as job assignments change, or when inspections reveal inadequacies
in the lockout procedure, workers must be retrained.
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