Lockout/tagout training: Who needs what?

Authorized, affected, other. These three groups of employees need lockout/tagout (LOTO) training under 1910.147, but what do the terms mean and what exactly is needed?

Defining the terms

Employees servicing or maintaining machinery can be seriously injured or killed if there’s an unexpected startup or release of stored energy. Proper procedures and training protect employees from hazardous energy releases. All of these groups must understand the purpose and function of your LOTO or energy control program.

Authorized employees service, maintain, and/or repair machinery; follow LOTO procedures; and apply locks and tags.

Affected employees operate or use machines. When a machine is down for servicing or maintenance, employees can’t run it so they are “affected” by the equipment being locked out. Affected employees don’t do any service or maintenance work and must stay clear of the equipment during repairs.  

Other employees are those who work in an area where LOTO may be used.

Training levels

Authorized employees need the most detailed training. They must be trained to recognize hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and how to isolate equipment from its energy sources.

Affected employees must be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure, and the importance of not restarting or reenergizing equipment that is locked out or tagged out.

All other employees whose work operations are in an area where energy control procedures are used must be instructed about the LOTO procedure, and that they are prohibited from attempts to restart or re-energize machines or equipment that’s locked or tagged out.

Employees must be trained prior to performing service or maintenance on equipment, as needed for proficiency, and when there are new or revised procedures. There’s no annual training requirement for LOTO, though procedures must be reviewed annually.

Employers must certify that employee training has been accomplished. Certification must include the employee’s name and date(s) of training.

Reviewing LOTO procedures

LOTO procedures must be reviewed annually, and revisions made as needed. The person reviewing the procedure must be an authorized employee other than the one(s) using the particular control procedure being inspected.

For a lockout procedure, the periodic inspection must include a review of each authorized employee’s responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected. Where tagout is used, the review also extends to affected employees because of the increased importance of their role in avoiding accidental or inadvertent activation of the machinery.

The employer must certify that periodic inspections have been performed. The certification must specify the following:

• Machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was used,
• Date of the inspection,
• Names of employees included in the inspection, and
• Name of the person who performed the inspection.