OSHA Lockout Requirements

OSHA lockout requirements are very important. They help to protect employees. The purpose of OSHA lockout requirements are to help eliminate serious injury and death due to electric shock dealing with machines that are being repaired. OSHA lockout requirements deal a lot with training of employees on lockout procedures. Once training is done it is also necessary that constant retraining takes place. The employee must get a certification that the training has been preformed. When dealing with lockout there are three different types of employees that need training. They are affected, authorized, and other. How much training that is needed by each employee, depends on their relationship to the machine that is being locked out. It also depends on how much information they already contain dealing with lockout procedures.

OSHA lockout requirements state that people who are authorized in the maintenance of machines that have the potential for deadly energy release must take a in-depth training program on the proper functions of lockout. There are many different areas that this training program must cover. The authorized personal must be able to recognize the energy source that can be potentially dangerous. The training program also must supply information on all the different areas of the work place that could release dangerous energy. The employee must be able to contain and keep these energy sources under control. It is also important that the authorized personal knows all procedures dealing with the lockout and maintenance of the machines. By the time training is done authorized employees should know how to safely secure and remove lockout devices.

OSHA lockout requirements claim that affected employees are personal who run the machines or are in charge of the machines. Affected personal must be able to tell when lockout procedures are under way. They must also understand why the machine is being maintenance or serviced and they must also know the importance of not starting up or using the machine when it is locked out.

OSHA lockout requirements require retraining under many different circumstances. Authorized and affected personal must receive retraining under these conditions. If the authorized or affected must work on machines they are not familiar with retraining has to take place when a machine develops a new hazard that hasn't existed in the past. Personnel must be retrained when new machines replace the old ones. Procedure changes dealing with lockout also call for retraining. OSHA lockout requirements insist that an employee be retrained when they show signs of not knowing the lockout procedures.

OSHA requires that each year inspections are performed to ensure that employees are being trained properly. Employees must understand and operate all aspects of lockout. It is important for the employer to keep detail reports on the inspections taking place. The reports must have what machines were being lockout and the date the lockout took place. Any employee who was involved in the lockout procedures must be named. The employers must interview the employees involved in the lockout and the interview must be recorded on the report. These are all things that are covered under OSHA lockout requirements.

Training on lockout procedures is of the utmost importance. OSHA lockout requirements can save many lives. Training and retraining must be constant and take place on regular bases. If one person dealing with lockout procedures doesn't know what they are doing many people can be harmed. If you are looking for more information on OSHA lockout requirements or other work related safety issues check out OSHA website.

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