The Role of Lockout Tagout in Electrical Safety

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The Role of Lockout Tagout in Electrical Safety
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For construction workers, working with and around
electrical equipment, electrical conductors or
circuit parts, and power lines is a common
occurrence. Therefore, safeguarding workers
against electrical hazards is a critical element
of workplace safety and health procedures.
Recognizing this need, OSHA has put in place
safety and health regulations 29 CFR 1910 Subpart
S for the general industry and 29 CFR 1926
Subpart K construction industry related to
electrical hazards to guide and support employers
in implementing adequate safety measures in the
workplace. Moreover, employees who undertake
maintenance, repair, and service work for
electrical equipment and machinery are also
exposed to electrical hazards. There is always
the possibility of de-energized equipment
becoming suddenly energized while employees are
inspecting, servicing, or repairing electrical
equipment, circuits, and conductors. Therefore,
not only must employees fully understand the
hazards associated with electrical work (for
example shocks, burns, fires, explosions, and arc
flash) but must be conversant with the lockout
tagout procedures to operate within electrically
safe work conditions.
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What is Lockout Tagout?
OSHAs standard for the Control of Hazardous
Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Title 29 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.147, sets forth the
work practices and controls employers must
implement to prevent accidents associated with
hazardous energy. This standard is not only for
construction industry workers but workers across
industries such as craft workers, machine
operators, electricians, laborers, etc., using
electrical or other equipment that can generate
energy even when it is shut off. The lockout
tagout (LOTO) is a process whereby a lock and tag
are added to any type of industrial equipment or
machinery when it is shut down for repair,
servicing, or maintenance as part of
OSHA-recommended best practices. OSHA defines
LOTO as specific practices and procedures to
safeguard all workers from the unexpected startup
of machinery and equipment or the release of
hazardous energy during service or maintenance.
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Importance of Lockout Tagout
Lockout Tagout supports the controlling of
electrical hazards and facilitates an
electrically safe work condition. According to
Article 100 of the NFPA 70E, an electrically
safe work condition is a state wherein all
energized electrical conductors or circuit parts
that could potentially expose employees to
electrical hazards are maintained in a
de-energized state. This means putting
electrical equipment, conductors, or circuits in
an electrically safe work condition, can
temporarily eliminate electrical hazards for the
duration of work activity on or near energized
electrical components. The process involves
disconnecting from energized parts, locking and
tagging, testing to verify the absence of
voltage, and when required, temporarily grounding
for worker protection.
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The Lockout Tagout Procedure
The lockout tagout procedure can be broken into
six steps. When employees begin repairing or
doing maintenance work on electrical equipment,
they must ensure to follow these steps to ensure
their safety and the safety of other employees
working in proximity to them.
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Bonus General Safety Tips!

• Below are some general safety tips when working
  with electrical equipment, conductors, and
  circuits.
• Wear all required personal protective equipment
  (PPE) when undertaking any electrical work.
• Ensure all electrical equipment is properly
  installed and used.
• Use proper insulation, guarding, and overcurrent
  protection devices.
• Grounding is an important aspect of reducing
  electrical hazards.
• Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)
  to disrupt the current flow to the electrical
  circuit and act as a circuit breaker.
• Use the correct size fuse to reduce the
  possibility of excessive currents in the wiring
  that can cause fires.
• Do not touch electrical outlets with wet hands.
• Wet and damp areas should be dried out before
  doing any electrical work, as water is a
  conductor of electricity.
• Always check and know where circuit breakers,
  electrical panels, and fuse boxes are located to
  switch-off power in emergencies.
• In case a co-worker is experiencing electrical
  shock, do not touch him with your bare hands, use
  a non-conductive material like a plastic stick or
  wood to separate the worker from the electrical
  equipment, wire, etc., that is causing the shock.
  If possible, shut off the power first!

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