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This material is for training purposes only. Its purpose is to inform employers and workers and workers of best practices in occupational safety and health and general OSHA compliance requirements. This material is not a substitute for any provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act or any standards issued by OSHA.
MODULE 7: RELEASE FROM LOCKOUT/TAGOUT

Basic Steps for Release from Lockout/Tagout

OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard includes requirements for releasing machines or equipment that have been locked out or tagged out prior to restoring energy to the equipment and using it.

Before lockout or tagout devices are removed, and energy restored, what procedures must the authorized employee follow?

Inspect Machinery or Equipment

The work area must first be inspected to ensure that nonessential items (e.g., tools, spare parts) have been removed and that all of the machine or equipment components are operationally intact.

Position Affected and Other workers

Positioning of workers: Next, the work area must be checked to ensure that all workers have been safely positioned or have cleared the area. In addition, all affected workers must be notified that the lockout or tagout devices have been removed before the equipment is started.

Remove Lockout/Tagout Devices

Each lockout or tagout device must be removed from the energy-isolating device by the employee who applied the device.

What is the unique circumstance that allows a worker other than the one who applied the lockout/tagout device to remove the device?

Your employer can authorize another employee to remove the device if that employee is trained to do so and follows a documented alternative energy-control procedure.

Alternative Steps for Release from Lockout/Tagout

What steps must the employer take if a worker, other than the one who applied the lockout/tagout device, removes the device?

The person in charge must accomplish three actions:
  1. verify that the authorized employee who applied the device is not at the facility.
  2. make all reasonable efforts to contact the authorized employee to inform him/her that his/her lockout or tagout device has been removed.
  3. ensure that the authorized employee knows that the lockout device has been removed before he/she resumes work at the facility.
Testing Machinery or Equipment

In some circumstances, workers need to temporarily restore energy to a machine or piece of equipment during servicing or maintenance to test and /or reposition the machine or piece of equipment. Lockout or tagout devices may be removed temporarily in order to perform these tasks. However, it is important to know that you may not use an abbreviated procedure during the release - test - restore sequence. You must use full lockout/tagout procedures anytime you release from lockout/tagout or restore equipment after testing and positioning.

What sequence of action must occur in the temporary removal of the lockout/tagout devices?

  1. The machine or equipment must be cleared of tools and materials.
  2. workers must be removed from the machine or equipment area.
  3. All lockout or tagout devices may then be removed.
  4. Authorized workers may then proceed to energize and test or position the equipment or machinery.
  5. Following testing or positioning, all systems must be de-energized and energy control measures reapplied to continue the servicing and /or maintenance.
Release after Long-Term Shutdown

You should have an additional energy-control procedure to protect workers if they must restart equipment after long-term shutdowns. Determine who will be responsible for monitoring any lockout and tagout devices that control energy to the equipment. Include steps in the procedure for protecting workers if they need to remove or change parts while the equipment is shut down. Do not restart equipment until you are absolutely certain that it is working properly.

GO TO MODULE 7 QUIZ Remember to take each module quiz! The final exam questions are derived directly from the module quizzes.

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