Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy) Chapter 296-803, WAC

Effective Date: 11/01/04

WAC 296-803-500 Energy Control Procedures

For printing

Your Responsibility:
To make sure energy control procedures are used and include these requirements

You must

ENERGY CONTROL PROCEDURES
Use energy control procedures	WAC296-803-50005
APPLYING LOCKOUT OR TAGOUT DEVICES
Meet these requirements when applying lockout or tagout devices	WAC 296-803-50010
Meet these additional requirements when applying lockout devices	WAC 296-803-50015
Meet these additional requirements when applying tagout devices	WAC 296-803-50020
STORED ENERGY
Protect employees from the hazards of stored and residual energy	WAC 296-803-50025
VERIFYING MACHINE ISOLATION
Verify that the machine or equipment is safe before starting work	WAC 296-803-50030
REMOVING ENERGY CONTROL DEVICES
Meet these requirements when removing lockout or tagout devices and energizing the machine or equipment	WAC 296-803-50035
TEMPORARY ENERGIZATION
Meet these requirements if it’s necessary to temporarily energize a machine, equipment, or component for testing or positioning	WAC 296-803-50040
SHIFT OR PERSONNEL CHANGES
Protect employees during shift or personnel changes	WAC 296-803-50045
GROUP LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
Protect employees working in a group	WAC 296-803-50050
Meet these additional requirements if more than one group is used	WAC 296-803-50055
OUTSIDE EMPLOYEES
Coordinate with outside employers servicing or maintaining your machines or equipment	WAC 296-803-50060

WAC 296-803-50005
Use energy control procedures

You must

• Use energy control procedures to protect employees servicing or maintaining machines and equipment from potentially hazardous energy.
• Use a lockout system if an energy-isolating device can be locked out.

Exemption: A tagout system may be used instead of a lockout system if it meets all of the following: – The tagout device is attached where you would have put the lockout device – The tagout system provides the same level of employee protection as a lockout system – You can demonstrate that the tagout system: Meets all tagout requirements of this chapter Includes additional safety measures to provide the same level of safety as a lockout system.

Note: Additional safety measures used with the tagout system to provide protection equal to a lockout system could include actions such as: – Removing part of the isolating circuit – Blocking a controlling switch – Opening an extra disconnecting device – Removing a valve handle.

You must

• Use a tagout system if an energy-isolating device can't be locked out.

WAC 296-803-50010
Meet these requirements when applying lockout or tagout devices

You must

• Make sure, before a machine or equipment is turned off, that the authorized employee knows all of the following:
  • – Type and magnitude of the energy
  • – Hazards of the energy to be controlled
  • – Method or means to control the energy
• Turn off or shut down the machine or equipment using established procedures. An orderly shut down is necessary to avoid any additional or increased hazard to employees as a result of the equipment stoppage.
• Completely isolate the machine or equipment from its energy sources using the appropriate energy-isolating devices after the machine or equipment has been turned off.
• Make sure you or the authorized employee notify affected employees that the machine or equipment is being locked or tagged out before the devices are applied.
• Make sure a lockout or tagout device is applied:
  • – For each energy-isolating device
  • – Only by the authorized employee doing the service or maintenance.

WAC 296-803-50015
Meet these additional requirements when applying lockout devices

You must

• Make sure lockout devices hold the energy-isolating device in a “safe” or “off” position.

WAC 296-803-50020
Meet these additional requirements when applying tagout devices

You must

• Make sure a tagout device is put on an energy-isolating device so it clearly shows that moving the energy-isolating device from the “safe” or “off” position is prohibited.
• Make sure a tagout device, when used with an energy-isolating device that can be locked out, is fastened to the device at the same point a lock would have been attached.
• Make sure a tagout device that can't be attached directly to an energy-isolating device is located:
  • – As close as safely possible to the energy-isolating device;
    and
  • – In a position that is immediately obvious to anyone attempting to operate the energy-isolating device.

WAC 296-803-50025
Protect employees from the hazards of stored and residual energy

You must

• Make sure all potentially hazardous stored and residual energy is relieved, disconnected, restrained, or otherwise rendered safe after the lockout or tagout devices have been put on the energy-isolating devices
• Continue to verify the isolation of machines and equipment that could reaccumulate stored energy to a hazardous level until:
  • – Service or maintenance is completed
  • – The possibility of reaccumulating hazardous energy doesn't exist.

WAC 296-803-50030
Verify that the machine or equipment is safe before starting work

You must

• Make sure the authorized employee verifies that the machine or equipment that’s been locked out or tagged out has been isolated from all energy sources and deenergized before starting work.

WAC 296-803-50035
Meet these requirements when removing lockout or tagout devices and energizing the machine or equipment

You must

• Make sure the authorized employee does the following before removing any lockout or tagout device:
  • – Inspects the work area to make sure nonessential items have been removed
  • – Verifies the machine or equipment is in operating condition and ready to energize
    and
  • – Check that employees in the area are in positions that make it safe to energize the machine or equipment.

• Make sure only the authorized employee who applied a lockout or tagout device removes it.

Exemption: The employer may have the lockout or tagout device removed by someone other than the authorized employee who applied it if all of the following conditions are met: – The energy control program has documented, specific procedures and training for this situation – You can show that the specific procedures used are as safe as having the device removed by the authorized employee who applied it – The specific procedures include at least the following: Verifying the authorized employee who applied the device isn't at the facility Making all reasonable efforts to contact and inform the authorized employee that the lockout or tagout device is being removed Making sure the authorized employee is informed, before resuming work at the facility, that the lockout or tagout device has been remove

You must

• Do the following before energizing or starting the machine or equipment:
  • – Notify affected employees that the lockout or tagout devices have been removed.

WAC 296-803-50040
Meet these requirements if it’s necessary to temporarily energize a machine, equipment, or component for testing or positioning

You must

• Follow your normal energy control procedures to:
  • – Remove the lockout or tagout devices
  • – Energize the machine, equipment, or component
  • – Reapply the lockout or tagout devices when testing or positioning is completed.

WAC 296-803-50045
Protect employees during shift or personnel changes

You must

• Use specific procedures for shift or personnel changes to:
  • – Make sure there’s continuous lockout or tagout protection during the change
    and
  • – Provide for the orderly transfer of lockout or tagout device protection between employees.

WAC 296-803-50050
Protect employees working in a group

You must

• Make sure your energy control procedures provide each member of a crew, craft, department, or other group with the same level of protection as that provided by an individual lockout or tagout device.
• Make sure each authorized employee:
  • – Puts a personal lockout or tagout device on the group lockout device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism before beginning work
    and
  • – Does not remove it until they have finished work on the machine or equipment.
• Assign a primary authorized employee who:
  • – Has overall responsibility for the service or maintenance
  • – Attaches their lockout or tagout device to the energy-isolating device when the equipment is deenergized and before any work begins
    and
  • – Is the last person to remove their lockout or tagout device when the job is completed.

Definition: The primary authorized employee is the authorized employee who has overall responsibility for meeting the requirements of the lockout/tagout procedures.

WAC 296-803-50055
Meet these additional requirements if more than one group is used

You must

• Do all of the following if more than one group works on a machine or equipment that has to be locked or tagged out:
  • – Assign an authorized employee as the group coordinator with overall responsibility to:
    • Coordinate the different work group
      and
    • Maintain continuous lockout or tagout protection.
    - Assign a primary authorized employee in each group who has:
  • Responsibility for the group of employees who are protected by a group lockout or tagout device
    and
  • A way to determine which employees of the group are exposed to the machine or equipment that’s locked or tagged out.

WAC 296-803-50060
Coordinate with outside employers servicing or maintaining your machines or equipment

You must

• Do the following before allowing another employer’s personnel to service or maintain machines or equipment if your energy control procedures require they be locked or tagged out:
  • – Inform the outside employer of your lockout or tagout procedures
  • – Make sure the outside employer informs you of their lockout or tagout procedures
  • – Make sure you and the outside employer confirm that all employees understand and will follow the restrictions of the other employer’s energy control program.