Sunday, November 26, 2023
"Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)" refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard employees from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.
Approximately 3 million workers service equipment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly implemented. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation.
Solar energy equipment can generate electrical energy and may be connected to electrical circuits. Workers may be exposed to electrical hazards from solar panels and from electrical circuits. While installing or servicing solar panels, employers should assure that workers cover the solar panels to reduce current before any removal of connectors or reconnection of connectors, in addition to protecting workers from electrical circuits. Workers performing servicing or maintenance of solar panels may be exposed to injuries from the unexpected energization or release of stored energy in the equipment. E Light's Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) for each project will include specific Lock Out and Tag Out Procedures for each Solar Project. Supervisors are responsible for communicating this LOTO procedure to the crew daily in the JHA briefing and for ensuring employees are following the LOTO procedures. If you see any employee not following the LOTO procedures for the sight it is your responsibility to immediately report that to the supervisor and to stop the work and say something. EVERY employee has the responsibility.
The following are some of the significant requirements of a Lockout/Tagout procedure required under a Lockout/Tagout program.
Only authorized employees may lockout or tagout machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance. All employees apprentice level 1 and above are authorized to apply lock out tag out.
Lockout devices (locks) and tagout devices (tags) shall not be used for any other purposes and must be used only for controlling energy.
Lockout and Tagout devices (locks and tags) must identify the name of the worker applying the device.
All energy sources to equipment must be identified and isolated.
After the energy is isolated from the machine or equipment, the isolating device(s) must be locked out or tagged out in safe or off position only by the authorized employees.
Following the application of the lockout or tagout devices to the energy isolating devices, the stored or residual energy must be safely discharged or relieved.
Prior to starting work on the equipment, the authorized employee shall verify that the equipment is isolated from the energy source, for example, by operating the on/off switch on the machine or equipment. The circuit must also be tested to ensure it has zero volts before work can be performed. The test must be done with a rated and listed meter which can display an actual zero volts reading.
Lock and tag must remain on the machine until the work is completed.
Only the authorized employee who placed the lock and tag must remove his/her lock or tag, unless the employer has a specific procedure as outlined in OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard. E Light uses a simple lock out and tag out procedure. Every field employee is issued their own person lock for lock out and tag. Each employee is to have this lock on the person any time they are at work in the field unless the lock has been placed into service for LOTO. Every potentially exposed employee to an electrical hazard must apply their personal lock to a lock out tag out. Employees must remove their lock as soon as they are not exposed to the potential hazard. i.e., they move to another location, they go home for the day, they finish their task, etc. Personal lock out locks may not be left in service between shifts or overnight under any circumstance. If the employee is leaving the area, then the lock goes with them. Supervisors my apply a supervisory lock between shifts or overnight but these are not lock out tag out locks. If the supervisor places a supervisory lock on something and then is going to work on the item themselves, they must also place their person lock on because they will be exposed to the hazard. Please take some time to read E Light's Lock Out Tag Out policy on elightinformation.com under the SHEP page. All supervisors and managers should be familiar with our safety policies. They are all found in the SHEP page, listed by subject, on elightinformation.com.
Komentar