To maintain compliance with OSHA lockout/tagout standard 1910.147, it is required to perform annual Lockout Tagout Audits / Inspections of both the procedures and employee competency in lockout/tagout practices. Annual audits are an important part of a lockout/tagout program because audits can reveal inconsistencies and problems.
When it comes to annual audits, there are three main steps to complete:
- LOTO procedure audit
- Authorized employee compliance review
- Addressing any deficiencies in people, procedures, and processes
If you follow these three key components, your lockout/tagout program will stay up-to-date and compliant.
Review Your Lockout/Tagout Procedures Annually
The first step in an annual audit is to perform a review of all machine-specific lockout/tagout procedures. The purpose of the procedure audit is to identify any deviations or inadequacies in the current procedure. When you review a procedure, be sure to ask these three questions:
- Is the procedure present and legible?
- Are all energy sources accounted for in the procedure?
- Does the procedure accurately represent the machinery?
Verify The Competency of Each Employees
The second component to a complete annual inspection is to review authorized employees. An authorized employee is a person who locks or tags out equipment to perform servicing or maintenance. Reviewing authorized employees performing maintenance will confirm that the employee knows how to follow a lockout/tagout procedure correctly and lock out a piece of equipment. The inspector who performs the review can be another authorized employee within your company, or a safety consultant from an outside company performing the audit.
The inspector should verify that the employee can follow the shutdown sequence of the equipment, place the locks and tags on energy isolation points, and follow the restore to service sequence. The inspector will also check that employees understand when to lock out equipment and how to handle special circumstances such as group lockout.
What if there are Deficiencies Discovered?
When performing the lockout/tagout procedure review, any inadequacies found in the procedure should be noted and the procedure should be updated to reflect same. When updates are made to the procedures, the original procedures become obsolete and the new revision becomes current.
If deficiencies are found during an employee audit, the employee must undergo the necessary training. Record all training in the employees training history / records.
Audits Are a Key Step in Identifying Safety Risks in Your Facility
Lockout/tagout audits are key to the success of the lockout program; without annual reviews, equipment modifications and employee deficiencies may never be caught. Spending time with employees and at the equipment can also be a great opportunity to identify other issues. Using a Mobile App to perform the Lockout Tagout Procedure allows the employee to perform the procedure at the machine which results in better auditing and also training.
IMEC Technologies provides Safety Management Software to increase worker safety and aid compliance. IMEC’s Safety Management Software will manage inspections and audits, provides hazard identification, incident reporting, management of corrective and preventative actions from generation to closure. IMEC provides lock out tag out software solutions that will allow users to create lockout tagout procedures using an intuitive Mobile App and Manage Lockout Tagout Procedures, also the Review and Execution of those Lockout Tagout Procedures using the Mobile App. Annual Lockout Tagout Procedures audits are conducted using a Mobile App. The Mobile Inspection App allow users to perform inspections and audits, for example the system can be used as a Fire Extinguisher Barcode Inspection Software system to manage monthly fire extinguisher inspections and general fire safety inspections and also to record safety observations and manage corrective actions, anywhere and anytime. The solution can be used as a fire extinguisher barcode inspection software system or life safety inspection system to aid compliance in Higher Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial Organizations. Benefits from a Fire Extinguisher Barcode System include the elimination of paperwork and reducing the burden of compliance with regulations such as NFPA, The Joint Commission. The Incident Reporting App allows users to easily and quickly report incidents, hazards and near-misses, these are then sent to the appropriate people for action and are managed to closure. Web Apps provide features such as, setup, management, scheduling tools, analysis, reporting and dashboards etc with the ability to report incidents to government bodies such as OSHA and RIDDOR. HazMat T&T is a hazardous waste management software solution designed for Environmental Service Companies and companies who generate a large quantity of hazardous waste. The solution tracks hazardous waste from cradle to grave aiding compliance, providing accurate waste inventory, increasing waste handling efficiency, reducing risk and also helps manage waste costs. HazMat T&T Hazardous Waste Management Software can be deployed in a number of deployment scenarios, from Large Hazardous Waste Generators, tracking their hazardous waste at their site to Environmental Service and Waste Management Companies using it track and manage hazardous waste at transfer and disposal sites. For more information visit our website www.imectechnologies.com