OSHA estimates that nearly 3 million workers in various fields are exposed to the dangers of hazardous energy on a regular basis. There is no real way of knowing exactly how many workers are truly exposed, but it is an easy assumption to think it is much more than 3 million.
Common energy sources that employees are required to control are electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, machinery with moving parts, tensioned springs and gravity. In many cases, the equipment or machinery may have several energy sources as well. These hazardous energy sources can cause devastating injuries and death if they are not properly controlled.
Unfortunately, in 2022, there were 30 fatalities and almost 50,000 serious injuries due to lockout failures. It is estimated that most of these types of injuries require at least 24 days away from work due to the severity of the injury. It is also estimated that there are on average 3,000 of these types of injuries each year in the United States.
Performing lockout/tagout is so important because these injuries and deaths are 100% preventable. A Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that 80% failed to even turn off the equipment before servicing. Another 10% were caused by accidental startup and 5% were caused by failing to control the hazardous energy properly. The remaining 5% failed to verify the effectiveness of energy control. These are all attributed to human error.
Another important aspect to be aware of is that lockout/tagoutis almost always found in OSHA Top 10 violations every year. In 2024 it was No. 5, up one spot from 2023 and 2022. The common violations include incomplete or outdated procedures, insufficient training, improper removal of locks and/or tags, the lack of equipment specific procedures, failing to identify all energy sources and bypassing lockout devices.
Typical consequences of these violations are obviously worker injury and possible death, OSHA fines and penalties, legal and financial costs, reduced productivity, lower employee morale and possibly negative company reputation. Keep in mind that if there is an amputation or death OSHA requires that they be notified within 8 hours, and there will then be an investigation.
That’s the bad news. Since the inception of their lockout standard in 1989, however, OSHA estimates these procedures prevent 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries per year. This standard, titled “The Control of Hazardous Energy,” continues to make a big impact throughout our workplace when the regulations are properly followed. The standard can be found at 29 CFR 1910.147 of the OSHA Laws and Standards Regulations.
In the water and sewer industry, controlling hazardous energy may not be a daily task so it can be easy to forget the proper steps to ensuring control. This is why safety training is so important when it comes to controlling hazardous energy. The purpose of this training is to provide workers with the knowledge of OSHA’s standards, which includes key definitions, shutdown and lockout procedures and safe startup procedures. Obviously, training needs to be developed for the equipment and machinery that is typical for each facility and operation.
Knowing why these standards are in place and ensuring that they are followed keeps employees from the devastating consequences of an injury or death and keeps the utility from suffering as well. If you do not have standards set up, OSHA offers help in getting started at osha.gov.