You hesitate but then grab a hold of the wire firmly. Suddenly, a powerful bolt of electricity shoots through your entire body, knocking you onto your back unconscious. Someone had turned the power back on to the machine you were servicing. You had forgotten to place a lock and tag on the machine when you shut off the power.

This scenario is all too common in workplaces that do not train employees in proper lockout/tagout procedures. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year.

Workplaces with machinery containing stored high-voltage energy obviously can be extremely dangerous. This is why knowledge of lockout/tagout procedures is important for all employees working in high-voltage areas.

Authorized and Affected Employees

The terms lockout/tagout simply refer to the control of hazardous energy. It is the placement of a lock and/or a tag on an isolating device, which ensures the equipment cannot be re-energized until the locking device is removed.

SafetyArc.com sees lockout/tagout training as an essential step to prevent injuries and death. This is why we have created a training course that covers all the essential information needed in lockout/tagout procedures.

Whether designated as an authorized or affected employee, everyone needs training. An authorized employee is in charge of performing maintenance on the equipment. It is his or her job to notify all effected employees in the area, shut down the equipment and isolate all energy sources to the equipment, among other steps. An affected employee is one who works in the area where maintenance performed. There are certain safety measures of which an effected employee needs to be aware, such as not tampering with the lock or tag and staying clear of the area as much as possible.

Lockout/Tagout Training

Lockout procedures prevent serous injuries in the workplace. Some employees may think that these preventative measures and training are pointless, and therefore do not take them seriously. However, according to OSHA, workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an annual average of 24 workdays due to recuperation. Therefore, carelessness in these procedures and training will not only affect the employees’ health, but their ability to support their family, as well. These exposures also affect the productivity of a company and its industry image.

SafetyArc.com has developed a training course on lockout/tagout procedures so both your employees and your organization can maintain safe health and productivity.

SafetyArc.com offers an interactive training course on lockout/tagout procedures complete with audio and visual elements, as well as assessments and learning extras. The lockout/tagout training course can be taken at work or at home, from any computer with an internet connection. Click here to learn more about SafetyArc.com’s online Lockout/Tagout training course.