It’s a good day in a company when no one has been hurt because a piece of equipment wasn’t properly locked out and tagged out. The more of those good days a company has, the more proudly plant technicians can point to a sound lock out tag out training program.
Many of us work in plants or at sites where there are hazardous energy sources (thermal, electrical, pneumatic, chemical or mechanical) readily at hand. If you or your crew are working where equipment hasn’t been properly locked out and tagged out, you are at risk for serious consequences.
Lock out tag out training covers how to plan for energy closeouts, how to make them happen, and tagging equipment that is live and not live. Many plants use a standard color coding to designate which safety devices are being used to lock out pieces of equipment and their energy sources. Lock out tag out kits are introduced in training, and more companies use lockout tagout software in their lock out tag out training programs to print labels and tags, plan outages and coordinate sites and locations, even to run simulations and training drills. Every employee should have lock out tag out programs as part of their safety orientation in their plant.
In many plants, special confined space training is offered as part of the overall lock out tag out training. Confined spaces represent another level of hazard because they are often poorly lit, difficult to reach and navigate, and can be filled with dangerous vapors or air with low oxygen levels. Lock out tag out training isn’t just necessary here, it is vital. Learn more about this topic here: escservices.com