According to the OSHA standard 1910.147, an annual inspection of the energy control program is required. OSHA requires companies to complete an annual inspection of both the machine-specific lockout-tagout procedures and the authorized employees. The annual inspection is devised to ensure that the energy control procedures and the authorized employees are still compliant. Machine-Specific Lockout-Tagout Procedure Inspection At least once per year, the energy control procedures must be inspected to determine if any errors exist. The procedures must be reviewed to verify that they still accurately portray the equipment and the equipment’s associating energy sources. Therefore, it is essential to complete the audit for each machine-specific procedure, to determine if any changes or updates have been made to the machinery within the past year. If any deficiencies are found while reviewing the procedures, updates to the procedures must be made immediately to reflect the changes. Also, if any equipment has been added or removed, lockout-tagout procedures must be created or deemed obsolete, respectively. Performing an annual audit of each machine-specific procedure can seem to be overwhelming for anybody, therefore, there are certain tips that can help make the process less stressful. One piece of advice would be to keep track of any updates to equipment, any new equipment, and any removed equipment throughout the year. Therefore, when it comes time to perform the audit, a list of changes has already been created which will make the process seem less overwhelming. To take it one step further, when any new equipment is added, it would be beneficial to create a lockout-tagout procedure for the new equipment prior to the equipment being used. Therefore, there will always be a procedure available, which can help avoid accidents to the employees during maintenance. Another tip for reviewing the procedures is to have an authorized employee review the procedure when they are about to use it, rather than waiting till the end of the year. By performing the review throughout the year, it can help reduce the stress of performing all of the inspections at one time. However, when deciding to use this method of review, it is critical to keep track of what procedures have been audited, and when, to ensure proper documentation has been kept. Employee Inspection In addition to reviewing each machine-specific lockout-tagout procedure, the authorized employees must also be audited on the process of lockout-tagout, at least annually. By auditing the employees, it can be ensured that those who are applying lockouts are doing it correctly and safely. While observing the employees performing the lockout, it is essential to make sure they are correctly following the procedural steps to create a safe work environment. If there are any deficiencies that are found while performing the employee review, these employees must be retrained and re-observed performing the lockout to ensure they completely understand the process. Once again, performing the audit of each employee can seem very overwhelming; therefore, it is recommended that the employee review occurs throughout the year. Revised 10/10. PERIODIC INSPECTION FORM. Inspector's Name_______________________________. Employee's Name____________________________ Job Title_________________________. Reuben is a second generation home inspector with a passion for his work. He grew up remodeling homes and learning about carpentry since he was old enough to. Periodic Inspection What is the intent of the requirement for the employer to conduct periodic inspections? To ensure that the energy control procedures continue to be implemented properly, that the employees are familiar with their responsibilities, and that any deviations or procedural inadequacies that are observed are. Lockout/Tagout - Lockout-Tagout Interactive Training Program. Periodic Inspection What is the intent of the requirement for the employer to conduct periodic. Set aside time to observe one employee per week or month performing lockout as a part of their normal routine. Reviewing the lockouts in real-time and throughout the year will ensure that the employees are following the procedure and reduce the stress when the annual review is due. It may seem that lockout-tagout procedures and locks & tags are the most important pieces to a compliant lockout-tagout program; however, annual inspections are just as significant. By performing the inspections, procedures can be kept up-to-date and accurate. Performing the reviews on both the employees and energy control procedures is crucial to maintaining the safety of all employees. For assistance with your annual inspection, to see how ESC Services can help. Annual Inspection of Lockout/ Tagout Program OSHA requires that employers perform inspections of their Lockout/ Tagout Programs at least annually. Duke's safety policy on the reiterates the OSHA requirement stating that, 'Supervisors shall ensure that. A review is performed at least annually.' In order to help Duke supervisors in various departments fulfill this requirement, OESO has developed a form. Supervisors should use the form as a guide to evaluating their shop's compliance with the LOTO standard and as a tool to facilitate individual discussions with the authorized employees within the shop. Any training, equipment, or procedural concerns identified as a part of this process must be addressed immediately. At least annually, Supervisors of authorized employees must complete this form and submit it to OESO via fax to 681-5916. OESO will review all of the LOTO Annual Inspection Forms received as part of an institution-wide audit of the LOTO Program. Improvements to the program will be based on the information received and changes to regulatory requirements. LOTO Questions? Please call 684-5996. Periodic Inspections A periodic inspection of each energy control procedure must be performed at least annually to ensure that the energy control procedures continue to be implemented properly and that employees are familiar with their responsibilities under those procedures. The inspection must also ensure that the procedure is adequate to provide effective protection to the authorized employee during servicing and maintenance operations covered by this standard. The employer is required to correct any deficiencies observed during the periodic inspection. Inadequacies in the energy control procedure could be the result of using a general procedure that does not effectively handle a specific application. They also may arise from changes made to equipment or processes without modifying the existing energy control procedure. The periodic inspection must be performed by an authorized employee other than the one(s) who is using the energy control procedures. This individual will be referred to as the 'inspector.' The inspector must be able to determine: • Whether the steps in the energy control procedure are being followed. • Whether the employees involved know their responsibilities under the procedure. • Whether the procedure provides the necessary protection, and what changes, if any, are needed. The periodic inspection consists of two requirements. First, the inspector must observe a representative sample of authorized employees performing the servicing and maintenance operation using the lockout/tagout procedure. Second, the inspector must perform a review with each authorized employee of that employee's responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected. When the periodic inspection involves a tagout procedure, the inspector's review of responsibilities extends to the affected employees as well, because of the increased importance of their role in avoiding accidental or inadvertent activation of the equipment or machinery being serviced or maintained. The employee performing the periodic inspection does not have to observe every authorized employee implementing the energy control procedure on the machine or equipment on which he or she is authorized to perform servicing and maintenance to meet the requirements of and. The inspector participating in the review when lockout is used needs to: • Observe a representative number of such employees while implementing the procedure, and • Talk with all other authorized employee even though they may not be implementing the energy control procedure. It is not required that the periodic inspection be conducted in separate one-on-one meetings; it can involve the inspector meeting simultaneously with a group of authorized employees. Group meetings can be one of the most effective methods to conduct the inspection and make clear to the employees that they need to follow the procedure carefully. The employer must certify that a periodic inspection has been performed at least annually. The certification must include information on each of the following: • The machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was used. • The date of the inspection. • The employees included in the inspection. • The name of the inspector who performed the inspection.
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