Environmental Health & Safety
Control of Hazardous Energy
Departments that maintain, repair, service, or set up equipment must have a written Control of Hazardous Energy aka Lockout/Tag Out (LOTO) Program. The LOTO program establishes procedures to prevent and control employee exposure to hazardous energy. Potential sources of energy include:
- Electrical
- Mechanical (moving parts like springs or wheels)
- Hydraulic (pressurized liquid, usually oil)
- Pneumatic (pressurized gas, usually air or nitrogen)
- Chemicals and chemical reactions
- Thermal (usually steam)
- Gravity (usually suspended heavy objects)
Hazardous energy sources must be isolated, and any stored or residual energy eliminated from the system. The re-accumulation of energy must also be controlled. Supervisors must:
- Ensure affected employees complete LOTO training in Percipio,
- Provide employees the necessary equipment for LOTO procedures,
- Develop LOTO procedures for equipment in their areas of responsibility,
- Evaluate employee application of LOTO procedures and document those evaluations annually.
EH&S provides an example Control of Hazardous Energy/LOTO program in our Accident Prevention Program. Departments or supervisors requiring assistance developing a LOTO program may contact EH&S at 509-335-5251, or visit our contacts page to find a subject matter expert.
See also: