Time and again, we find that creating and monitoring lockout tagout procedures is the most difficult task for safety teams in facilities we audit. These procedures involve a very detailed understanding of a complicated OSHA standard, and there is a lot of misinformation out there about what is, and is not, acceptable. And once an effective procedure is created and put in place, many safety teams do not have the ability to effectively monitor and update these procedures.
OSHA Standard 1910.147 governs the creation and monitoring of lockout tagout procedures. This standard gives employers fits, and many companies wind up over paying outside agencies to create, implement, and monitor their lockout tagout procedures, without ever teaching their safety teams what these agencies are doing, or properly monitoring the activities of the outside agency. They then have to hope the company they have hired is acting appropriately, and that their facility is up to code.
Recently, we released Factory Solutions, a powerful web based tool for managing lockout tagout procedures. This program allows users to create, update, and monitor lockout tagout procedures based upon the specific needs of their business. It is fully customizable, fully scalable, and can be accessed anywhere internet is available. This software ensures your company is always up to code, by reviewing your procedures and notifying you if anything is not in compliance. And should anything change in the regulations, the software will recertify that you are still in compliance.
Should there be a compliance issue, the software notifies the user. In this way, you and your team are always in control, helping you to rest assured that your facility is in compliance. With this software, you have the benefit of an experienced firm behind you, the accuracy of the technology, and the ability to teach your safety team what proper lockout tagout procedures should look like and how to effectively manage them.
If you have any questions about our Factory Solutions software, or about lockout tagout in general, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the effectiveness of Factory Solutions, please leave a comment.
