If your company has a need to establish and monitor lockout tagout procedures, it is important you do so correctly. it is important first for employee safety; lockout tagout procedures save lives, and as such need to be accurate and effective. But it is also important as a requirement per OSHA through Standard 1910.147.

OSHA created Standard 1910.147 to help employers create a safer workplace in relation to lockout tagout hazards. These hazards are life threatening, and ever present. But establishing comprehensive and effective lockout tagout procedures is only the first half of effective lockout tagout safety. Properly monitoring and updating your procedures is equally important and, perhaps, more difficult.

If is for this reason that many business owners hire third party firms to monitor their lockout tagout procedures. Unfortunately, these firms can often be expensive and drain your bottom line. Conversely, if these employers attempt to monitor their lockout tagout procedures on their own and do not have a qualified employee with experience in lockout tagout, they could expose their employees to an unsafe work environment, and themselves to significant fines.

Fortunately, there is now an alternative. You can utilize safety software which allows you to monitor and update your lockout tagout procedures from anywhere an internet connection is available. This software also monitors your procedures, helping you to ensure compliance even when you aren’t looking.

If you have any questions about monitoring your lockout tagout procedures or our Factory Solutions Software, please contact us. If you would like to add anything about the importance of properly monitoring your lockout tagout procedures, please leave a message.

Lockout tagout (LOTO) procedures are required for businesses in many different fields. For this reason, it is important for every business owner to ensure their business does not require established lockout tagout procedures. Should you determine your business does need to establish lockout tagout procedures, please review OSHA Standard 1910.147 before creating the procedures.

This standard governs all things lockout tagout for OSHA. Unfortunately, if you are not an expert in the field of lockout tagout, this procedure can read like it was written in another language. And even after you establish your procedures, maintaining them can be another nightmare unto itself.

For these reasons, many companies consult with a firm which specializes in creating lockout tagout procedures and in maintaining them. By doing this, the company has placed the burden of creating a viable and sustainable solution onto a qualified third party, who can also maintain the procedures.

And while this option might seem cost inhibitive at first, it is surprisingly affordable to hire a third party to assist you. It is certainly less expensive than hiring a lockout tagout specialist on a full time basis as a staff member, and when you consider what the cost of a fine from OSHA could be, the costs to hire professionals become virtually nonexistent.

If you have a need to establish lockout tagout (LOTO) procedures, but are unsure of how to do so, please contact us so that we can help you. If you have anything to add about lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

One of the most common reasons clients reach out to us is a need to update their existing lockout tagout procedures. These clients had set up their lockout tagout procedures some time in the past, monitored minor changes, and felt generally comfortable with what they were doing, but now needs to make some kind of major overhaul to their procedures. And they now reach out to us because this kind of update can actually be more difficult than establishing new lockout tagout procedures.

The reason it can be so difficult is that, when establishing new lockout tagout procedures, you have a clean slate to work with, but when you are updating existing lockout tagout procedures, you need to fit something new into an existing space. Sometimes this transition is very smooth and easy. But even in the case of a near seamless transition, we still recommend having the new plan professionally reviewed by a qualified third party safety auditing firm.

But in the event that the transition is not so smooth, a full audit of the lockout tagout procedures may be required. The last thing you want to do is to try to make your procedures work; i.e. you do not want to leave them with a sense of “good enough.” This is what leads to safety issues in the workplace.

If you have any questions about updating or changing your lockout tagout  procedures, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about transitioning your procedures, please leave a comment.

After establishing lockout tagout procedures, many business owners and safety teams think that their jobs are done. But in reality, that is only the first half of the lockout tagout battle. Monitoring and maintaining those lockout tagout procedures is often a far more difficult task than the creation was.

Unfortunately, when we audit the facilities of new clients, it is unbelievably common for there to be absolutely no plan in place for the monitoring of lockout tagout procedures. Or, if a plan is in place, it is completely irrelevant and ineffective. So after you create your lockout tagout procedures, please ensure you put a meaningful, useful plan in place for monitoring the procedures.

When creating your plan for monitoring your lockout tagout procedures, there are two basic options: do it yourself or let someone else do it for you. For many companies, doing the lockout tagout monitoring themselves is not really possible, due to the staff in place and the associated costs. However, we also run into many companies which are unable to hire on a qualified third party safety auditor due to perceived high costs.

Fortunately, there is also a fully automated online option. Our Factory Solutions Software is fully scalable, fully customizable, and updates in real-time. It allows multiple users to log in simultaneously and is available anywhere an internet connection is available.

If you have any questions about our Factory Solutions Software, or about monitoring lockout tagout procedures in general, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the importance of lockout tagout procedure monitoring, please leave a comment.

When attempting to establish lockout tagout procedures, it is important to be sure you keep OSHA Standard 1910.147 in mind and central to your procedures. This standard, as well as any of the many other standards which could apply when establishing lockout tagout procedures in various situations, can be very confusing and can create a number of difficulties.

To combat the potential difficulties associated with creating lockout tagout procedures, many companies either hire a professional firm which specializes in safety management or they utilize online quick reference guides. And while either option can be of benefit, it is important to analyze the needs of your company before proceeding either way, or you could waste time, money, and resources on a plan that will not fit your needs.

And what you will ultimately be analyzing is whether it makes more sense to establish your lockout tagout procedures in-house or to hire a firm to help you. There are certainly some great online tools available to help you establish your procedures, but these should never be at the heart of your plan to establish procedures, or you will end up with incomplete and dangerous procedures. Instead, you need to evaluate your personnel and their level of experience in working with lockout tagout, as well as the overall scope of the project, and what it would cost to dedicate your staff for a period of time to this task.

If those costs are lower than the cost to hire an outside firm, and if you have the right people in place, then it might make sense to do it in-house. But if you have any doubts at all about the staff you have in place, then it might be wise to seek outside help.

If you have any questions about the costs associated with hiring a firm to help you with your lockout tagout needs, please contact us. And if you have anything else to add about establishing procedures for lockout tagout, please leave a comment.

This question of whether it is better to outsource lockout tagout procedure creation and maintenance or if it is better to maintain it in-house, has because a somewhat recurring theme of this blog. And the reason for this is simply the frequency with which our customers ask us this question. And while every company’s needs are completely different, here are some quick tips for helping you determine which route might be best for you.

When determining whether it is better to outsource a lockout tagout project or manage it internally, there are really three major considerations: scope, timeframe, and cost. When you understand your needs in relation to these three aspects, you can really determine what the best course of action is for you.

When considering the scope, you are really determining if this is a one time need or an ongoing need, and how deep the need is. So, are you instituting a new lockout tagout program for your company, or are you adding a few new machines? Do you have a plan in place for the ongoing monitoring, or will that also be a need?

Once you determine what, exactly, the scope of your project is, the next thing to consider is the timeframe. Is this a project which needs to be completed in 10 months or 10 days? If new staff will be needed, will you have time to train them? As a general rule of thumb, the shorter the timeframe, the more likely you will need some help from a qualified consulting firm.

Finally, you need to look at the costs. Do you have an unlimited budget to add additional staff, bring in trainers, and learn to do things the right way in house? Or, if you have a qualified staff which could easily handle the new burdens, then would it make sense to spend the money on a consultant?

At the end of the day, every single instance is different. But if you need some help in determining what makes the most sense for your company, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about which option for lockout tagout is better, please leave a comment.

Establishing lockout tagout procedures is not an easy task. But most businesses account for this difficulty, and plan accordingly. Where most companies run into lockout tagout problems is around the maintenance and monitoring of those procedures. This is because lockout tagout procedures are fluid and ever changing; every time a machine is added, removed, or changed out, the lockout tagout procedures should be adjusted. Every time an employee starts or ends a shift, the procedures should be updated.

And this creates an incredible burden on any safety team. So, many companies inadvertently cut corners and do not properly monitor their lockout tagout procedures. On the other side of the equation, you find many companies that overpay for lockout tagout monitoring services. This leaves a situation where you must choose between a strong bottom line or a safe work environment.

But now, there is an option which is both cost-effective and which leaves no room for error, meaning your employees are always safe and you are always in compliance. This option is computerized monitoring of your lockout tagout procedures, and PF Safety has an excellent option in this space.

Factory Solutions Software is a fully scalable, fully customizable, web-based program which allows you, your safety team, and your employees to go in at any time and make changes to your lockout tagout procedures. It also constantly checks to ensure you are in compliance with OSHA Standard 1910.147.

If you have any questions about lockout tagout procedures or their monitoring, or if you have any questions about Factory Solutions Software, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about lockout tagout maintenance, please leave a comment.

The creation and monitoring of lockout tagout procedures should be of critical importance to any company with the potential for a lockout tagout issue. Lockout tagout incidents can, and usually are, deadly. So, proper lockout tagout procedures are necessary to protect employees. And, because of the seriousness of injuries associated with lockout tagout, OSHA takes these procedures very seriously, frequently citing companies for violations, and assessing large fines for noncompliance.

So in order to protect your employees and your bottom line, it is important to properly establish your lockout tagout procedures and to properly monitor them, documenting changes, as needed. Anyone who has ever attempted to establish new lockout tagout procedures can tell you how time consuming and difficult the initial procedures can be to create. For this reason, many companies hire a qualified third party to assist in the creation of lockout tagout procedures.

But as hard as it is to create these procedures, it can often be harder to monitor them. It is difficult to come up with a cost effective process for monitoring each movement and change in relation to the equipment and personnel using the equipment. Fortunately, there is now web-based computer software which is fully scalable and fully customizable, which tracks your lockout tagout for you. This software acts as a strong safeguard against workplace injuries and OSHA citations, by ensuring your company is up to date on all lockout tagout changes, and that your employees are following the appropriate lockout tagout procedures.

If you have any questions about lockout tagout, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the importance of instituting adequate lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

Creating and maintaining effective lockout tagout procedures is only the first half of the lockout tagout battle. After you have created your procedures and put a serious plan in place to monitor these procedures, you need to ensure your procedures are efficiently distributed to all required employees and that adequate training is in place. If this training and distribution is not done, then the procedures will not be properly followed and accidents will still be a real threat.

When dealing with training for lockout tagout, it is first important to be certain that your procedures meet all requirements. To do that, you can review OSHA Standard 1910.38. If you have any questions about the technicalities of the procedures, you can also always contact a qualified safety consulting firm to have a third party audit performed on your procedures. After determining that you do, in fact, have appropriate procedures in place, you will also want to be sure your mechanism for maintenance is appropriate, as well. Now, you can do this in house, with a third party, by hand, or with a computer program. The choice is yours.

Once you have these foundational pieces in place, it might be a good idea to bring somebody on board to help with training, at least in the beginning. This can be an experience lockout tagout professional who you hire full time or a third party. Either way, it will make the training more useful and help you to know that your employees truly understand their role in lockout tagout safety.

If you have any questions about establishing lockout tagout procedures or establishing a lockout tagout training program, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of lockout tagout training, please leave a comment.

We blog often about lockout tagout, and the need to ensure your lockout tagout procedures are properly implemented and properly monitored. If they are not, there is a real risk to employee safety and a real risk that the company will be cited by OSHA. Lockout tagout is governed by OSHA Standard 1910.147; if you have never reviewed this standard, please do so.

In 2011, a horrible accident at an Adams Thermal Systems plant in South Dakota left one man dead. Two years, and several hundred thousand dollars in lawyer fees, later, Adams Thermal Systems has agreed to pay $1.33 million in fines to OSHA and to make an additional $450,000 payment to the man’s widow. And the executives here got off light; they were facing potential criminal charges.

I know we sound like a broken record at times, but the truth is that workplace safety is one of the few things that are 100% in your control at work. You cannot control the price of raw materials or public demand, but you can ensure you have an adequate safety plan in place.

If you have not recently had your facility audited, it might be time to consider a third party safety audit. And if you are not confident in your lockout tagout procedures, please bring in a professional to help.

If you have any questions about any workplace safety issues at your company, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the tragedy in South Dakota, please leave a comment.