Category Archives: Safety Software

Establishing New Lockout Tagout Procedures

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Twitt

When a company needs to first establish lockout tagout procedures or needs to completely scrap and create new lockout tagout procedures for whatever reason, the initial process can be extremely costly and time consuming. The regulations relating to lockout tagout, OSHA Standard 1910.147, are painfully complex at times, and leave a lot of first time readers puzzled. Online quick guides and shortcuts are incomplete and often totally useless, and paying for a third party service can be costly.

So owners are left to make a difficult series of decisions which will impact the company’s bottom line and the health and well being of the staff. Some of the basic considerations to make when determining if the lockout tagout procedures should be created in-house or outsourced to a qualified third party lockout tagout specialty firm are the length of time until the project needs to be completed, the experience of the staff involved, and the scope of the project.

Unfortunately for most business owners, the determination after that evaluation is that a third party is needed. And in the past that meant bringing in auditors from a firm who would review the facility, create the procedures, and either monitor it from afar leaving the business owner hoping it was really being reviewed or leave monitoring up to the same safety team that was unable to create the procedures to begin with.

Now there is a new hybrid option. This new option is our Factory Solutions Software and allows users to create, store, update, and monitor their lockout tagout procedures from anywhere an internet connection is available. The procedures are created under the guidance of a trained lockout tagout professional and are constantly reviewed by the program to ensure compliance and maximum efficiency. When changes are needed, they are guaranteed to be done to code or the system will reject the changes. It is the perfect marriage of the two previous worlds.

If you have any questions about establishing lockout tagout procedures or our Factory Solutions Software, please contact us. If you have something to add about establishing new lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

Monitoring and Updating Lockout Tagout Procedures

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Twitt

Monitoring and updating lockout tagout procedures can become a nightmare for even the most seasoned safety teams. These procedures are cumbersome to create, hard to maintain, and can be confusing when changes happen within a facility. OSHA attempted to make the job of creating lockout tagout procedures a little easier by created Standard 1910.147. Due to the complexity of lockout tagout, however, the procedure has become largely enigmatic to many readers.

So for this reason, most companies are left to either hope their original plan will suffice after changes are made, hope they can tweak their plans just enough to compensate for change, or hire a qualified third party lockout tagout specialty firm to assist in monitoring and updating the lockout tagout procedures as needed. Unfortunately, none of these options are usually particularly appealing to a company’s ownership. They are left to either “guess” and “hope,” which does not make most business owners comfortable, or they must leave their fate in the hands of a third party, and pay for the services, as well.

Fortunately, we have created a web based program which allows you to create your lockout tagout procedures for your facility within an environment which will guarantee the procedures are compliant with all applicable laws and standards. In addition, the software, called Factor Solutions, is fully scalable, fully customizable, monitors your lockout tagout procedures for changes in your facility or regulatory changes, and allows you to modify your procedures at any time. You get the backing of a leading lockout tagout specialty firm with the control to handle the changes in-house.If you have any questions about our Factory Solutions Software, or lockout tagout in general, please contact us. If you have anything else to add about monitoring and updating lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

 

 

Software That Helps Maintain Lockout Tagout Procedures

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Twitt

After you go through the headache of establishing lockout tagout procedures, it is important to have a procedure or plan of some kind in place to maintain those procedures. OSHA very heavily regulates lockout tagout procedures, and they can, and will, update their policies if needed to maintain the safest possible work environment.

OSHA regulates lockout tagout procedures with Standard 1910.147, which is often considered one of the most difficult standards to understand and comply with. It is no surprise, then, that even properly created lockout tagout procedures are often quickly out of compliance due to either regulatory changes or changes to a company’s structure. And the unfortunate truth is that most companies monitor and maintain their lockout tagout procedures in-house with a woefully understaffed and unprepared safety team.

To help employers maintain the safest possible workplace, while keeping a mindful eye to OSHA regulations, we at PF Safety have created software specifically designed to maintain your lockout tagout procedures. It is fully customizable, fully scalable, and will help you monitor both changes at your company and regulatory changes. You remain in control of your lockout tagout procedures, with the ability to update your machinery or personnel anywhere there is an internet connection, while still being provided the support of a premier lockout tagout auditing firm.

If you have any questions about our Factory Solutions Software and how it could streamline your lockout tagout procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of proper maintenance of your lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.

Monitoring for Lockout Tagout (LOTO) Procedures

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Twitt

Anyone who has ever had to write procedures for lockout tagout can attest to their difficulty. Lockout tagout procedures are difficult to create because they are based upon a difficult OSHA standard to comply with, Standard 1910.147. This standard is often regarded as one of the most difficult to understand and to implement, and can give even experienced occupational safety and health experts a difficult time.

So if you have a functioning lockout tagout procedure in place, it is imperative you maintain it. To do this, you have to properly monitor regulatory changes, industry changes, and changes to your business. Even a small change in any of these areas left unaccounted for can lead to substantial fines and serious workplace injuries. In order to protect yourself and your business, it is imperative to have a system in place which monitors these three areas.

Many companies monitor these changes internally, with quarterly or semi-annual audits. Others hire external companies to manage their lockout tagout needs. But the first option leaves you vulnerable in between audits, and the second option leaves you at the mercy of another company.

To combat these risks, we created software which tracks and manages your lockout tagout procedures while leaving you in complete control of them. Factory Solutions Software is updated by you and monitored by us, it is fully scalable, fully customizable, and can be accessed anywhere an internet connection is available.

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

Factory Solutions Software for Lockout Tagout

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Twitt

Lockout/tagout procedures are difficult to create, more difficult to maintain, and an absolute nightmare when regulations change. Lockout tagout issues are consistently on the list of the most commonly cited OSHA violations (placing fifth last year on the list), as well as the most expensive OSHA violations (consistently ranking in the top 5). In an effort to combat this, many business owners hire outside firms to manage their lockout tagout procedures, costing them thousands of dollars annually.

But in recent years, a new push has been made by business owners and safety consulting firms alike toward online lockout/tagout management. Online management is cheaper, more efficient, and allows for greater corporate inclusion. And the process of establishing online lockout/tagout procedures has never been easier.

With our Factory Solutions Software, for instance, you select a procedure from a preset library of procedures, then customize it to your facility based upon your layout, number of machines, and work force. The software is available anywhere the internet is available, and is fully scalable, allowing multiple users. When you update your procedures, you will work directly with our graphic illustrators who will create and annotate the graphical representation of the lockout/tagout procedure. Should you need help in updating the system when you make changes, our dedicated staff would be available to discuss your company’s needs and how to properly document them in the software.

If you have any questions about creating or monitoring lockout tagout procedures, Factory Solutions Software, or about lockout tagout in general, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the benefits of lockout tagout software, please leave a comment.

Software for Monitoring Lockout Tagout Procedures

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Twitt

Lockout tagout procedure monitoring can be a difficult task. Every time a change is made, no matter how small, the entire procedure needs to be reviewed to make sure this minor change does not have some far-reaching change on another part of the procedure. This can make lockout tagout a very time consuming, and very costly, process to monitor and maintain.

In addition, many companies employ safety personnel who are not properly trained on lockout tagout procedures, meaning some of the nuances of the regulations might be lost on the individual in charge of the procedure. OSHA Standard 1910.147, which governs lockout tagout procedures, can be very convoluted, and without an in depth understanding of the regulation, it is almost impossible to fully understand.

Fortunately, we at PF Safety have recently released our Factory Solutions Software. This software creates, tracks, monitors, and updates your lockout tagout procedures for you. It keeps a record of all changes and updates, and notifies you of these changes. Our software is created in such a way that it will automatically notify you of any compliance or OSHA regulation updates, so that you can properly update your policies. In addition, the software is fully customizable, fully scalable, and only requires an internet connection to access it.

If this software sounds like something that could help streamline your business, please contact us so that we can explain in more detail how the software works. If you would like to add a comment on how this or similar software has worked for your business, please leave a comment.

Lockout Tagout Software

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Twitt

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.

Lockout Tagout Computer Monitoring

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Twitt

Setting lockout tagout procedures for your facility is hard. Maintaining your procedures over time and monitoring the accuracy of updates to your system is even harder. Each time there is an upgrade or addition to your machinery, or there is a change in personnel, there is the need to ensure the procedure library is still up to date and accurate. Further, you need to ensure that machines which have changed or been added to your company are fully lockout tagout compliant.

For many business owners, it is cheaper and more time effective to simply utilize software to track and monitor these changes. Unfortunately, most software requires routine updates to ensure accuracy to the most recently updated regulations. This, too, can create problems for many business owners, as outdated software can create a situation where a non-compliant machine is registering as compliant after policy changes.

To combat this problem, it is best to use web based software that is continually updated as needed, ensuring your procedures are checked against the most recent regulatory changes. Here at PF Safety, we have created a web based program which is fully scalable, fully customizable, and guaranteed to always be updated, that allows you to manage and track your lockout tagout procedures.

If you have any questions about your lockout tagout procedures, or would like more information on how our web based software, Factory Solutions Software, can help your business, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the challenges of monitoring lockout tagout, please leave a comment.

Monitoring Software for Lockout Tagout

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Twitt

The lockout tagout procedures described in OSHA Standard 1910.147 are difficult to establish and even more difficult to sustain. They are extremely complicated and are specific to each and every company; there are no “quick guides” to lockout tagout and following a plan which ensures compliance for another company will almost surely put your company out of compliance.

Lockout tagout is so complicated because it is crucially important for workplace safety. A lapse in lockout tagout can cause immediate harm and is often fatal. In order to become compliant and remain compliant, a company needs to define a procedure library and identify all energy isolation points. Then, all machines will need specific visual placards installed, detailing what hazards are present and in what circumstances. Finally, these placards need to be updated anytime anything changes at your company, as your lockout tagout needs are likely to change.

Fortunately, there is software now available which can help you establish your procedures, determine appropriate libraries, and update everything quickly and in real time. With this software, you can turn your safety team’s attention away from lockout tagout to other tasks, freeing up manpower while still ensuring compliance. This software is fully scalable and every change or update is documented, saving you tremendous time and energy in keeping the files organized.

The benefits of utilizing software for lockout tagout monitoring are incredible, and if you would like more information on our product, please contact us. If you have anything to add about lockout tagout monitoring, please leave a comment.

Lockout Tagout Monitoring Software

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Twitt

Lockout Tagout monitoring is a difficult task. For a large company, it can take a team of safety professionals to properly track, monitor, and update lockout tagout procedures. We have discussed ways to effectively manage your lockout tagout procedures before, and are going to discuss monitoring options today.

If your business is still monitoring lockout tagout procedures manually, you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to free up employee hours to handle other safety needs, while also ensuring your business is always up to code between lockout tagout audits. Modern technology allows you to monitor your lockout tagout procedures with fully customizable software. Through this software, you can update equipment and equipment changes, personnel changes, and procedural changes to your lockout tagout procedures with the click of a button. The software is fully scalable, and matches your procedures and equipment to applicable OSHA standards.

There is no longer the worry if an employee leaves your company that your lockout tagout procedures will need to be relearned to keep your company up to code. Likewise, human error issues are eliminated by upgrading to a software based option. Finally, by making the upgrade to software based lockout tagout monitoring, your audits will be a smoother process, as you will have status updates, history information, and visuals of your lockout tagout procedures, making it an easy process to ensure compliance.

If you are still monitoring your lockout tagout procedures yourself and would like more information on upgrading, or if you currently use software to monitor your lockout tagout procedures but would like more information about our software, please contact us. And if you have recently made the switch, please leave a comment detailing your experience.