Lockout Tagout: Causes of Injuries that lead to Accidents

The continuous advancement in technology and machines have made companies more competent, productive and competitive in the global market today. As a result of technical reforms, the energy sources that drive machines have become more powerful and sophisticated, making service and maintenance tasks more challenging and more dangerous. While machine safeguarding has progressed, the risk of injury for those who service or maintain the equipment, still continues. Slightest of mistakes made by employees during maintenance lead to accidents.

Although, the causes are incalculable, because the reasons are many. There are some major reasons illustrated, that lead to destructive accidents and injuries during maintenance, due to our negligence and obliviousness. Some of these causes are:

1. Lack of awareness of LOTO at Administrative and Operative Level:
To implement a successful and working Lockout Tagout Program, it is important to have awareness about the importance of LOTO. Lack of knowledge and absence of LOTO system, leads to uncalled eventualities.It becomes the responsibility of the Top-Management to generate awareness about Lockout Tagout to all its employees.

2. Failure to Lockout Dangerous Energies:
Maximum risk activities for most industries, including the top-class companies, occur during the maintenance and servicing as they fail to lockout different kind of Hazardous energies, leading to serious injury or death of workers. The biggest mistake the organisations make is to consider only the electrical energy to be the hazardous one, rest of the energies are not taken seriously. Thus, failure to lockout Hazardous Energies leads to big accidents.

3. Overlook the importance of disconnecting the Machine from Power Source:
Many serious accidents have happened when someone thought a machine was safely shut off. This is an act of negligence that leads to calamities. It is not enough to just ‘shut them off’ and make repairs. According to OSHA, machines need to have power sources removed and be locked, tagged and isolated from the source to prevent serious injury.

4. Failure to Release Stored Energy:
Sometimes, during the maintenance process also the stored energy builds up to a dangerous level. Turning the power off or removing the energy source doesn’t guarantee that the equipment is safe. If workers without relieving the stored energies like chemicals, liquids, vapors, springs, elevated parts, then their sudden release could cause serious injury.

5. Failure to verify isolation & Zero Energy State:
When working on a machine, we need to be familiar with different kind of energies present in the equipment. Many a time worker make mistake of not verifying whether they have isolated all the energy sources and whether the machine is in the Zero Energy State.

6. Failure to develop Machine/Equipment Specific Procedures:
While performing LOTO, risks are high as multiple energies are involved. Skipping even one step while performing Lockout Tagout can lead to massive accidents. When a worker does not follow proper MSP procedure, he tends to make such mistakes. Therefore, it is important to follow proper Machine specific procedure.

7. Sudden start up of Machines:
Even if an employee shuts down the equipment before performing maintenance, someone else might restart the machine unknowingly. This leads to accidental restarting of machine. Communication gap amongst the workers or lack of systematic LOTO Procedures, leads to serious injuries at workplace.

8. Lack of LOTO System, Periodic Training and Audit in a Plant:
An effective Lockout Tagout program goes beyond the locks, tags and devices. In fact, the majority of citations are a result of lack of proper lockout procedures, program documentation, periodic inspections, training or any other procedural element. To avoid injuries and fatalities, one must follow Lockout Tagout properly.

The causes that lead to LOTO accidents are many, one needs to stay attentive and alert and not overconfident when performing, even their regular task. Lockout Tagout is a must even if the work is repetitive or needs only a few minutes to get it done.