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Accident at Ohio aluminum can manufacturer illustrates importance of lockout/tagout compliance

June 28th, 2019 by Dakota Software Staff

Accident at Ohio aluminum can manufacturer illustrates importance of lockout/tagout compliance

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an aluminum can manufacturer after an employee suffered a broken arm while servicing a machine at the company's facility in Napoleon, Ohio. The employer now faces proposed penalties of $106,080 for one repeat violation and three serious safety violations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

OSHA's investigation concluded that the manufacturer failed to lockout the machine that caused the employee's injury. The company was subsequently cited for its failure to guard the machine's pinch point and inability to train employees on energy control procedures and perform periodic inspections of said procedures.

"Employers are required to train their employees on proper lockout/tagout procedures to prevent the release of stored energy or unexpected startup of equipment," OSHA Area Director Kimberly Nelson of Toledo, Ohio, said in a statement.

According to OSHA, employers are required to train employees on proper lockout/tagout procedures.

Employers should consider filing lockout/tagout comments

The injury and corresponding penalty illustrates the potential cost of failing to comply with lockout/tagout regulations. Employers can find compliance assistance resources on lockout/tagout hazards at OSHA's Control of Hazardous Energy page and the interactive eTool.

Employers subject to the federal lockout/tagout rules may also want to take advantage of the current opportunity to comment on planned revisions of the standards. In May, OSHA issued a Request for Information seeking input on the agency's planned revision of the LOTO standard from employers who use control circuit-type devices to isolate energy. Affected businesses would be wise to try to influence any changes to the rule in order to avoid large and unnecessary costs in the future.

OSHA is now seeking information in two areas where modernizing the LOTO standard could promote worker safety: the use of equally safe reliable control circuit type devices in place of energy isolation, and the expanded use of robotics in more working environments, including warehouses and fulfillment centers. The agency's goal is to clarify what measures will provide effective protection to employees performing maintenance and servicing activities.

A new LOTO standard could be helpful for employers who have already adopted the use of reliable control circuits to prevent unexpected start-up or release of energy from energized equipment. According to EHS Today, the rule could eliminate the current uncertainty as to whether the measures they already have in place are fully compliant and legally adequate.

All employers affected by the LOTO standard should submit comments on the proposed revisions and know how to adhere to the current, complex set of regulations surrounding lockout/tagout procedures. As the aluminum can manufacturing incident reveals, a lack of knowledge and failure to apply safety measures can lead to serious consequences.

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