OSHA Offers Tips on Lockout/Tagout Standard Compliance

A new document released by U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides an overview of the standard 29 CFR 1910.147 – The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) for operations using temporary workers and offers tips for host employers and staffing agencies to comply with the regulation. 

Published under OSHA’s Temporary Worker Initiative (TWI), the agency outlines the responsibilities of both host employers and staffing agencies to prevent worker injuries from releases of hazardous energy while performing service or maintenance duties and comply with federal rules. 

“Prior to beginning work, the host employer and staffing agency should jointly review the task assignments and job hazards to identify, eliminate, and control hazardous energy releases, and determine the coverage of temporary workers by lockout/tagout program,” the agency’s document said.

Host employers are typically responsible for creating and implementing a lockout/tagout program and providing training as required by 29 CFR 1910.147 (c)(7). Companies hiring temporary workers are also required to notify staffing agencies of any expectations of training provided prior to beginning work at the host employer. 

“Communication between the staffing agency and the host employer is necessary. The staffing agency should have a clear understanding of the type of hazard training needed by a temporary worker, who is performing activities covered by the lockout/tagout standard,” OSHA wrote.

The document also includes an example scenario and analysis, and a description of ways that OSHA can help companies to comply. 

To view the full document, click here.  

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