84004 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. OSHA–2011–0033] 

Standard on the Control of Hazardous 

Energy (Lockout/Tagout); Extension of 

the Office of Management and 

Budget’s (OMB) Approval of 

Information Collection (Paperwork) 

Requirements 

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public 

comments concerning the proposal to 

extend the Office of Management and 

Budget’s (OMB) approval of the 

information collection requirements 

contained in the Standard on the 

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/ 

Tagout). 

DATES: Comments must be submitted 

(postmarked, sent, or received) by 

February 22, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: 

Electronically: You may submit 

comments, including attachments, 

electronically at http://

www.regulations.gov, the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Follow the 

instructions online for submitting 

comments. 

Facsimile: If your comments, 

including attachments, do not exceed 10 

pages, you may fax them to the OSHA 

Docket Office at (202) 693–1648. 

Regular mail, express delivery, hand 

(courier) delivery, and messenger 

service: When using these methods, you 

must submit a copy of your comments 

and attachments to the OSHA Docket 

Office, OSHA Docket No. OSHA–2011– 

0033, Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Room N–3653, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. 

Please note: While OSHA’s Docket 

Office is continuing to accept and 

process submissions by regular mail, 

due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the 

Docket Office is closed to the public and 

not able to received submissions to the 

docket by hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and the OSHA 

docket number for this Federal Register 

notice (OSHA–2011–0033). Because of 

security-related procedures, 

submissions by regular mail may result 

in a significant delay in receipt. OSHA 

will place comments and requests to 

speak, including personal information, 

in the public docket, which may be 

available online. Therefore, OSHA 

cautions interested parties about 

submitting personal information such as 

Social Security numbers and birthdates. 

For further information on submitting 

comments, see the ‘‘Public 

Participation’’ heading in the section of 

this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

Docket: To read or download 

comments or other material in the 

docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov 

or the OSHA Docket Office at the above 

address. All documents in the docket 

(including this Federal Register notice) 

are listed in the http://

www.regulations.gov index; however, 

some information (e.g., copyrighted 

material) is not publicly available to 

read or download through the website. 

All submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

You may also contact Theda Kenney at 

(202) 693–2222 to obtain a copy of the 

ICR. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, 

Directorate of Standards and Guidance, 

OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 

telephone (202) 693–2222. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Department of Labor, as part of a 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, 

conducts a preclearance process to 

provide the public with an opportunity 

to comment on proposed and 

continuing information collection 

requirements in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 

(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program 

ensures that information is in the 

desired format, the reporting burden 

(time and costs) is minimal, the 

collection instruments are clearly 

understood, and OSHA’s estimate of the 

information collection burden is 

accurate. The Occupational Safety and 

Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 

651 et seq.) authorizes information 

collection by employers as necessary or 

appropriate for enforcement of the OSH 

Act, or for developing information 

regarding the causes and prevention of 

occupational injuries, illnesses, and 

accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act 

also requires OSHA to obtain such 

information with a minimum burden 

upon employers, especially those 

operating small businesses, and to 

reduce to the maximum extent feasible 

unnecessary duplication of effort in 

obtaining said information (29 U.S.C. 

657). 

The Standard on the Control of 

Hazardous Energy (also referred to as 

the ‘‘Lockout/Tagout Standard’’), 29 

CFR 1910.147, contains several 

information collection requirements, 

which are described below. The purpose 

of these requirements is to control the 

release of hazardous energy while 

workers service, maintain, or repair 

machines or equipment when 

activation, start up, or release of energy 

from an energy source is possible; 

proper control of hazardous energy 

prevents death or serious injury among 

these workers. 

Energy Control Procedure (Paragraph 

(c)(4)(i)) 

With limited exception, employers 

must document the procedures used to 

isolate from its energy source and 

render inoperative, any machine or 

equipment prior to servicing, 

maintenance, or repair by workers. 

These procedures are necessary when 

activation, start up, or release of stored 

energy from the energy source is 

possible, and such release could cause 

injury to the workers. 

Paragraph (c)(4)(ii) states that the 

required documentation must clearly 

and specifically outline the scope, 

purpose, authorization, rules, and 

techniques workers are to use to control 

hazardous energy, and the means to 

enforce compliance. The document 

must include at least the following 

elements: A specific statement regarding 

the use of the procedure; detailed 

procedural steps for shutting down, 

isolating, blocking, and securing 

machines or equipment to control 

hazardous energy; detailed procedural 

steps for placing, removing, and 

transferring lockout or tagout devices, 

including the responsibility for doing 

so; and requirements for testing a 

machine or equipment to determine and 

verify the effectiveness of lockout or 

tagout devices, as well as other energy 

control measures. 

Protective Materials and Hardware 

(Paragraphs (c)(5)(ii)(D) and (c)(5)(iii)) 

Paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(D) requires that 

lockout and tagout devices indicate the 

identity of the employee applying it. 

Paragraph (c)(5)(iii) requires that tags 

warn against hazardous conditions if the 

machine or equipment is energized. In 

addition, the tag must include a legend 

such as one of the following: Do Not 

Start; Do Not Open; Do Not Close; Do 

Not Energize; Do Not Operate. 

Periodic Inspection Certification 

Records (Paragraph (c)(6)(ii)) 

Under paragraph (c)(6)(i), employers 

are to conduct inspections of energy 


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 84005 

control procedures at least annually. An 

authorized worker (other than an 

authorized worker using the energy 

control procedure that is the subject of 

the inspection) is to conduct the 

inspection and correct any deviations or 

inadequacies identified. For procedures 

involving either lockout or tagout, the 

inspection must include a review, 

between the inspector and each 

authorized worker, of that worker’s 

responsibilities under the procedure; for 

procedures using tagout systems, the 

review also involves affected workers, 

and includes an assessment of the 

workers’ knowledge of the training 

elements required for these systems. 

Paragraph (c)(6)(ii) requires employers 

to certify the inspection by documenting 

the date of the inspection and 

identifying the machine or equipment 

inspected, the workers included in the 

inspection, and the worker who 

performed the inspection. 

Training Certification Records 

(Paragraph (c)(7)(iv)) 

Under paragraph (c)(7)(iv), employers 

are to certify that workers completed the 

required training, and that this training 

is up-to-date. The certification is to 

contain each worker’s name and the 

training date. Written certification of the 

training assures the employer that 

workers receive the training specified by 

the standard. 

Notification of Employees (Paragraph 

(c)(9)) 

This provision requires the employer 

or authorized worker to notify affected 

workers prior to applying, and after 

removing, a lockout or tagout device 

from a machine or equipment. 

Off-Site Personnel (Contractors, etc.) 

(Paragraph (f)(2)(i)) 

When the on-site employer uses an 

off-site employer (e.g., a contractor) to 

perform the activities covered by the 

scope and application of the standard, 

the two employers must inform each 

other regarding their respective lockout 

or tagout procedures. 

II. Special Issues for Comment 

OSHA has a particular interest in 

comments on the following issues: 

• Whether the proposed information 

collection requirements are necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

agency’s functions, including whether 

the information is useful; 

• The accuracy of OSHA’s estimate of 

the burden (time and costs) of the 

information collection requirements, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; 

• The quality, utility, and clarity of 

the information collected; and 

• Ways to minimize the burden on 

employers who must comply—for 

example, by using automated or other 

technological information collection 

and transmission techniques. 

III. Proposed Actions 

OSHA is requesting an adjustment 

decrease of 126,403.49 burden hours 

(from 2,749,315 hours to 2,622,911.51 

hours). This decrease is the result of 

updated data showing a decrease in the 

number of affected high-impact 

establishments (from 292,825 to 290,560 

establishments). In addition, OSHA is 

requesting an adjustment decrease of 

$102,032.08 in operation and 

maintenance costs (from $1,472,686.00 

to $1,370,653.92) associated with the 

purchase of tags and ties by employers. 

This decrease is also a result of updated 

data showing a reduction of the number 

of high-impact establishments. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Title: Standard on the Control of 

Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout). 

OMB Control Number: 1218–0150. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofits. 

Number of Respondents: 773,209. 

Frequency: Initially; Annually; On 

occasion. 

Average Time per Response: Varies. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

69,257,657. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 

2,622,911.51. 

Estimated Cost (Operation and 

Maintenance): $1,370,653.92. 

IV. Public Participation—Submission of 

Comments on This Notice and internet 

Access to Comments and Submissions 

You may submit comments in 

response to this document as follows: 

(1) Electronically at http://

www.regulations.gov, which is the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal; (2) by 

facsimile (fax); or (3) by hard copy. 

Please note: While OSHA’s Docket 

Office is continuing to accept and 

process submissions by regular mail, 

due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the 

Docket Office is closed to the public and 

not able to receive submissions to the 

docket by hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service. All 

comments, attachments, and other 

material must identify the agency name 

and the OSHA docket number for the 

ICR (Docket No. OSHA–2011–0033). 

You may supplement electronic 

submissions by uploading document 

files electronically. If you wish to mail 

additional materials in reference to an 

electronic or facsimile submission, you 

must submit them to the OSHA Docket 

Office (see the section of this notice 

titled ADDRESSES). The additional 

materials must clearly identify 

electronic comments by your name, 

date, and the docket number so that the 

agency can attach them to your 

comments. 

Due to security procedures, the use of 

regular mail may cause a significant 

delay in the receipt of comments. 

Comments and submissions are 

posted without change at http://

www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA 

cautions commenters about submitting 

personal information such as social 

security numbers and dates of birth. 

Although all submissions are listed in 

the http://www.regulations.gov index, 

some information (e.g., copyrighted 

material) is not publicly available to 

read or download through this website. 

All submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

Information on using the http://

www.regulations.gov website to submit 

comments and access the docket is 

available at the website’s ‘‘User Tips’’ 

link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at 

(202) 693–2350, (TTY (877) 889–5627) 

for information about materials not 

available through the website, and for 

assistance in using the internet to locate 

docket submissions. 

V. Authority and Signature 

Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy 

Assistant Secretary of Labor for 

Occupational Safety and Health, 

directed the preparation of this notice. 

The authority for this notice is the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3506 et seq.) and Secretary of 

Labor’s Order No. 1–2012 (77 FR 3912). 

Signed at Washington, DC, on December 

18, 2020. 

Loren Sweatt, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor 

for Occupational Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28372 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P 


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