Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 437 - DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND BUSINESS SERVICES, OREGON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH DIVISION › Division 2 - GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RULES › Section 437-002-2303 - Hazardous Energy Control Procedures

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1) Application. The provisions of this rule
			 apply to the use of hazardous energy control procedures for the control of
			 energy sources in installations for the purpose of electric power generation,
			 including related equipment for communication or metering. Clearance procedures
			 and hazardous energy control procedures for the deenergizing of electric energy
			 sources that are used exclusively for purposes of transmission and
			 distribution, and construction activities, are addressed in 437-002-2312  Deenergizing lines and equipment for employee protection.
NOTE
: Installations in electric power generation
				facilities that are not an integral part of, or inextricably commingled with,
				power generation processes or equipment are covered under 1910.147 and Division
				2/S, Electrical.
(2)
			 General.
(a) The employer must establish a
			 program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training, and
			 periodic inspections to ensure that, before any employee performs any servicing
			 or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, start
			 up, or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or
			 equipment is isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.
(b) The employer's energy control
			 program under paragraph (2) of this rule must meet the following requirements:
(A) If an energy isolating device is not
			 capable of being locked out, the employer's program must use a tagout system.
(B) If an energy isolating device
			 is capable of being locked out, the employer's program must use lockout, unless
			 the employer can demonstrate that the use of a tagout system will provide full
			 employee protection as follows:
(i) When a
			 tagout device is used on an energy isolating device that is capable of being
			 locked out, the tagout device must be attached at the same location that the
			 lockout device would have been attached, and the employer must demonstrate that
			 the tagout program will provide a level of safety equivalent to that obtained
			 by the use of a lockout program.
(ii) In demonstrating that a level of safety
			 is achieved in the tagout program equivalent to the level of safety obtained by
			 the use of a lockout program, the employer must demonstrate full compliance
			 with all tagout-related provisions of this standard together with such
			 additional elements as are necessary to provide the equivalent safety available
			 from the use of a lockout device. Additional means to be considered as part of
			 the demonstration of full employee protection must include the implementation
			 of additional safety measures such as the removal of an isolating circuit
			 element, blocking of a controlling switch, opening of an extra disconnecting
			 device, or the removal of a valve handle to reduce the likelihood of
			 inadvertent energizing.
(C) After November 1, 1994, whenever
			 replacement or major repair, renovation, or modification of a machine or
			 equipment is performed, and whenever new machines or equipment are installed,
			 energy isolating devices for such machines or equipment must be designed to
			 accept a lockout device.
(c) Procedures must be developed, documented,
			 and used for the control of potentially hazardous energy covered in
			 437-002-2303.
(d) The procedure
			 must clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, responsibility,
			 authorization, rules, and techniques to be applied to the control of hazardous
			 energy, and the measures to enforce compliance including, but not limited to,
			 the following:
(A) A specific statement of
			 the intended use of this procedure;
(B) Specific procedural steps for shutting
			 down, isolating, blocking and securing machines or equipment to control
			 hazardous energy;
(C) Specific
			 procedural steps for the placement, removal, and transfer of lockout devices or
			 tagout devices and the responsibility for them; and
(D) Specific requirements for testing a
			 machine or equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of lockout
			 devices, tagout devices, and other energy control measures.
(e) The employer must conduct a
			 periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure
			 that the procedure and the provisions of 437-002-2303  are being followed.
(A) The periodic inspection must be performed
			 by an authorized employee who is not using the energy control procedure being
			 inspected.
(B) The periodic
			 inspection must be designed to identify and correct any deviations or
			 inadequacies.
(C) If lockout is
			 used for energy control, the periodic inspection must include a review, between
			 the inspector and each authorized employee, of that employee's responsibilities
			 under the energy control procedure being inspected.
(D) Where tagout is used for energy control,
			 the periodic inspection must include a review, between the inspector and each
			 authorized and affected employee, of that employee's responsibilities under the
			 energy control procedure being inspected, and the elements set forth in
			 paragraph (2)(g) of this rule.
(E)
			 The employer must certify that the inspections required by paragraph (2)(e) of
			 this rule have been accomplished. The certification must identify the machine
			 or equipment on which the energy control procedure was being used, the date of
			 the inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the person
			 performing the inspection.
Note
to paragraph (2)(e)(E): If normal work
				schedule and operation records demonstrate adequate inspection activity and
				contain the required information, no additional certification is
				required.
(f)
			 The employer must provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of
			 the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge
			 and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of energy
			 controls are acquired by employees. The training must include the following:
(A) Each authorized employee must receive
			 training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type
			 and magnitude of energy available in the workplace, and in the methods and
			 means necessary for energy isolation and control.
(B) Each affected employee must be instructed
			 in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure.
(C) All other employees whose work operations
			 are or may be in an area where energy control procedures may be used must be
			 instructed about the procedures and about the prohibition relating to attempts
			 to restart or reenergize machines or equipment that are locked out or tagged
			 out.
(g) When tagout
			 systems are used, employees must also be trained in the following limitations
			 of tags:
(A) Tags are essentially warning
			 devices affixed to energy isolating devices and do not provide the physical
			 restraint on those devices that is provided by a lock.
(B) When a tag is attached to an energy
			 isolating means, it is not to be removed without authorization of the
			 authorized person responsible for it, and it is never to be bypassed, ignored,
			 or otherwise defeated.
(C) Tags
			 must be legible and understandable by all authorized employees, affected
			 employees, and all other employees whose work operations are or may be in the
			 area, in order to be effective.
(D) Tags and their means of attachment must
			 be made of materials which will withstand the environmental conditions
			 encountered in the workplace.
(E)
			 Tags may evoke a false sense of security, and their meaning needs to be
			 understood as part of the overall energy control program.
(F) Tags must be securely attached to energy
			 isolating devices so that they cannot be inadvertently or accidentally detached
			 during use.
(h)
			 Retraining must be provided by the employer as follows:
(A) Retraining must be provided for all
			 authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job
			 assignments, a change in machines, equipment, or processes that present a new
			 hazard or whenever there is a change in the energy control procedures.
(B) Retraining must also be
			 conducted whenever a periodic inspection under paragraph (2)(e) of this rule
			 reveals, or whenever the employer has reason to believe, that there are
			 deviations from or inadequacies in an employee's knowledge or use of the energy
			 control procedures.
(C) The
			 retraining must reestablish employee proficiency and must introduce new or
			 revised control methods and procedures, as necessary.
(i) The employer must certify that employee
			 training has been accomplished and is being kept up to date. The certification
			 must contain each employee's name and dates of training.