For a 25-year-old manufacturing worker in Bellefontaine, Ohio, June 22, 2023, probably started like any other day. However, that ordinary day would end with the worker in the hospital with, according to an OSHA News Release, “severe crushing injuries” that included “contusions and fractures.”
The rubber hose manufacturer in question, HBD/Thermoid Inc., has “a long history of federal workplace safety issues.” In this instance, OSHA inspectors “learned the worker suffered injuries due to the company’s failure to follow lockout/tagout procedures. Powered belts were still energized and unguarded, pulling the worker into the machine causing the injuries.”
OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen noted that “[t]his employee suffered preventable injuries because their employer continues to ignore its responsibility to protect their workers. We cited the company for safety violations on the very same machine in March 2023, and they still failed to protect their employees. It’s time for HBD/Thermoid Inc. to make the safety of their employees a priority.”
The violation resulted in “$389,534 in proposed penalties,” but the serious injuries to the worker can’t be adequately quantified. That’s why following proper lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures is a critical part of industrial safety.
Despite the importance of LOTO procedures, LOTO violations “consistently ranks among OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards each year,” according to a recent EHS Today article by Herbert Post. This is both frustrating and puzzling, since Post notes that “[m]ost facilities cited for LOTO violations would claim to have the right equipment, procedures and safety protocols in place.”
So, what’s going on? According to Post, the answer is as simple as the weakest part of the chain: the humans involved in this set of basic safety procedures. Before we look at those human elements, though, let’s quickly review why LOTO is so essential to workplace safety.
As anyone who has ever worked in manufacturing knows, LOTO “is designed to prevent the unexpected startup or release of stored energy in machinery.” Post details “OSHA’s standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147),” which “outlines the specific actions employers must take: isolate all potential energy sources, apply the correct locks and tags, and verify that the machinery truly can’t be re-energized before any maintenance or servicing begins.”
LOTO plays such a key role, because “uncontrolled energy can pose fatal risks.” When dealing with powerful industrial machines daily, workers need to understand that their failure to follow proper LOTO procedures can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Unfortunately, “even well-designed LOTO procedures can fail because of several human factors.” A couple of these factors—productivity demands and complacency—are easy to understand. As Post points out, “[w]hen production quotas and deadlines pressure workers, lockout/tagout procedures can be viewed as inconvenient, time-consuming steps that hinder operations.”
Furthermore, “[w]orkers who have serviced the same equipment for months, or even years, may feel like they know every inch of the process, making them more inclined to overlook or dismiss crucial safety steps.” This complacency can have deadly consequences.
The third human factor discussed by Post is inadequate training. For example, “OSHA frequently cites inadequate training as a leading cause of LOTO violations, including failing to establish or communicate an energy control procedure and neglecting to conduct periodic evaluations.”
According to Post, “gaps in training create a disconnect between policy and practice. When employees either do not understand or undervalue the significance of LOTO, they are more likely to take shortcuts and ignore established procedures. Without thorough instruction and regular reinforcement of safe practices, workers may view LOTO as a cumbersome compliance checkbox rather than a life-saving protocol.”
Post recommends LOTO training that includes “ongoing instruction, frequent refreshers, and practical, hands-on drills.” Does your company have effective LOTO training tools in place to ensure your employees understand, not only the proper procedures, but why they’re so important?
For companies looking to improve their safety training, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
