CONTROL OF HAZARDOUS ENERGY (LOCKOUT/TAGOUT)

To comply with OSHA standard 29 CFR part 1910.147 and for well-being of plant floor employees, St. Claire has developed machine-specific safety documentation to achieve OSHA compliance and an overall safer environment. As mandated by 1910.147, all equipment that has more than one energy source must be provided with machine-specific written lockout procedures and energy source locations. This standard enforces the heightened awareness of the severity of incidents from failure to lock out equipment. With our experience providing Lockout/Tagout documentation for the manufacturing industry, St. Claire has devised a methodology to exceed OSHA's standard in a cost-effective and expeditious manner.

IDENTIFING ENERGY SOURCES AND HAZARDS

To comply with company and OSHA requirements, St. Claire surveyors conduct a thorough analysis of the equipment and identify all energy sources.

• Main Sources: control electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, gas, chemical, coolant, water systems.
• Secondary Sources: downstream and in series with mains, control energy flow to components.
• Stored residual energy sources: energy remaining in equipment after main and secondary energy are locked out - gravity, motion, thermal, rotation, spring tension, or residual air pressure.
• Associated/Adjacent Hazards: robots, conveyors, and other equipment associated or adjacent to the system to be locked out.

PLACARD DEVELOPMENT

After identification of energy hazards is complete, St. Claire surveyors determine the best method for locking out the energy sources and for releasing or blocking residual energy. Surveyors provide the information by using machine prints or hand-drawn sketches on St. Claire's survey form. The survey forms are then given to the Safety and Manufacturing Department where our illustrators create a draft lockout placard in MSWord, AutoCAD, or another software for our customers to verify. Included with the lockout placards are energy source identification tags. The energy source tags are placed at or on the location of the energy source on the equipment. After the customer verifies and approves the draft placards, a complete color drawing of the equipment and its accompanying lockout procedures are created.

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

The final graphic illustrations and lockout procedures are printed with high-quality, UV-resistant ink on state-of-the-art color printers. They are protected from the plant elements by sealing the paper color placard in thick 10-mil UV-protected laminate. Energy source tags are developed based on the customer requests and are printed with the same UV-protected ink and sealed with UV-protected laminate. At customer request, St. Claire also supplies engraved, color-coded, lamicoid energy source tags in the shape of small stop signs. Placards are affixed with high-quality, 3M, double-sided tape to withstand the plant environment. Energy source tags are mounted with this same tape or provided with grommets for cable-tie attachment. Materials and mounting resist oil, grease, solvents, and temperature extremes to ensure secure location.

LOCKOUT PLACARD RESULTS

Whether for an established lockout program or a new program, St. Claire provides complete service. From training to launching corporate or plant Lockout Specification , St. Claire has the working professionals and methodology to answer your facility's needs. St. Claire's knowledgeable and experienced surveyors complete the survey and installation process without interfering with production or making demands on skilled trades. From a single machine to an entire plant, St. Claire is the best choice for the job.