29 CFR 1910.147: The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)

Question 1

A maintenance crew is assigned to clear a jam from a conveyor. The main disconnect on the conveyor is a type that has a hasp and can accept a padlock. The supervisor proposes using only a tag on the disconnect because it is faster. Under the standard, what must the employer's energy control program do?

1. AUtilize lockout, unless the employer can demonstrate that a tagout system will provide full employee protection
2. BUtilize lockout only if the equipment has been modified since the standard took effect
3. CUtilize tagout whenever the servicing is expected to last less than one shift
4. DUtilize tagout, because tags are acceptable whenever a supervisor approves them

Question 2

During a periodic inspection of a conveyor line's lockout/tagout procedure, the inspector observes that a maintenance mechanic skipped a required step when isolating the equipment. The employee's training records are current and were completed six months ago. What does the standard require the employer to do?

1. AConduct additional retraining, because the inspection revealed deviations in the employee's use of the energy control procedures
2. BReassign the lockout duties to an affected employee who has not been observed deviating
3. CWait until the next annual inspection to determine whether retraining is warranted
4. DTake no action, because the training certification is current and records are up to date

Question 3

A plant's packaging line is modified so that a new pneumatic press is added to the line, creating a compressed-air hazard that the existing lockout procedure does not address. The plant's maintenance technicians (authorized employees) and the line operators (affected employees) were all trained on the old procedure last year, and the training records are current. The safety manager revises the energy control procedure to cover the new press. What must the employer do regarding training?

1. ARetrain only the authorized maintenance technicians, because affected operators do not perform lockout and are covered by last year's training
2. BNo retraining is needed, because the training records are current and the technicians already know how to apply lockout devices
3. CRetrain both the authorized and the affected employees, because a change in equipment that presents a new hazard and a change in the energy control procedure each trigger retraining
4. DWait until the next periodic inspection reveals deviations in employee knowledge, then retrain those employees found deficient

Question 4

During an audit of a chemical plant's lockout/tagout program, a safety professional finds that the facility's tagout devices are uniform in print and format, identify the employee who applied them, and are attached with non-reusable, self-locking nylon straps. In the acid and alkali storage room, however, the paper-based tags have been seen curling, with the ink bleeding until the handwriting is unreadable after only a few weeks of exposure to chemical vapors and splashes. Which conclusion is consistent with the standard?

1. AThe tags are noncompliant only because the standard requires tags to be replaced on a fixed schedule in corrosive areas.
2. BThe tags are noncompliant because tags must not deteriorate in corrosive environments such as areas where acid and alkali chemicals are handled and stored.
3. CThe tags are compliant as long as a lock is also applied, because locks make tag durability irrelevant in corrosive areas.
4. DThe tags are compliant because the standardization, identification, and attachment criteria are met, and legibility is a housekeeping matter.

Question 5

A plant has hired an outside millwright contractor to rebuild a hydraulic press, which is servicing covered by the lockout/tagout standard. On the morning of the job, the contractor's supervisor hands the plant's maintenance supervisor a copy of the contractor's written lockout procedure and says, "We use our own locks and will follow this." The plant supervisor files it without comment and gives the contractor the press location. Which required step has NOT yet been met?

1. AThe contractor has not yet trained the plant's employees to perform the lockout on the press for the duration of the job
2. BThe plant has not informed the contractor of the plant's own lockout or tagout procedures, so the two employers have not informed each other of their respective procedures
3. CThe plant has not yet adopted the contractor's procedure in place of its own, which is required for work by outside personnel
4. DThe contractor has not yet replaced its locks with plant-owned locks, which is required whenever outside personnel service plant equipment