OSHA - Safety Certificate Lockout/Tagout Procedures Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An 'affected employee' under the Lockout/Tagout standard becomes an 'authorized employee' when which of the following occurs?
- They work in an area where a LOTO procedure is being performed.
- They are required to operate a machine that is subject to LOTO.
- Their duties are expanded to include servicing or maintaining the equipment. (Correct answer)
- They receive awareness training on the purpose of LOTO procedures.
Correct answer: Their duties are expanded to include servicing or maintaining the equipment.
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(b), an affected employee becomes an authorized employee when their duties are expanded to include performing servicing or maintenance on the machine or equipment that requires lockout or tagout.
Question 2: According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, how often must an employer conduct and certify periodic inspections of their energy control procedures?
- Only when a new procedure is established.
- At least annually. (Correct answer)
- Every two years.
- After any incident involving hazardous energy.
Correct answer: At least annually.
OSHA standard 1910.147(c)(6)(i) mandates that employers must conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of the standard are being followed.
Question 3: A maintenance worker is performing a minor tool change during normal production operations. This activity is routine, repetitive, and integral to production. Under which condition would this task be EXEMPT from full Lockout/Tagout procedures?
- The worker is an 'authorized employee'.
- The task takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
- The machine is partially guarded during the task.
- The work is performed using alternative measures that provide effective protection. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The work is performed using alternative measures that provide effective protection.
OSHA's LOTO standard includes an exception for minor tool changes and adjustments during normal production if they are routine, repetitive, and integral to production, provided that alternative measures are used which provide effective protection.
Question 4: During a periodic inspection of a tagout procedure, who must the inspector review the employee's responsibilities with?
- Only the authorized employees performing the tagout.
- The plant safety manager and the authorized employees.
- Each authorized employee and each affected employee. (Correct answer)
- Only the affected employees in the immediate area.
Correct answer: Each authorized employee and each affected employee.
OSHA 1910.147(c)(6)(i)(D) specifies that when tagout is used, the periodic inspection must include a review between the inspector and each authorized AND affected employee. This is more stringent than for lockout-only inspections due to the nature of tags as warning devices.
Question 5: Which of the following is a mandatory step in the sequence for releasing equipment from Lockout/Tagout after servicing is complete?
- The shift supervisor must be the first to remove their lock.
- Inspect the area to ensure nonessential items are removed and equipment is intact. (Correct answer)
- Notify the equipment manufacturer that maintenance is complete.
- Conduct retraining for all affected employees before re-energizing.
Correct answer: Inspect the area to ensure nonessential items are removed and equipment is intact.
OSHA 1910.147(e) outlines the steps for release from LOTO. A key step before removing LOTO devices is to inspect the work area to ensure that nonessential items have been removed and that machine or equipment components are operationally intact.
Question 6: An employer has a piece of equipment with a single, easily identifiable energy source that can be completely de-energized by isolating it. When is this employer exempt from needing a FORMAL, documented energy control procedure for this specific machine?
- As long as only one employee works on the machine at a time.
- If the equipment was manufactured before 1990.
- When a set of eight specific criteria, including the use of a single lockout device under the employee's exclusive control, are all met. (Correct answer)
- If tagout is used instead of lockout.
Correct answer: When a set of eight specific criteria, including the use of a single lockout device under the employee's exclusive control, are all met.
OSHA 1910.147(c)(4)(i) provides an exception to the requirement for a documented procedure when eight specific criteria are met. These include having a single energy source, complete de-energization, a single lockout device under exclusive control, and no potential for stored energy, among others.
OSHA - Safety Certificate Lockout/Tagout Procedures Questions and Answers 1
An 'affected employee' under the Lockout/Tagout standard becomes an 'authorized employee' when which of the following occurs?