Let’s be frank — we all know it is a bad idea to stick your body parts in a moving machine. So, why is it that of the 3 million workers who service equipment in the U.S., we still hear about thousands of injuries every year stemming from a failure to securely lock out equipment and machinery? Sadly, lockout/tagout is almost always listed on OSHA’s top 10 most cited standards (ranking #5 in 2011).
If you are an employee, you have at some point taken a shortcut when it comes to safety — especially if you have been performing the same job for years. It is easy to get comfortable with equipment and processes and take for granted the simple steps and precautionary measures that may actually save a life — or maybe you have never had formal training on LOTO (lockout/tagout). If you are an employer, supervisor or manager, you may lack resources to continually monitor LOTO protocols or feel you do not have time for regular training in this area.