RURAL MUTUAL
Locked Out for Life
A simple and effective method of preventing injuries on the farm
A
farm employee was performing routine maintenance on a silo unloader; a simple belt change that he has done a dozen times in the past; however, this time something went terribly wrong. Unknowingly, another employee turned on the silo unloader while the maintenance employee had his hands in the belt drive system amputating two of his fingers. It’s a scenario that occurs all too often on the farm: Accidental Release of Hazardous Energy. A hazard on the farm that continues to cause injuries even though these types of injuries are completely preventable. How are they preventable? A program called Lockout/TagoutControl of Hazardous Energy does just that, controls the accidental release of hazardous energy while employees are performing maintenance. All farm safety programs should include Lockout/Tagout. Lockout/Tagout is very simple actually. Prior to performing service on equipment, the employee uses a lock to isolate the sources of energy that may potentially cause injury during the maintenance process. Most of the time, this simply entails locking the main electrical switch in the ‘off ’ position to prevent startup; however, there are many other potential hazardous energies that might be involved including: compressed air, hydraulic, mechanical, thermal, chemical or even gravitational energy. The lock may be applied to an electrical breaker, electrical knife switch, air swing valve, hydraulic gate valve or sometimes a combination of these. A bright printed tag is included with the lock for more visual warning and normally includes the employee’s name. The main idea is that, if done correctly, the lockout prevents the startup of that equipment, or the release of hazardous energy, until the repair or maintenance is completed. After completion, the employee takes his locks off the energy isolation points. To implement a Lockout/Tagout program, there are a few steps that are recommended for success. First, ensure that the proper lockout tagout tools are made available to the employees. Ready Lockout/Tagout kits are easily purchased. They include locks, tags and a few common lockout tools such as circuit breaker switch tools, electrical plug covers and maybe a swing valve tool. Every kit is a little different, just find one that has the tools that match the energy isolation points on the equipment being worked on.
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Rural Route
Next, create procedures that your employees or family members can follow for the specific equipment that they will be servicing. The most effective procedures include pictures that show the lockout points for each applicable energy. These documented procedures can be kept in hardcopy fashion directly attached to the equipment or kept in a maintenance file. Lastly, train employees on how to use those tools and procedures. The training should include a hands-on demonstration of what is expected of them and how it will protect them. The main rule during this training is that the person who is performing the equipment maintenance must be the person who implements the lockout procedure. That same employee must be the only person to remove the lock. This protects that employee during the entire time he or she is servicing the equipment. When done correctly, Lockout/Tagout will protect employees, or family members, from injury caused by accidental startup or release of hazardous energy during service of equipment. Injury rates on the farm continue to lead all industry sectors nationwide according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even though protecting employees is more important than ever in today’s competitive business climate. Focusing on prevention, is the key to lowering these injury rates. By investing into the safety of your employees or family, and implementing a Lockout/Tagout program on your farm, you will be taking a major step in preventing injuries on your farm. Cory Arndt, Certified Safety Professional Senior EHS Consultant EHS Management LLC
WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION