Lockout/Tagout Procedures for Lifting Equipment: OSHA Requirements and Safety Best Practices
Lifting equipment such as hydraulic lift tables, cranes, dock lifts, upenders, and other material handling systems can make industrial operations safer and more productive when properly selected and maintained. However, servicing this equipment can expose maintenance personnel to hazardous energy if the machine is not completely isolated before work begins.
That is why effective lockout tagout procedures are an important part of material handling equipment safety. OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, requires employers to establish procedures, provide employee training, and conduct periodic inspections when servicing or maintenance could expose employees to unexpected startup or the release of stored energy.
For lifting equipment, the potential hazards are not limited to electrical power. Hydraulic pressure, elevated loads, gravity, mechanical movement, and other stored energy sources also need to be identified and controlled.
What Is Lockout/Tagout for Lifting Equipment?
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is a safety process used to prevent machinery from being unexpectedly energized, started, or releasing hazardous stored energy while employees perform servicing or maintenance.
A typical industrial lockout tagout procedure involves:
- Identifying all hazardous energy sources.
- Shutting down the equipment using the established procedure.
- Isolating the equipment from its energy sources.
- Applying appropriate lockout or tagout devices.
- Releasing or restraining stored energy.
- Verifying that the equipment is isolated before work begins.
- Restoring energy only after the work area and personnel have been confirmed safe.
OSHA distinguishes between authorized employees, who perform servicing or maintenance and apply LOTO controls, and affected employees, who operate or work around equipment being serviced. Both groups have specific training requirements.
1. Electrical Energy Hazards
Electrical energy is one of the most obvious hazards associated with powered lifting equipment. Lift tables, powered cranes, dock equipment, and other systems may contain motors, control panels, disconnects, switches and electrical circuits.
Simply turning off a machine’s control switch does not necessarily isolate all electrical energy.
Before servicing, an authorized employee should identify the applicable electrical energy source and use the designated disconnecting means to isolate it. The lockout device should then prevent the disconnect from being restored while maintenance is underway.
Verification is a critical part of the process. OSHA requires authorized employees to verify that isolation and deenergization have been accomplished before beginning work.
Depending on the equipment and facility procedures, verification may include an appropriate test for the absence of electrical energy.
2. Hydraulic Energy Hazards
Hydraulic lifting equipment presents a different challenge because hydraulic pressure can remain in a system even after the pump or motor has been shut down.
A hydraulic lift table, for example, may have stored pressure in cylinders, hoses, accumulators, valves, or other components. Unexpected movement or pressure release can create serious hazards during maintenance.
Lockout tagout procedures for hydraulic equipment should address:
- Hydraulic power units and electrical supplies
- Hydraulic pressure within the system
- Isolation valves
- Accumulators or other pressure-storage components
- Elevated platforms or loads
- Potential movement caused by gravity
- Procedures for safely relieving residual pressure
Simply shutting off the hydraulic power unit is not enough if pressure or mechanical energy remains capable of causing movement.
The specific energy-control procedure should be developed around the design and hazards of the equipment being serviced. OSHA requires authorized employees to understand the type and magnitude of hazardous energy and the methods used to isolate and control it.
3. Stored Mechanical and Gravitational Energy
Stored energy can be overlooked because it may not have an obvious power source.
A raised lift platform, suspended load, rotating component, spring, counterbalance system, or mechanically loaded component may continue to present a hazard after the primary power source has been disconnected.
For lifting equipment, maintenance procedures should therefore consider whether components could:
- Fall or lower unexpectedly
- Rotate or move
- Shift under gravity
- Release spring tension
- Move because of residual hydraulic pressure
- Become unstable when supporting components are removed
Where necessary, equipment should be mechanically blocked, supported, or otherwise secured according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the facility’s energy-control procedure.
The goal is to control all hazardous energy, not simply disconnect the most visible power source.
4. Verification Is a Critical Step
One of the most important parts of LOTO is verification.
After energy-isolating devices have been applied and stored energy has been controlled, the authorized employee must verify that the equipment is actually isolated before beginning servicing.
For example, depending on the equipment and established procedure, verification could involve attempting the normal operating control after isolation, checking appropriate indicators, or performing an appropriate electrical test.
The equipment should not be considered safe simply because a lock has been attached.
OSHA’s LOTO requirements specifically include verification of isolation before work begins.
5. Lockout/Tagout Training Matters
Written procedures alone are not a substitute for proper lockout tagout training. OSHA states that authorized employees must be trained to recognize hazardous energy sources, understand the type and magnitude of energy present, and know the methods required to isolate and control that energy.
Training should be appropriate to employees’ responsibilities.
Authorized employees need practical knowledge of energy isolation and control. Affected employees need to understand the purpose and use of the energy-control procedure and must not attempt to restart locked-out equipment. Other employees who may work in the area also need to understand the procedure and the prohibition against interfering with locked-out or tagged-out equipment.
Retraining is also required when job assignments, equipment, processes, or energy-control procedures change, or when inspections identify deficiencies.
6. Inspect and Improve the LOTO Program
A strong industrial lockout tagout program should not remain static. Equipment changes, new production processes, modifications, and maintenance practices can introduce new energy hazards.
OSHA requires periodic inspections of energy-control procedures at least annually to verify that procedures are being followed and to identify deficiencies.
Facilities can use these inspections to review whether:
- Energy sources are correctly identified.
- Isolation points are accessible and clearly identified.
- Procedures match the actual equipment.
- Employees understand their responsibilities.
- Stored energy is properly controlled.
- Shift changes are addressed.
- Group LOTO procedures are effective where applicable.
Building Safer Lifting Operations
Effective material handling equipment safety depends on more than selecting equipment with the right lifting capacity. Safe maintenance requires a clear understanding of electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, gravitational, and other potential energy sources.
For manufacturers using lift tables, cranes, dock equipment, upenders, and other lifting systems, site-specific lockout tagout procedures should be developed around the actual equipment, energy sources, manufacturer’s instructions, and applicable OSHA requirements.
At Air Technical Industries, lifting and material handling equipment can be engineered for a wide range of industrial applications. Proper equipment selection, documented maintenance procedures, employee training, and effective energy control can work together to support safer and more reliable lifting operations.
Need Safer, Application-Specific Lifting Equipment?
Every facility has different lifting requirements, load capacities, operating environments and maintenance considerations. Air Technical Industries provides engineered material handling solutions designed around specific industrial applications.
Whether you need a hydraulic lift table, crane, dock lift, upender or another lifting solution, our team can help identify an equipment configuration that fits your operation.
Request a quote from Air Technical Industries to discuss your application, lifting capacity, equipment requirements and customization needs with our engineering team.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
1. What is lockout/tagout (LOTO) for lifting equipment?
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is a safety procedure that prevents lifting equipment from being unexpectedly energized, started, or releasing stored energy during maintenance. It involves isolating energy sources, controlling stored energy, applying lockout devices, and verifying isolation before work begins.
2. Does OSHA require lockout/tagout procedures for lifting equipment?
OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, generally applies to servicing and maintenance activities were unexpected energization, startup, or the release of stored energy could injure employees. Employers must establish appropriate energy-control procedures, provide required training, and conduct periodic inspections.
3. What energy sources should be controlled when servicing hydraulic lifting equipment?
Hazardous energy sources may include electrical power, residual hydraulic pressure, accumulators, elevated platforms, suspended loads, gravity, and mechanical movement. These hazards must be identified and properly isolated, released, or restrained before maintenance begins.
4. Why is turning off a hydraulic lift table not enough to make it safe for maintenance?
Turning off a hydraulic lift table does not necessarily eliminate residual hydraulic pressure or prevent the platform from lowering under gravity. Proper energy isolation, pressure control, and mechanical blocking or support may be required according to the equipment-specific procedure and manufacturer’s instructions.
5. How do you verify that lifting equipment is safely isolated before maintenance?
An authorized employee must verify that energy sources have been isolated and stored energy has been controlled before servicing begins. Depending on the equipment, verification may include appropriate electrical testing, checking hydraulic pressure, and confirming that hazardous movement cannot occur using the established energy-control procedure.
Vida Novak is the President of Air Technical Industries (ATI). With his over 25-year tenure at ATI Vida has earned progressive career advancements with increasing levels of responsibilities, including in engineering, technical sales, and operations management. Vida has gain keen insights into complex industrial material handling challenges. An endless number of manufacturers count on ATI’s ingenuity to solve complex and challenging material handling issues, whether for an international space station, a nuclear power plant, automotive plant, food factory, or a military base, among many others.