What is a hazardous energy control procedure?
Hazardous Energy Control Procedures, or HECP, include Lockout Procedures or, in the US, Lockout/Tagout. HECP is one of the administrative control measures that fall in the fourth level of the risk reduction hierarchy, after inherently safe design, including elimination and substitution, engineering controls, and information for use.
Eliminating energy-related hazards by blocking or isolating the energy source is one of the most basic means of risk reduction for personnel involved in maintaining and servicing equipment.
How can we help you with hazardous energy control procedures (lockout/tagout)?
We can provide you with everything from an audit of an existing lockout policy or procedure to full turn-key development of a hazardous energy control policy and procedure for specific machines.
Hazardous energy control procedure regulations and standards
Canada
In Canada, most Provinces and Territories have legislation requiring that hazards be “blocked” or prevented from moving by some effective means when workers are required to enter the danger zone. Until recently, there was no clear guidance on how this should be done, and many employers referenced the US OSHA regulations and ANSI standards.
In 2005, CSA published CSA Z460, Control of Hazardous Energy — Lockout and Other Methods. This standard provides the guidance that employers and machine builders require on lockout. Note that using tags alone (tagout) is not accepted in Canada, as it does not provide adequate protection. Tags must be used when applying a lockout device to secure the means of isolation.
USA
In the USA, OSHA has long published requirements for Lockout/tagout, 29 CFR 1910.147. ANSI supplemented this standard with ANSI Z244.1, Control of Hazardous Energy—Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Methods.
EU
The EU equivalent to CSA Z460 or ANSI Z244.1 is EN ISO 14118, Safety of machinery — Prevention of unexpected start-up. This standard has the same scope and technical content as ISO 14118 (see below) and includes the regulatory annexes required for harmonization with the Machinery Directive.
It’s also worth noting that this standard anticipates the control system’s use to prevent unexpected machinery start-up. Section 6 of the standard deals specifically with this aspect, which is generally not permitted under North American standards.
International
ISO 14118, Safety of machinery—Prevention of unexpected start-up, is the international standard for hazardous energy control. It also goes beyond the Canadian and US standards to deal with failures in machinery’s control systems. These requirements may extend to operating modes or conditions beyond what is normally considered to be the bounds of the usual LOTO or HECP.
This standard also anticipates using the control system to prevent unexpected start-up, a condition generally not permitted under North American standards.
