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Written by Bryan Haywood

Parent Category: Safety Info Posts

Category: Lockout Tagout

Published: 06 October 2013

It is widely known that OSHA permits a worker who is in EXCLUSIVE CONTROL of an electrical plug when electrical is the ONLY energy source to perform their servicing and maintenance without applying a lockout device on the plug.  This is permitted by

1910.147(a)(2)(iii)(A) Work on cord and plug connected electric equipment for which exposure to the hazards of unexpected energization or start up of the equipment is controlled by the unplugging of the equipment from the energy source and by the plug being under the exclusive control of the employee performing the servicing or maintenance.

However, it is common to see LOTO programs apply this exception to other forms of energy, most notably air hoses and hydraulic hoses.  But there is a HUGE difference between unplugging an electrically powered piece of equipment vs. unplugging a piece of equipment under pneumatic (e.g., compressed air) power. 

OSHA does NOT permit this exception to be applied to any other power source other than electrical, and here’s why.

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