Managing our LOTO program requires considerable resources, and it requires a team approach! However, we see many failed attempts to control hazards through a facility's LOTO program. One of the most common failures is how "authorized employees" are defined in terms of the skills they are trained on. Which Rabbit Hole you choose to go down and how far you go down depends on the payback we get from our efforts.
How does your facility manage its authorized employees, and how does it go about "training" them to become "authorized employees"?
For example, can any authorized employee lock out any machine/equipment in the facility, or is the program management MORE specific?
Scenario:
I work in Department A, and I have received training on the LOTO policy and program; I have also received training on the 120 machine-specific procedures associated with the machines/equipment in Department A. I am an "authorized employee" on those 120 machines/equipment in Department A.
The plant asked for volunteers to work in Department D this weekend, and I signed up. Will I be an "authorized employee" in Department D's 32 machines?
A lot of the energy sources are the same; for example, most of the machines in Departments A and D have either 120V or 480V electrical, and the air pressure in the departments is the same. However, Department A is an "old school" design, and all the disconnects are Large Knife Switch type disconnects in MCC rooms on the walls of Department A, whereas Department D is brand new, and the machines/equipment have "local disconnects," which I have never utilized before. The air valves are these newer type "dump valves," which I have never worked with. The procedures in Department D are in a different format, using different colors for the energy sources. I have never received training on Department D's LOTO procedures, so finding the correct isolation device may be an issue.
Am I an "authorized employee" working in Department D?
What could we do to ensure I am an authorized employee in all four (4) departments, allowing management (and me) the flexibility to work in any of the four (4) departments?
Take note, this scenario can play out in a number of safety programs, for example, HAZ COM (different chemicals in different departments).
