Safety Report – April 2024

Lock out/Tag out, LOTO

By Mike Costigan
IBEW Local 11 Safety Director

I was visiting a job a couple weeks ago and noticed a LOTO lock box on the lunch table. I walked over to the box and saw 4 locks on it with accompanying tags. Each tag had the name of the individual to whom that lock had been assigned to. The foreman told me his key to the lock that was locking out the circuits that fed the equipment the crew were working on was in the box. They also had a logbook with dates, times, and names.

I asked if all people affected walked the task down and were present when they tested to confirm it was de-energized. They had. Textbook LOTO procedures.

I looked around at the brothers and sisters that were at the table eating lunch. I asked if anyone had any questions or concerns regarding how they were implementing the LOTO. Everyone had a comfort level that allowed them to focus on their task at hand instead of worrying if the equipment they were working on would become energized.

OSHA 30 covers a wide variety of subjects regarding safety in the construction industry, but that does not relieve the contractor from implementing a stringent training program, including their LOTO protocols.

Other ways to increase safeguards besides a lock are to physically remove the conductors from the breaker or pull fuses, just to name a few.

Other conditions to consider: Are there other types of stored energy besides electrical? Some equipment may have stored energy in the form of springs, hydraulic fluids, and steam. Make sure you fully comprehend what the circuits you’re working on control, and how the equipment operates.

If you have any questions regarding your safety, start with your supervisor. They should be able to answer all your questions. If you should have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I will do my due diligence to provide you with an answer.

Which brings me to another subject. We now have an email address that’s dedicated solely to safety. safety@ibew11.org. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email them to me. These emails go directly to my work PC, and nowhere else. Especially if you are aware of a time loss incident.

As a friendly reminder, we hold our Safety Committee meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m. at the South Bay Hall. Your safety committee is looking to increase our membership with people who have a serious passion for safety and want to perpetuate its culture. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact me at safety@ibew11.org or 310-503-5337.