Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

An East Peoria, Illinois company has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for failing to lock out electrical equipment, according to an OSHA press release.

Our Illinois workers' compensation lawyers are aware that nationwide, roughly 3 million workers service electrical equipment and are at a great risk of death or injury if lock out/tag out procedures are not properly implemented. It is estimated that about 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year are prevented by complying with lock out/tag out standards set by OSHA.

Three safety violations were issued to Caterpillar Inc. in East Peoria recently by OSHA for failing to follow appropriate procedures to lock out and tag out the energy sources of equipment. An OSHA investigation was sparked by a December 2010 incident where a worker was injured trying to fix a jam on the link orienter in the full link heat treat area. The company faces anticipated penalties of $66,000 because lock out/tag out requirements for the equipment hadn't been implemented prior to the worker going into the area.

"Employers have a responsibility to take all necessary safety precautions to protect workers," said Tom Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria. "Caterpillar previously had been cited for failing to properly lock out and tag out equipment, which should have made them familiar with OSHA's regulations and requirements."

Because workers were not trained on lock out/tag out procedures and due to lock out or tag out devices were not affixed to isolate energy to the link orienter the company was cited for two repeat violations. It is disappointing that Caterpillar's East Peoria facility continues to have this safety issue since they had these same violations during a May 2009 inspection. A serious violation was issued for failing to provide to its workers a lockout or tag out device for the link orienter.

How can employers protect their workers from hazardous energy accidents?

-Enforce, develop and implement an energy control program.
-Use lockout devices for equipment that can be locked out and only use tag out devices if it provides workers protection equivalent to lockout devices.
-Make sure new or overhauled equipment can be locked out.
-Implement, develop and enforce an effective tag out program when equipment can't be locked out.
-Use only authorized lock out/tag out devices for the particular equipment and make sure that they are standardized, durable and substantial.
-Annually inspect energy control procedures.
-Provide effective training to all workers.
-Comply with extra energy control conditions in OSHA standards when: outside contractors work at the site, when machines or equipment must be repositioned or tested, in group lockout circumstances, and during personnel or shift changes.

How can workers be safer around hazardous energy? Workers need training to make sure they understand, know and follow the companies hazardous energy control procedures.

The training by the company must include:

-Reviewing the energy control program.
-Workers need to know the pertinent energy control procedures that affect their duties.
-Reviewing the OSHA standards related to lock out/tag out standards.