OSHA Lockout/Tagout Standard (1910.147) — Compliance Guide

The OSHA standard that governs lockout/tagout is 29 CFR 1910.147, titled The Control of Hazardous Energy. It applies when employees service or maintain machines and equipment where unexpected startup, energization, or stored energy release could cause injury. The standard requires written procedures, authorized employee training, energy isolation, lockout or tagout devices, and periodic inspections.

OSHA requires employers to establish an energy-control program, create equipment-specific procedures, provide appropriate lockout or tagout devices, train authorized and affected employees, and perform periodic inspections at least annually. Procedures must cover preparation, shutdown, isolation, lockout or tagout application, stored energy control, verification of isolation, release from lockout, and special situations such as shift changes.

A common seven-step LOTO sequence includes preparation, notification, machine shutdown, energy isolation, lockout or tagout device application, release or control of stored energy, and verification of isolation. After servicing is complete, employees follow controlled restart procedures. OSHA 1910.147 does not use one universal checklist format, but these steps align with widely accepted hazardous-energy control practices.

An OSHA LOTO checklist usually confirms that the facility has a written energy-control program, machine-specific procedures, authorized employee training, lockout/tagout devices, isolation-point identification, verification steps, restart procedures, and annual inspections. It should also check whether labels, signs, and tags clearly identify hazards and instructions at the equipment level where maintenance work occurs.

OSHA requires employers to protect workers from hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance. That includes identifying energy sources, shutting down equipment, isolating and locking energy-control points, applying standardized devices, verifying zero energy state, training employees, and inspecting procedures. Tagout alone is allowed only when it provides equivalent protection or when equipment cannot accept a lockout device.

The OSHA lockout/tagout standard is 29 CFR 1910.147, Control of Hazardous Energy. It covers general industry workplaces and focuses on preventing injuries from unexpected startup or energy release during servicing. Some industries or equipment may also involve related OSHA standards, but 1910.147 is the primary LOTO rule for most manufacturing and industrial facilities.

Yes. While labels and signs do not replace written procedures, training, or locks, they support compliance by making energy-control points, warnings, instructions, and equipment status easier to recognize. Durable facility signs and custom labels help authorized employees follow procedures consistently, reduce confusion during maintenance, and reinforce the energy-control program across departments.

OSHA requires periodic inspections of energy-control procedures at least annually. Reviews should verify that procedures are accurate, employees understand their responsibilities, and lockout/tagout steps are being followed correctly. Facilities should also update procedures, labels, and signs whenever equipment changes, energy sources are modified, or a process improvement reveals gaps in the existing program.