Lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147): the program and what to capture after an event
Short answer
29 CFR 1910.147 requires an energy control program: documented procedures, worker training and inspections at least once a year. Machines must stay isolated and inoperative while people service them. Construction and agriculture are not covered. A lockout event still triggers recording, possible OSHA reporting, retraining and a procedure review.
- Standard
- 29 CFR 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
- Program
- Procedures, training and periodic inspections
- Periodic inspection
- At least annually, by an authorized employee who does not use the procedure
- Not covered
- Construction, agriculture, shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring, electric utility installations, oil and gas well drilling and servicing
- Enforcement
- Fourth most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2025 (OSHA list updated 2026-04-15)
- Retraining trigger
- Inspection findings, or reason to believe employees deviate from or misunderstand the procedure
Applies to: General industry employers whose employees service or maintain machines where unexpected start-up or stored energy could cause injury · Manufacturing, warehousing, laboratory, pharmaceutical production, food and chemical plants, and maintenance teams in other general industry settings · Not construction, agriculture, shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring or electric utility generation, transmission and distribution installations, which have their own rules
What does 1910.147 require?
You need three things: energy control procedures, worker training and periodic inspections. Before anyone services a machine, isolate it from its energy source and make it inoperative (1910.147(c)(1)). This applies where unexpected energizing, start-up or release of stored energy could cause injury.
It covers servicing and maintenance, such as lubricating, cleaning, unjamming and adjusting. Normal production is not covered unless a worker must remove or bypass a guard. It is also covered if a worker must reach into the point of operation or danger zone (1910.147(a)(2)).
What are the five program elements?
Five elements make up the program. Each has a paragraph to check.
| Element | What it requires | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Energy control procedures | Documented and specific: scope, purpose, authorization, rules and techniques. Steps to shut down, isolate, block and secure. Placing, removing and transferring locks and tags. Tests to verify isolation. | (c)(4) |
| Devices | Provided by you. They must be singularly identified, durable, standardized and substantial. Use a lock where a device can be locked, unless tagout gives equal protection. | (c)(2), (c)(5) |
| Training | For authorized employees, affected employees and others in the area. Retrain when jobs, machines or procedures change, or when gaps show. Certify each worker's name and training dates. | (c)(7) |
| Periodic inspection | At least annually, by an authorized employee who does not use that procedure. Then certify it. | (c)(6) |
| Contractors and groups | On-site and outside employers tell each other their procedures. Group lockout gives each person protection equal to a personal lock. | (f)(2), (f)(3) |
How does the periodic inspection work?
Inspect each energy control procedure once a year. The inspector must be an authorized employee other than the person or people using the procedure. The aim is to find and correct deviations and inadequacies (1910.147(c)(6)).
For lockout, the inspector reviews each authorized employee's duties with that employee. For tagout, the review also covers affected employees and the limits of tags. Then certify it, naming the machine or equipment, the date, the employees included and the inspector.
What does a lockout event trigger?
The standard has no incident report. An injury or near miss tied to hazardous energy still sets off several duties.
- Recording: an injury that meets the criteria goes on the OSHA 300 Log.
- Reporting: a death, in-patient hospitalization, amputation or eye loss must be reported on the 8-hour and 24-hour clocks.
- Retraining: required when an inspection shows workers do not follow the procedure or know it poorly ((c)(7)(iii)(B)). It is also required if you have reason to believe so. An event is a strong reason.
- The documentation exception: you can skip a written procedure for simple equipment only if eight conditions hold. One is no past accident from unexpected activation or re-energization during servicing or maintenance ((c)(4)(i) note). An event can end the exception for that machine.
- Lock removal: if someone other than the person who applied a lock removed it, check the exception in (e)(3). You must confirm the employee is not at the facility and make reasonable efforts to reach them.
What should you capture after a lockout event?
These are practice suggestions tied to the standard. Capture them while memories and the machine are still fresh.
| Capture | Why it matters | Rule hook |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment and energy sources: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, stored | What needed isolating | (d)(3), (d)(5) |
| Task: servicing or production, such as jam clearing | Decides if the standard applies | (a)(2) |
| Procedure used, or single-source exception claimed | Gaps in the procedure | (c)(4) |
| Isolation steps and the verification test | Where the sequence broke | (d)(4) to (d)(6) |
| Locks and tags: type, owner, group lock, removal | Missing, shared or removed devices | (c)(5), (e)(3), (f)(3) |
| Roles involved and training dates | Training records versus reality | (c)(7) |
| Contractors and last periodic inspection date | Were procedures shared; was the gap missed | (f)(2), (c)(6) |
| Injury, treatment and days away | Drives recording and reporting | 1904.7, 1904.39 |
| Corrective actions: procedure, retraining, device or equipment change | Closes the loop with an owner and date | (c)(7)(iii) |
What applies where 1910.147 does not?
Construction, utilities and some other sectors follow different rules.
| Setting | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Construction | Not covered by 1910.147. 1926.417 requires tags on controls being deactivated and on deenergized equipment or circuits wherever they can be energized. |
| Electric power generation | 1910.269(d), hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures |
| Electric power transmission and distribution | 1910.269(m), deenergizing lines and equipment |
| Electrical hazards in utilization installations | Subpart S of Part 1910 |
| Shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring, agriculture, oil and gas well drilling and servicing | Excluded from 1910.147. Check the standards for those industries. |
How IncidentKit supports this requirement
| What the rule asks for | Where it lives in IncidentKit |
|---|---|
| Energy control program: procedures, training and periodic inspection ((c)(1)) | IncidentKit is not your procedure library or training system. It records what happened and the corrective actions that follow. Attach your procedures and certificates as evidence. |
| Capture the facts of a hazardous energy event | Lauren asks about the equipment, task, people involved and injury. Fields she fills read 'Lauren · draft' until a person approves them. |
| Retrain and revise the procedure when events show gaps ((c)(7)(iii)) | Corrective actions have an owner, due date and evidence, and close after an effectiveness check. Overdue actions remind the owner and escalate. |
| Spot repeat problems before they injure someone | Analytics cluster incidents by equipment, location, shift and cause, so repeat near misses stand out. |
| Record and report resulting injuries | OSHA 300, 300A and 301 exports, automated reportability rules and plant packs are rolling out. Severity routing and reporting-clock flags help the right person act. The core incident workflow runs now. |
Product parts involved: Incident reporting, Lauren, the AI assistant, Investigations and RCA, Corrective actions (CAPA), Analytics, Routing and escalation. Capabilities marked “rolling out” are being released in stages; see the changelog.
Frequently asked questions
Does lockout/tagout apply to clearing a jam during production?
Only if the task needs a guard removed or bypassed. Also if it puts part of the body into the point of operation or danger zone. If a worker reaches in to clear a jam, lock out. Minor tool changes can be excluded. They must be routine, repetitive, integral to production and covered by other effective protection.
How often must the energy control procedure be inspected?
At least annually, by an authorized employee other than the person or people using the procedure. It must correct deviations or inadequacies, and be certified. Retrain if it reveals gaps.
Is a written procedure always required?
No, but the exception is narrow. You may skip it only if all eight conditions are met. They include no stored energy and one readily identified energy source. They include one lock under the worker's exclusive control and no hazards to others. They also include no past accident from unexpected activation or re-energization.
Who may remove another person's lock?
Normally only the employee who applied it. The employer may order removal only if procedures and training are documented in the program. It must confirm the employee is not at the facility and make reasonable efforts to tell them before they resume work.
Does lockout/tagout apply on construction sites?
No. 1910.147 excludes construction and agriculture. On construction sites, 1926.417 requires tags on controls and on deenergized equipment or circuits. Other hazards fall under other Part 1926 standards.
Sources
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) (current through 2026-10-01)
- OSHA: Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) topic page
- OSHA: Top 10 most frequently cited standards, fiscal year 2025
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.417, Lockout and tagging of circuits
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution
Reviewed against the sources above on Oct 5, 2026. Rules change: confirm current requirements with the issuing body or your counsel before relying on any summary.
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