Controlling Hazardous Energy in Forklifts

Safety-related work practices shall be employed to prevent electric shock or other injuries resulting from either direct or indirect electrical contacts, when work is performed near or on equipment or circuits which are or may be energized (Dept. of Labor, 2018). The controlling standard for employees that work on forklifts whether are energized or not can be in OSHA 1910.333 and 1910.147. Proper lockout/tagout practices and procedures safeguard workers from the release of hazardous energy.

Maintenance worker must ensure proper lockout/tagout practices and procedures are followed to safeguard workers from the release of hazardous energy.

Before being allowed to perform maintenance or any other function to keep the forklift operating at its optimal level, the following steps must be taken;

•  Workers need to be trained in recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources in the workplace, the type and magnitude of energy found in the workplace, and the means and methods of isolating and/or controlling the energy.
•  The training must cover at least three areas: aspects of the employer’s energy control program; elements of the energy control procedure relevant to the employee’s duties or assignment; and the various requirements of the OSHA standards related to lockout/tagout.
•   All employees who work in an area where energy control procedures are utilized need to be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure(s), especially prevention against attempting to restart or reenergize machines or other equipment that are locked or tagged out.
• Only those employees that applied the lock or tag can remove the lock or tag. In the absence of the person that applied the lock and/or tag, only a person deemed qualified by the standard may remove the lock and tag. 

All the above requirements must be met before allowing an employee to perform maintenance on or inspection of all forklifts. Additionally, energy control procedures must be inspected annually and updated accordingly. 

All company employees are to comply with the additional energy control provisions in OSHA standards when machines or equipment must be tested or repositioned, when outside contractors work at the site, in group lockout situations, and during shift or personnel changes. When found or discovered that employees failed to follow this policy and OSHA standards related to this directive, discipline up to and including termination will be the resulting action.