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Energy
Control Program
Periodic Inspections
A periodic inspection of each energy control procedure
must be performed at least annually to ensure that the energy control procedures continue
to be implemented properly and that employees are familiar with their responsibilities
under those procedures. The inspection must also ensure that the procedure is adequate to
provide effective protection to the authorized employee during servicing and maintenance
operations covered by this standard.
The employer is required to correct any deficiencies observed
during the periodic inspection. Inadequacies in the energy control procedure could be the
result of using a general procedure that does not effectively handle a specific
application. They also may arise from changes made to equipment or processes without
modifying the existing energy control procedure.
The periodic inspection must be performed by an authorized
employee other than the one(s) who is using the energy control procedures. This individual
will be referred to as the "inspector." The inspector must be able to determine:
- Whether the steps in the energy control procedure are being
followed.
- Whether the employees involved know their responsibilities under
the procedure.
- Whether the procedure provides the necessary protection, and what
changes, if any, are needed.
The periodic inspection consists of two
requirements. First, the inspector must observe a representative sample of authorized
employees performing the servicing and maintenance operation using the lockout/tagout
procedure. Second, the inspector must perform a review with each authorized employee of
that employee's responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected. When
the periodic inspection involves a tagout procedure, the inspector's review of
responsibilities extends to the affected employees as well, because of the increased
importance of their role in avoiding accidental or inadvertent activation of the equipment
or machinery being serviced or maintained.
The employee performing the periodic inspection does not have to
observe every authorized employee implementing the energy control procedure on the machine
or equipment on which he or she is authorized to perform servicing and maintenance to meet
the requirements of
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)(C) and
29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)(D). The inspector
participating in the review when lockout is used needs to:
- Observe a representative number of such employees while
implementing the procedure, and
- Talk with all other authorized employee even though they may not
be implementing the energy control procedure.
It is not required that the periodic inspection be conducted in
separate one-on-one meetings; it can involve the inspector meeting simultaneously with a
group of authorized employees. Group meetings can be one of the most effective methods to
conduct the inspection and make clear to the employees that they need to follow the
procedure carefully.
The employer must certify that a periodic inspection has been
performed at least annually. The certification must include information on each of the
following:
- The machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure
was used.
- The date of the inspection.
- The employees included in the inspection.
- The name of the inspector who performed the inspection.
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