{"id":1447,"date":"2018-06-08T08:43:20","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T12:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/?p=1447"},"modified":"2026-02-27T22:28:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:28:33","slug":"unlocking-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-1-of-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-1-of-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlock the Mysteries of OSHA\u2019s Lockout\/Tagout Rule (PART 1 of 2 &#8211; Five Reasons to Get LOTO Right)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By <a href=\"http:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/conn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eric J. Conn<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/gelb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aaron R. Gelb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For a host of reasons, it is vital for employers to get compliance with OSHA&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/pls\/oshaweb\/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&amp;p_id=9804\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">standard for the \u201ccontrol of hazardous energy (Lockout\/Tagout)\u201d (29 C.F.R. 1910.147)<\/a> right, but it also happens to be one of the least understood and most often botched set of regulatory requirements in OSHA\u2019s portfolio of standards.<\/p>\n<p>This two-part article will lay out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>[Part 1]: Five reasons it is critical for employers to ensure compliance with OSHA\u2019s LOTO Standard; and<\/li>\n<li>[<a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2018\/06\/20\/unlock-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-2-of-2-five-common-loto-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 2<\/a>]: Five common mistakes employers make when implementing the LOTO requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Part 1: Why it is Critical for Employers to Get LOTO Right<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The list could be much longer, but we have identified five enforcement-related reasons why it is particularly important for employers to fully grasp OSHA\u2019s LOTO requirements and to implement them effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Before we get to the enforcement reasons for strict LOTO compliance, let&#8217;s first note that the associated hazards that LOTO was designed to protect against are serious and frequently realized.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/pls\/oshaweb\/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&amp;p_id=9804\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1450\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/loto-image.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"424\" height=\"388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-image.png 874w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-image-300x275.png 300w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-image-768x703.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 424px) 100vw, 424px\" \/><\/a>Workers performing service or maintenance on machinery face the risk of serious injuries and even death, if hazardous energy is not properly controlled. \u00a0The most common types of injuries from unexpected energization during maintenance are amputations or lacerations to body parts, as well as electrocutions, burns, and crushing\/struck-by.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>OSHA reports that <em>\u201ccraft workers, electricians, machine operators, and laborers are among the 3 million workers who service equipment routinely and face the greatest risk of injury. Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 OSHA also explains that the failure to control hazardous energy accounts for 10% of the serious accidents in most industries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While employers should never lose focus from that important safety reason to focus on LOTO, the purpose of this article is to address the numerous regulatory enforcement reasons that getting LOTO right is uniquely important.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Amputation Injuries Create Special Reporting Obligations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Amputations, which is one of the primary hazards intended to be addressed by effective LOTO, is one of the only specific injury types for which there is a special duty for employers to proactively to report to OSHA.\u00a0<!--more--> In 2014, OSHA updated its fatality and significant injury reporting rule at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/pls\/oshaweb\/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&amp;p_id=12783\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">29 C.F.R. 1904.39 (\u201cReporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye as a result of work-related incidents to OSHA\u201d)<\/a> to to lower the threshold for reporting injuries to OSHA from the hospitalization of three plus employees from a single incident, to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2017\/10\/23\/reporting-in-patient-hospitalizations-to-osha-common-misunderstandings-and-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">duty to report the in-patient hospitalization of a single employee<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the amended rule also added a provision regarding amputations, now mandating that an amputation injury constitutes an automatic report to OSHA, even if it does not result in a hospitalization or any days away from work, or even require medical treatment beyond first aid.\u00a0 The relevant provision reads, in pertinent part:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWithin twenty-four (24) hours after \u2026 an employee\u2019s amputation \u2026, as a result of a work-related incident, you must report the \u2026 amputation \u2026 to OSHA. . . .\u00a0 For an \u2026 amputation \u2026, you must only report the event to OSHA if it occurs within twenty-four (24) hours of the work-related incident.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2015\/12\/01\/slicing-the-nuances-of-oshas-amputation-reporting-requirements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1451\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/reporting-rule-image-1.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"409\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/reporting-rule-image-1.png 742w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/reporting-rule-image-1-300x275.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2015\/12\/01\/slicing-the-nuances-of-oshas-amputation-reporting-requirements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog article regarding the nuances of the amputation reporting requirement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Since the updated reporting requirements covering amputations became effective in 2015, more than 2,500 amputation injuries have been reported to federal OSHA <em>each year<\/em>.\u00a0 Reporting data that OSHA shared also indicates that in 2015, 2016 and 2017, OSHA responded to these reports of amputation injuries by initiating an on-site inspection 59%, 49%, and 47% of the time.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, amputation injuries (often because of failure to implement LOTO) occur frequently, and when they do occur, employers must proactively notify OSHA about them, and when they do, OSHA is very likely to respond to the report by conducting an enforcement inspection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.\u00a0 LOTO Citations are Low Hanging Fruit for OSHA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every year, OSHA publishes a list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/Top_Ten_Standards.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Top 10 most frequently cited standards<\/a> from the prior year.\u00a0 One thing we have learned from tracking that list year after year is that the list rarely changes in material ways.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/Top_Ten_Standards.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1452\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/frequent-cited-standards.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"402\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/frequent-cited-standards.png 954w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/frequent-cited-standards-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/frequent-cited-standards-768x564.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Sometimes the order of the 10 most frequently cited standards shuffles a little, but it tends to be the exact same regulatory requirements that OSHA is citing en masse each year.\u00a0 The other thing we have learned is that the list is a bit self-fulfilling; i.e., these standards are frequently cited, so OSHA compliance officers specifically seek out violations of the standards during inspections.<\/p>\n<p>One more thing we have learned from tracking the list, is that LOTO violations are always among those league leaders.\u00a0 Last year, just like the years before, LOTO violations ranked in the Top 3 most frequently cited standards in general industry, and Top 5 overall.\u00a0 Year in and year out, employers make the same mistakes and compliance officers scrutinize LOTO programs to the tune of thousands of individual LOTO violations (2,877 such violations issued in 2017 alone).<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3.\u00a0 OSHA Actively Pursues LOTO Violations with a National Emphasis Program<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many employers assume OSHA will not inspect their workplaces unless there is an employee complaint or accident, but the reality is, a significant portion of OSHA&#8217;s enforcement inspections are &#8220;programmed&#8221; inspections under a National, Regional or Local Emphasis Program.\u00a0 One of the main reasons LOTO violations remain high on OSHA\u2019s frequently cited list is that for more than a decade now, OSHA has been implementing an enforcement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/OshDoc\/Directive_pdf\/CPL_03-00-019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Amputations<\/a>.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/OshDoc\/Directive_pdf\/CPL_03-00-019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1453\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/amputations-nep.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"455\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/amputations-nep.png 849w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/amputations-nep-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/amputations-nep-768x430.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Amputations NEP began in 2006 with a stated purpose to reduce machine and equipment hazards that cause amputations.\u00a0 OSHA has been attempting to accomplish that purpose by targeting violations of OSHA\u2019s Lockout\/Tagout standard (1910.147) and Machine Guarding standards (1910.212, .213, .217, and .219).<\/p>\n<p>Last year, federal OSHA conducted more than 3,500 inspections under the Amputations NEP (which constituted more than 10% of all fed OSHA inspections conducted last year), finding roughly 7,800 violations, and proposing more than $55 million in civil penalties.\u00a0 Given these numbers, employers in industries subject to the Amputations NEP would be well-advised to proactively audit their LOTO programs to find and fix deficiencies in their written programs and gaps between the written programs and what is being implemented in the field.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4.\u00a0 LOTO Violations Can Dump You into the Severe Violator Enforcement Program<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Routine citations aside, failing to understand and apply LOTO correctly can have &#8220;severe&#8221; consequences for employers\u2014perhaps most problematic among them\u2014qualifying into OSHA\u2019s dreaded <a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2015\/10\/14\/oshas-severe-violator-enforcement-program-a-severe-injustice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Severe Violator Enforcement Program<\/a> (SVEP).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>SVEP was instituted to target OSHA&#8217;s <em>\u201cenforcement efforts on recalcitrant employers who demonstrate indifference to the health and safety of their employees.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>To that end, OSHA created four categories of violations that would land an employer in SVEP.\u00a0 One of the four categories is being <em>alleged<\/em> to have committed two or more willful or repeat violations related to a &#8220;high-emphasis hazard,&#8221; which is a list of specific hazards on which OSHA is focused.\u00a0 On that list of high emphasis hazards, of course, is amputations.\u00a0 And of the four categories that can qualify you into SVEP, this high emphasis hazard category is responsible for pulling in nearly 70% of all SVEP employers.<a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2015\/10\/14\/oshas-severe-violator-enforcement-program-a-severe-injustice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1455\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/svep-data.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"431\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/svep-data.png 949w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/svep-data-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/svep-data-768x562.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As one would expect for an enforcement program reserved for \u201csevere violators,\u201d the punitive elements of SVEP are significant, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>inflammatory public press releases branding the employer as a \u201csevere violator\u201d;<\/li>\n<li>adding the employer&#8217;s company name to a public log of Severe Violators;<\/li>\n<li>mandatory follow-up inspections at the cited facility;<\/li>\n<li>numerous inspections (up to ten) at sister facilities within the same corporate enterprise; and<\/li>\n<li>enhanced settlement terms, such as corporate-wide abatement, requiring third party audits, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because OSHA continues to implement its Amputations NEP, and because amputation injuries require a phone call and report to OSHA, and because LOTO violations appear to be a permanent fixture on OSHA\u2019s Top 10 list, then the risk of getting Repeat LOTO violations is uniquely high.\u00a0 And since Repeat LOTO violations can qualify you into SVEP, employers need to make LOTO compliance an extremely high priority.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5.\u00a0 LOTO Violations are Among the Most Used for OSH Act Criminal Prosecutions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Finally, LOTO violations tend to be among the leading types of violations for which employers face criminal prosecutions.\u00a0 Section 17(e) of the OSH Act provides for a criminal charge when:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cAny employer \u2026 willfully violates any standard, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to [the OSH] Act \u2026, and that violation caused death to any employee\u2026.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2016\/01\/22\/osha-criminal-cases-on-the-rise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1456\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/criminal-image.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"363\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/criminal-image.png 614w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/criminal-image-300x231.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 363px) 100vw, 363px\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Pursuant to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/3551\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, 18 USC \u00a7 3551 et seq.<\/a>, which standardized penalties and sentences for federal offenses, the criminal penalty for willful violations of the OSH Act causing loss of human life was set at $250,000 for individuals (18 U.S.C. Sec. 3574(b)(4)), and $500,000 for organizations (id. at Sec. 574(c)(4)).<\/p>\n<p>Few criminal charges are pursued under the OSH Act, often because it is difficult to link the direct cause of an employee\u2019s death to a specific OSHA regulatory violation.\u00a0 Two regulatory requirements for which that link is often fairly clear are deaths inside a trench that collapse and death by contact with parts of a machine that starts unexpectedly (i.e., failure to adequately implement LOTO).\u00a0 As a result, we have seen more criminal prosecutions involving OSHA&#8217;s trenching standards and LOTO than any other regulatory requirement.<\/p>\n<p>The risk of criminal charges, including potentially charges against individual managers, is another fine reason employers should focus resources on LOTO compliance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Takeaways for Employers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>OSHA\u2019s LOTO standard consistently ranks as one of the most frequently cited standards for a reason\u2014several reasons, really.\u00a0 Given the risks posed by failing to adequately control hazardous energy, it should come as no surprise to employers that OSHA will use every enforcement tool available to enforce the LOTO standard.\u00a0 Once OSHA arrives at an employer\u2019s facility\u2014whether in response to an employee complaint, a self-reported hospitalization or amputation, or as part of a Special Emphasis Program, the employer should expect to be asked at some point to produce:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>a written LOTO program;<\/li>\n<li>copies of machine-specific LOTO procedures;<\/li>\n<li>LOTO training records for authorized and affected employees; and<\/li>\n<li>proof of periodic LOTO inspections.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>As we discuss in detail in <a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/2018\/06\/20\/unlock-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-2-of-2-five-common-loto-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 2 of this article<\/a>, even the most diligent employers, it seems, make one or more mistakes with respect to those requirements\u2014often due to an oversight, misunderstanding or miscommunication.\u00a0 To reduce the likelihood that OSHA will find fault with an employer\u2019s LOTO program, employers should proactively audit every aspect of their LOTO policies, practices and procedures, and seek advice from an expert safety consultant or experienced OSHA defense attorney, and then act quickly to correct any LOTO program deficiencies that are identified.<\/p>\n<p><strong>*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information, check out Conn Maciel Carey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GouLL4Rmk9I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent webinar: \u201cUnlocking the Mysteries of OSHA\u2019s Lockout\/Tagout Standard.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 Here is a link to a <a href=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cmc-loto-webinar-feb-2018.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PDF of the slides from the webinar<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GouLL4Rmk9I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1457\" src=\"https:\/\/oshadefensereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/loto-webinar-cover-slide.png?w=665\" alt=\"\" width=\"461\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-webinar-cover-slide.png 987w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-webinar-cover-slide-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-webinar-cover-slide-768x579.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Eric J. Conn and Aaron R. Gelb For a host of reasons, it is vital for employers to get compliance with OSHA&#8217;s standard for the \u201ccontrol of hazardous energy (Lockout\/Tagout)\u201d (29 C.F.R. 1910.147) right, but it&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[1569],"class_list":["post-1447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-osha-rulemakings-standards","tag-lockout-tagout-loto"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unlock the Mysteries of OSHA\u2019s Lockout\/Tagout Rule (PART 1 of 2 - Five Reasons to Get LOTO Right) - OSHA Defense Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-1-of-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unlock the Mysteries of OSHA\u2019s Lockout\/Tagout Rule (PART 1 of 2 - Five Reasons to Get LOTO Right) - OSHA Defense Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Eric J. Conn and Aaron R. Gelb For a host of reasons, it is vital for employers to get compliance with OSHA&#8217;s standard for the \u201ccontrol of hazardous energy (Lockout\/Tagout)\u201d (29 C.F.R. 1910.147) right, but it&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-oshas-lockout-tagout-rule-part-1-of-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OSHA Defense Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-08T12:43:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T22:28:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/osha-defense-report\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/loto-image.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"874\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eric J. 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