The Control of Hazardous Energy

Scope & Purpose

California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) is dedicated to protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of students, employees, visitors, and the surrounding community. The Control of Hazardous Energy Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Program establishes the minimum performance standards required to protect employees from injuries or death that may result from unexpected energization or startup of machines or equipment, or the release of energy (potential or kinetic) from machines and equipment, during maintenance or servicing operations.

The Program applies to employees who use a machine or equipment for which LOTO procedures are performed, or whose job requires the employee to work in the area in which LOTO procedures are performed, or whose job requires the employee to perform the LOTO procedure. The Program outlines proper procedures in performing LOTO operations. Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) administers and oversees implementation of the Program.

The Program complies with Cal/OSHA’s requirement for CSUDH to develop and implement a written LOTO program (i.e., Control of Hazardous Energy) as defined in the following regulation:

Title 8 Section 3314, and serves to:
1. Establish a safe and positive means of shutting down machinery, equipment and systems.
2. Prohibit unauthorized personnel or remote control systems from starting machinery or equipment while it is being serviced.
3. Provide a secondary control system (tagout) in addition to, and/or when it is impossible to, positively lockout the machinery or equipment by traditional means
4. Ensure that only approved locks, standardized tags and fastening devices will be utilized in the LOTO procedures.
5. Develop risk assessment procedures to implement alternative methods when traditional LOTO cannot be utilized.