A strong LOTO program protects workers from hazardous machine motion, prevents costly downtime from incidents, and ensures compliance with OSHA regulations. Yet, even with experienced teams and well-established procedures, audits often reveal gaps. These gaps don’t just risk a failed ...
A strong LOTO program protects workers from hazardous machine motion, prevents costly downtime from incidents, and ensures compliance with OSHA regulations. Yet, even with experienced teams and well-established procedures, audits often reveal gaps. These gaps don’t just risk a failed inspection—they can indicate systemic issues that increase the likelihood of accidents.One of the most common Lockout Tagout audit failures is having written procedures that are incomplete, outdated, or not machine-specific. OSHA requires each piece of equipment to have its own documented procedure detailing shutdown steps, lockout points, and try-out instructions. How to Avoid It: Review every machine-specific LOTO procedure at least annually, and update them immediately when new machines are added or existing ones are modified.Even the best documentation will fail an audit if employees are not trained to follow it correctly. Authorized and affected employees need to fully understand their roles and responsibilities. How to Avoid It: Provide initial training for all employees involved in machine-specific LOTO, refresh training annually, and document attendance.Passing a LOTO audit isn’t just about avoiding OSHA fines, it’s about maintaining a safe, efficient work environment. Every failure point on this list represents more than a compliance issue; it’s a sign that a safeguard meant to protect workers could fail in the moment it’s most needed.
