Among the many safety risks present in linen, uniform, or facility services plants, from trips and falls to confined spaces, hazardous chemicals, and more, the one that draws more OSHA citations than any other is lockout/tagout of hazardous energy sources.

With that No. 1 hazard ranking in mind, this month’s Safety Focus will examine how two leading operators craft policies and procedures to minimize the risk of lockout/tagout incidents involving plant employees.

Let’s begin by considering the key issues associated with training maintenance and production staff to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lockout/tagout requirements. “The most important ...