During lockout/tagout procedures, who is authorized to remove a lockout device?
Correct Answer
A) Only the person who installed the lockout device
Only the person who installed a lockout device may remove it. This ensures that the person who locked out the equipment is aware that it is being re-energized and that their work is complete.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
OSHA's lockout/tagout (LOTO) standard 29 CFR 1910.147 specifically requires that only the authorized employee who applied a lockout or tagout device may remove it. This fundamental safety principle ensures that the worker who locked out the equipment is personally aware that the energy source is being restored and that their work is complete. This prevents accidental energization while someone is still working on the equipment, which could result in serious injury or death.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: Any competent person with proper training
Project supervisors, despite their authority on job sites, cannot remove lockout devices installed by other workers. The LOTO standard makes no exception for supervisory personnel - only the installer can remove their own device.
Option C: The project supervisor
While qualified electricians may be authorized to install lockout devices, being qualified doesn't automatically give them authority to remove another person's lockout device. Each worker is responsible for their own personal safety lock.
Option D: Any qualified electrician
Even competent persons with proper LOTO training cannot remove lockout devices installed by others. Training and competency relate to the ability to perform LOTO procedures, not the authority to remove another worker's personal protective lock.
Memory Technique
Use the acronym 'SOLO' - Same One Locks Out, Same One removes. The person who locks it is the SOLO person who can unlock it.
Reference Hint
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 - The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), specifically section (e)(3) regarding removal of lockout devices
More Project Mgmt Questions
What is the minimum R-value required for wall insulation in Florida Climate Zone 2?
A subcontractor brings a new chemical product to your jobsite. Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), what information must be immediately available to workers?
A construction site has a trench that is 8 feet deep in Type B soil. What is the maximum allowable slope ratio for the trench walls without protective systems?
What is the maximum recommended spacing between drywall screws when attaching to wood studs?
Your crew discovers suspected asbestos-containing materials during a renovation project. What is the first action you should take?
A scaffold platform is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. If the maximum load capacity is 25 pounds per square foot, what is the total weight capacity of this platform?
Which CSI MasterFormat Division would contain specifications for fire-stopping and firesafing materials?
In tilt-up concrete construction, what is the primary advantage of this method over conventional cast-in-place construction?
Which OSHA standard specifically addresses construction industry safety and health regulations?
A structural drawing shows a beam labeled 'W12x26'. What does the '26' represent?
People Also Study
Business & Financial Management
120 questions · 70% to pass
Contract Administration
60 questions · 70% to pass