Lockout/tagout - Washington

Most of Washington’s requirements for lockout/tagout (LOTO) are equivalent to federal OSHA requirements; however, the state adds further requirements. A summary of the additional requirements includes the following:

• WAC 296-803-100 applies to the service and maintenance of piping systems, among other things.
• Gravity is an energy source, according to WAC 296-803-100.
• WAC 296-803 does not apply to, among other things, the service and maintenance of fire alarm and extinguishing systems and components if appropriate alternative measures protect those working on these systems from unexpected release of energy AND if other employees depend on these systems for fire safety.
• The energy control program called for at WAC 296-803-20005 must be in writing.
• Employers may write a single written energy control procedure for similar machines and equipment if the machines and equipment use the same energy type and magnitude, have the same or similar types of controls, and are identified in the procedure by specific machine/equipment type and location. See WAC 296-803-20005.
• According to WAC 296-803-40005, blank flanges and cribbing are two examples of means to control energy, among other examples.
• WAC 296-803-50040 differs from OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(1)(v) because the Washington state regulation is missing the step to de-energize all systems before reapplying the lockout or tagout devices when testing or positioning is completed.
• WAC 296-8003-50050 defines “primary authorized employee and says the primary authorized employee in group lockout/tagout is the last person to remove his/her lockout or tagout device when the job is completed.
• WAC 296-803-50055 says the employer must assign a primary authorized employee in each group, if more than one group will work on a machine or equipment that must be locked or tagged out.
• WAC 296-803-600 and WAC 296-803-700 use the term “periodic review” instead of the federal OSHA term “periodic inspection.”
• According to WAC 296-803-70005, an employer only needs to perform a review before using energy control procedures, if the procedures are used less than once a year.
• For energy control procedures involving only lockout devices, a group meeting will suffice in meeting the periodic review of authorized employees, according to WAC 296-803-70010. However, for energy control procedures involving tagout devices, periodic reviews of authorized and affected employees must be done individually.
• WAC 296-803-800 adds the following terms beyond OSHA’s 29 CFR
  1910.147: “employer,” “primary authorized employee,” and “you.” WAC 296-
  803-800 defines the following terms differently than 1910.147: “Can be locked
  out” and “energy source.”
• WAC 296-803 is missing a “Typical Minimal Lockout Procedure,” as found in OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.147 Appendix A.

To ensure that you are in compliance with these requirements, click on the following links to view the state and federal regulations regarding LOTO: