OSHA Lockout Tagout Hazardous Energy Control

By R.W. Hurst, Editor

OSHA Lockout Tagout (LOTO) standard establishes requirements for the control of the release of hazardous energy sources during maintenance, repair, or servicing work on machinery or equipment. The standard protects workers from accidental startup, the release of stored energy, or other hazardous conditions that could cause serious injury or death.

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What is the Purpose of the OSHA Lockout Tagout Standard?

The primary purpose of the OSHA LOTO standard is to prevent the unexpected startup or release of stored energy in machines or equipment, which can cause serious injuries or fatalities. The standard outlines specific procedures for controlling hazardous energy to ensure the safety of employees who perform servicing and maintenance tasks. By following these procedures, companies can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and enhance workplace safety.

Who is Required to Follow OSHA Procedures?

LOTO procedures apply to all employees involved in servicing and maintaining machinery and equipment. This includes:

Authorized Employees: These individuals are responsible for implementing the hazardous energy lockout tagout procedures and applying lockout devices and tagout devices to control hazardous energy.
Affected Employees: These workers operate or work near the machines or equipment being serviced and need to understand the procedures to stay safe.
Other Employees: Any other employees who might be in the vicinity must be aware of the procedures to ensure their safety.

What are the Key Components of an OSHA LOTO Program?

An effective LOTO program comprises several key components:

Energy Control Program: A documented program that outlines the procedures and practices for controlling hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance.
Energy Control Procedures: Detailed instructions on how to lock out and tag out specific machinery and equipment to ensure the control of hazardous energy.
Training and Communication: Training for all employees on the proper use of lockout tagout procedures, as well as regular communication to keep everyone informed about the program.
Periodic Inspections: Regular audits to ensure that the lockout tagout procedures are being followed correctly and that all equipment is maintained properly.

What Types of Energy Sources Need to Be Controlled Under OSHA?

The LOTO standard requires the control of various energy sources that could pose a hazard to workers. These energy sources include:

Electrical Energy: Power from electrical sources that can cause electric shock or other injuries.
Mechanical Energy: Moving parts, such as gears, belts, and springs, that can cause injury if released unexpectedly.
Hydraulic Energy: Pressurized fluids that can cause injury if released suddenly.
Pneumatic Energy: Pressurized air that can cause injury if released unexpectedly.
Thermal Energy: Hot surfaces, steam, and other sources of heat that can cause burns.
Chemical Energy: Reactive chemicals that can cause harm if not properly controlled.

What are the Consequences of Not Complying with the Standard?

Non-compliance with the LOTO standard can lead to severe consequences, including:

Injuries and Fatalities: Failure to control hazardous energy can result in serious injuries or deaths, significantly impacting the lives of employees and their families.
Legal Penalties: OSHA can impose significant fines and penalties on organizations that do not comply with the standard, leading to financial losses.
Increased Liability: Non-compliance increases the liability for organizations, potentially resulting in lawsuits and higher insurance premiums.
Operational Disruptions: Injuries and incidents can cause downtime and productivity losses, affecting the overall efficiency of operations.
Reputation Damage: Non-compliance can harm the organization's reputation, leading to a loss of trust among employees, customers, and the public.

The LOTO standard is essential for ensuring the safety of employees who service and maintain machinery and equipment. By implementing a comprehensive energy control program, training employees, and conducting regular inspections, organizations can effectively control hazardous energy sources and prevent accidents. Compliance with the OSHA standard not only protects workers but also enhances operational efficiency and reduces liability. Investing in a robust lockout tagout program is a critical step toward creating a safer workplace for all.

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March 12, 2020, Renton, WA…Street and area lighting manufacturer Evluma, announces the release of a new globe accessory line, OmniMax Lighting Solutions (OLS) to complement their OmniMax family of LED replacement lamps. OLS is a custom, curated selection of spherical and acorn style globes for decorative streetlights. The OmniMax is a Bluetooth-connected, screw-in replacement lamp for use in decorative post top globe and acorn lights. The release of a globe line to complement the OmniMax is designed to make the HID to LED conversion and maintenance process easier for Evluma customers.

Customers executing a retrofit project can conveniently purchase a replacement globe at the same time they purchase the OmniMax. “The wide variety of styles and materials offered means that we can typically provide a customer with a globe that matches an older style,” said Marketing Director, Cathleen Shattuck. “Customers can refresh globes simultaneously with OmniMax installation to save on labor, or if they suddenly discover damage to individual light fixtures, we can quickly provide them with a solution. Our high level of customer service means we are well-adapted to quick turnaround on orders of any size, keeping the process convenient and low cost.”

Using OmniMax, municipalities, utilities and electric departments converting post top fixtures from HID to LED can do so in under 5 minutes a fixture. The OmniMax is available in both Premium and Standard models. Premium models are Bluetooth-enabled and are compatible with Evluma’s wireless control application, ConnectLED. Both models carry a ten-year warranty and offer Evluma’s signature low-glare illumination.

About Evluma

Formed in 2008, Evluma is committed to developing affordable, long-lasting and environmentally low-impact LED lighting solutions that fundamentally change the landscape of the outdoor utility lighting market. Evluma’s high standard of customer service and background in innovative lighting technologies, automation and software design creatively ideate and inform its utility-grade products. Evluma is located in Renton, WA, USA.

09/24/20

Evluma's Build-Your-Own Acorn is an Affordable Answer to Decorative Streetlight LED Upgrades

Street and area light manufacturer Evluma announces the release of Build-Your-Own Acorn; a full-fixture, decorative streetlight replacement solution that includes the customer’s choice of acorn globe, finial and capital fitter. This solution is designed for utilities, municipalities, facilities and property managers looking to upgrade their existing decorative lighting from HID to LED and features the OmniMax™ LED lamp as its light source.

“Build-Your-Own-Acorn is a tailored solution that puts control in the hands of the customer,” said Evluma Product Manager Jason Dobbs. “With the value-driven OmniMax at the center of quality, cost-effective options, this is an affordable approach to complete head replacements. Build-Your-Own-Acorn offers the freedom to replace and repair fixtures without being locked into a proprietary OEM solution that may be hard to change later and typically costs more. It’s everything but the pole.”

Build-Your-Own Acorn includes multiple styles of acrylic and polycarbonate globes, in addition to a cast aluminum capital fitter. The capital fits 3 inch and 4 inch poles and is offered in black or green. The 70W OmniMax LED lamp is offered in six different color temperatures ranging from 2000K-5000K in either the Premium or Standard. OmniMax Premium includes Evluma’s patented, maintenance-saving Photocontrol Failsafe™ and compatibility with Evluma’s Bluetooth lighting app ConnectLED™. OmniMax Standard ships without connectivity features or Photocontrol Failsafe built-in.

“Photocontrol Failsafe means never having to replace a failed photocontrol ever again,” said Janine Soper, Evluma’s Regional Sales Manager. “With ConnectLED, the OmniMax Premium can be quickly dimmed or programmed with a dimming schedule, offering additional aesthetic and energy saving opportunities,” said Janine.

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Parallel Resonant AC Test Sets

High Voltage, Inc. is an American test equipment manufacturing company located in rural Copake, NY. We are known for high quality, easy to use equipment and for our commitment to providing the best customer and product support in the industry.

As we matured we expanded into larger products. Cable fault locators (thumpers) as well as higher power ac (HPA) dielectric testers as might be used in a factory environment. Our HPA line of ac testers are available with outputs up to 300 kV ac and power levels up to 40 kVA and can be customized with various levels of control sophistication.

Our new PAR line of ac dielectric testers are designed to meet the needs of those who need power levels up to 250 kVA, to be able to test their highly capacitive test loads. Using ac resonant technology outputs of 50 kV at 5A (for example) are possible with an input of only 230 v, 90 A. That is an input of 20 kVA for an output of 250 kVA. (Model PAR-50250FC5)

The PAR models consist of a control section and a high voltage section. While large, they are transportable by van or trailer for field work. The control section includes the input breaker, variable (motorized) input control, a PLC controller, and connections for controlling the hv section. The high voltage section is a steel tank with a phenolic output bushing. Inside this tank is a variable-core reactor in an insulating oil bath with an air space at the top to allow for thermal expansion.

The variable reactor looks similar to a transformer but has a moveable core that allows the inductance value to vary to match the capacitance of the load, thereby achieving resonance. This effectively cancels the load capacitance, as far as input power requirements are concerned. Once in resonance, the input voltage is increased until the desired output voltage level is achieved. For a capacitive load that must be tested at power frequency the PAR reduces power requirements, as well as test equipment size by one tenth to one thirtieth, compared to a test transformer.

The HVI PAR family of resonant as dielectric testers are perfect for power frequency testing of power cables, rotating machinery, bushings, instrument transformers, transformers, shunt reactors, and many other products.

For more info please contact sales@hvinc.com to discuss your application.
For more information on these and other high voltage test products, contact High Voltage, Inc. at www.hvinc.com, sales@hvinc.com, or call 518-329-3275.

03/07/22

Evluma Launches Low-Glare LED Roadway Luminaire

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This sleek and stylish luminaire was designed with RP-8-18 roadway requirements in mind. The unique optical design offers a combination of roadway performance and glare control unprecedented in the industry. “RoadMax is an advancement of Evluma’s reputation for low-glare, visually-pleasing outdoor lighting,” says Taisha Bezzo, National Sales Director. “RoadMax addresses contemporary concerns regarding disability glare and light trespass from roadway lighting while maintaining exceptional pole spacing.”

Multiple luminaire configurations for Type II, Type III and Type V, all with zero-uplight (U0), are offered. Additional features such as a field adjustable wattage selector (FAO), light trespass shields and a choice of photocontrol sockets are available. RoadMax can be customized to include Evluma’s Photocontrol FailsafeTM, a patented technology that solves photocontrol failures on street and area lights. Compatibility with ConnectLEDTM, Evluma’s Bluetooth app for wireless lighting controls, enables dimming and dimming schedules without the need for a network. Evluma’s comprehensive 10-year warranty and signature 20kV/10kA surge protection comes standard with every model.