August 16, 2012 at 4:30pm: Day Davis, a temp worker at a Bacardi bottling plant in Jacksonville, Florida was killed 90 minutes into his first day on the job when he was cleaning broken bottles up from beneath a moving platform. Another operator started the machine back up, not knowing that Davis was still cleaning down below. The platform, and over 2000lbs of bottles, crushed Davis instantly. Emergency responders arrived on scene within minutes but Day Davis was already dead.
This tragedy could have been prevented by using Lockout/Tagout/Tryout, a procedure designed to protect workers from accidental or unexpected startups of equipment.
What is Lockout/Tagout/Tryout?
“Lock Out” means that the machine is locked out to isolate the equipment from any energy source that can start up back up. Energy sources can be electricity, water, air, steam, hydraulic power, and even stored energy. A lock is placed on each valve, button, or switch once all the power sources have been identified. Many companies require that multiple operators place their own personal locks on the power sources so that communication must take place between all affected parties before unlocking the equipment.
“Tag Out” means that there is a tag attached to each lock with specific information about who is working on the machine and why it is locked out.
“Try Out” means that you physically attempt to turn the machine back on at all of the locked out power sources. This is the final step in verifying that the machine will not turn on and that it is safe to work on it.
Lockout/Tagout/Tryout is a simple procedure that plays a tremendous role in keeping workers safe from serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace.
Lockout/Tagout/Tryout prevents the accidental and unexpected startup of equipment and would have prevented the death of Day Davis.
That’s it for now. Until Next Time- Safety First!