Lockout/Tagout Procedure Template
A generic lockout policy is not a procedure. 1910.147 asks for procedures specific to the machine — which disconnect, which valve, which accumulator, in which order — and that is what this template forces you to write down.
A machine-specific energy control procedure. 1910.147(c)(4)(i) requires procedures to be documented, and 1910.147(c)(6)(i) requires them to be inspected at least annually by an authorised employee other than the one using them.
Equipment
The six steps, in the order the standard puts them
1910.147(d) sets the application sequence, and the order is the safety. Preparation, shutdown, isolation, lockout, stored energy release, then verification.
| Step | What it means on a real machine |
|---|---|
| 1 Prepare | Know the type and magnitude of energy, its hazards, and the method of control before you touch anything |
| 2 Shut down | Orderly shutdown by the established procedure — not by pulling the disconnect on a running load |
| 3 Isolate | Operate every energy-isolating device so the machine is isolated from every source |
| 4 Lock out | One lock per authorised employee, on each isolating device |
| 5 Release stored energy | Bleed, block, drain, discharge, relieve — springs, hydraulics, capacitors, raised parts, steam |
| 6 Verify | Try to start it. Then return the control to off. |
Read from 29 CFR 1910.147(d) on 2026-09-04.
Warning
When you do not have to document the procedure
The standard carries an exception, and it is all-or-nothing: the procedure need not be documented only when every one of eight elements holds. No potential for stored or residual energy; a single readily identified and isolated energy source; isolation and lockout completely deenergises the machine; the machine is isolated and locked out during the work; a single lockout device achieves the locked-out condition; that device is under the exclusive control of the authorised employee; the work creates no hazard for other employees; and the employer has had no accident involving unexpected activation of that machine during servicing.
On a jobsite, the number of machines that clear all eight is small. When in doubt, write the procedure — it costs one page.
The annual inspection people forget
1910.147(c)(6) requires a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually, performed by an authorised employee other than the one using the procedure being inspected, to correct any deviations or inadequacies. Where lockout is used, the inspection includes a review between the inspector and each authorised employee of that employee’s responsibilities under the procedure.
Track the inspection date the same way you track certifications — on the safety training matrix, where an expiry is visible before it lapses.
Why this one keeps getting cited
Control of hazardous energy was the third most frequently cited federal OSHA standard in fiscal year 2024, behind fall protection and hazard communication. It outranks ladders, respiratory protection and machine guarding.
The pattern is consistent: a program exists, the locks exist, and the machine-specific procedure does not. The whole standard is worked through in lockout/tagout requirements.