Online Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Training with CertificatE - 29 CFR 1910.147

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7) requires training for three groups of employees. Authorized employees — those who perform the servicing or maintenance and who apply lockout or tagout devices — must receive full LOTO procedure training covering energy recognition, isolation methods, device application, stored energy release, and zero energy verification. Affected employees — those who operate or use machines being locked or tagged out, or who work in areas where LOTO is performed — must receive awareness training on the purpose of LOTO and the prohibition against restarting locked-out equipment. Other employees who work in areas where LOTO is used must be instructed not to remove lockout or tagout devices and not to attempt to restart locked-out equipment.

Lockout means applying a physical lockout device — a lock — to an energy isolation point to keep it in the de-energized position and prevent re-energization. Tagout means applying a warning tag in lieu of a lock when an energy isolation device cannot accept a lock. Lockout is preferred and required wherever the energy isolation device can accept a lock. Tagout alone provides less protection than lockout because a tag can be removed or ignored. When tagout is used without a lock, the employer must implement additional protection measures — removing and blocking control circuit components, opening additional disconnecting means, removing valve handles — to provide a level of protection equivalent to lockout. Most modern equipment has isolation points that accept LOTO hasps and padlocks; tagout-only programs are appropriate only for specific, documented cases where lockout is physically impossible.

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(ii) requires that machine-specific energy control procedures include: the scope, purpose, and authorization rules for the procedure; the specific steps to shut down, isolate, block, and secure machines or equipment; the steps to release stored or residual energy; the steps to verify isolation before work begins; and the steps for returning the equipment to service. Each procedure must identify the types and magnitudes of energy, the methods and means to control the energy, and the specific LOTO devices to be used. Generic procedures that say "de-energize the machine" without identifying the specific isolation points and devices are not compliant — and are one of the most common LOTO citation categories. Aggie Safety can develop machine-specific procedures for your facility; call (713) 613-2830.

No. Under 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3), when a group of workers is performing servicing or maintenance on the same machine, each individual authorized employee must apply their own personal lock to the energy isolation point using a LOTO hasp. A hasp is a device that holds multiple locks simultaneously — all employees insert their locks, and the hasp cannot be removed until every employee has removed their lock. No supervisor's lock, no master lock, and no single lock can substitute for each employee's personal lock. The key for each personal lock must remain under the exclusive custody of the employee who applied it — no duplicate keys permitted. This personal lock requirement is what prevents one worker from removing another's lock and restoring power while coworkers are still inside the machine.

Stored energy is energy that remains in a machine after the primary energy source has been isolated — energy that has been accumulated, trapped, or held in the machine and that can be released unexpectedly if not addressed. Examples include: hydraulic pressure in cylinders or accumulators that remains even after the hydraulic pump is shut off; pneumatic pressure in air lines or reservoirs that remains after the compressor is isolated; gravity energy in machine components (presses, rams, gates, suspended loads) that can fall or move when support is removed; electrical energy stored in capacitors that remains after power is disconnected; steam pressure that remains in a line after the steam valve is closed; and spring tension in spring-loaded components. Stored energy causes the majority of LOTO fatalities because workers who correctly apply locks at the isolation point fail to release stored energy before reaching into the machine — and are then struck by unexpected movement, electrical discharge, or pressure release. 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(5) requires that all stored energy be released, restrained, or otherwise rendered safe before work begins.

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6) requires that each energy control procedure be reviewed at least annually to ensure it is being properly implemented and remains adequate. The annual periodic inspection must be performed by an authorized employee other than the one who normally uses the procedure — meaning the employee performing the inspection cannot be the same person whose procedure is being reviewed. The inspection must be certified in writing with the machine or equipment name, the date of inspection, the names of the employees included in the inspection, and the name of the inspector. The periodic inspection also serves as a retraining opportunity: if the inspection reveals deficiencies in the employee's understanding or use of the energy control procedure, retraining is required before the employee continues to perform LOTO.

No — under normal circumstances, only the employee who applied a lockout device may remove it. This is one of the most fundamental rules of LOTO. 29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3) addresses the one exception: if the authorized employee who applied the lock is unavailable and the device cannot be removed by that employee, the employer may remove it only under a documented procedure that includes verification the employee is not in the facility, reasonable efforts to contact the employee, and notification to the employee before they return to work. The emergency removal procedure must be documented in the written energy control program. Supervisors who remove employees' locks without following this procedure — even to restart production — expose the facility to willful OSHA citations with penalties up to $165,514 per violation and potentially to criminal liability if an injury results.

OSHA requires that training be conducted in a manner that employees can understand — which means in the language they speak. For workplaces with Spanish-speaking authorized or affected employees, LOTO training in Spanish is required. Aggie Safety offers LOTO training in Spanish and English. Our Houston-based team is bilingual in English and Spanish, and our training materials are available in both languages. If your workforce includes Spanish-speaking maintenance or production workers, contact us at (713) 613-2830 to discuss Spanish-language LOTO training and documentation options.

OSHA does not formally approve or endorse specific training courses or providers. What OSHA evaluates is whether the training content meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7) — the training must ensure that authorized employees can recognize hazardous energy, understand the type and magnitude of energy present, and demonstrate the methods and means for energy isolation and control. Aggie Safety's course is designed to meet and exceed these content requirements. Compliance is determined by content, documented delivery, and the employee's demonstrated ability to apply procedures — not by any external course approval process. The certificate documents that the formal instruction component of training was completed; machine-specific hands-on training by the employer on actual equipment completes the requirement.

Yes. Aggie Safety offers bulk training pricing for businesses certifying multiple workers at once — particularly useful for maintenance departments, industrial contractors, and facilities with large authorized employee populations. We also offer on-site LOTO training for facilities that prefer instructor-led training in addition to or instead of the online course — particularly valuable for companies that need to combine the formal instruction component with machine-specific hands-on training in the same session. Call (713) 613-2830 or use the "Certify My Team" button to discuss group pricing and on-site training options.

OSHA sets no fixed expiration for LOTO training — retraining is required when machines, processes, or procedures change, or when the annual periodic inspection finds deficiencies. Many employers adopt an annual refresher as best practice; our certificate documents the training date your program auditor will ask for.

The Authorized Employee course is $49.95, including the graded quiz, unlimited free retakes, and an immediately printable certificate. Awareness-level training for affected employees is [AWARENESS PRICE]. Bulk pricing for teams: (713) 613-2830.

An authorized employee performs the lockout — isolating energy and installing locks and tags. An affected employee operates or works around equipment being serviced under lockout. OSHA requires different training for each: authorized employees learn the full procedure; affected employees learn to recognize locks and tags and never to touch them.