Step 9: Remove Lockout/Tagout

There is only one case in which it is acceptable for a lock to be removed by another person:

On rare occasions, an authorized employee may leave the facility before removing their lock/tag from a system. If the device needs to be removed before the employee returns, it may be removed under the direction of the employer. However, the specific procedures and training for such a removal MUST have already been developed, documented, and incorporated into the employer's energy control program-- i.e. there must already have been preparation and training for such a scenario. Without this preparation, the lock cannot be removed until the employee returns.

Before removing the lock, the employer MUST:

• Verify that the authorized employee who applied the device is not at the facility.
• Make all reasonable efforts to contact the authorized employee to inform him/her that his/her lockout or tagout device has been removed.
• Ensure that the authorized employees knows that the lockout device has been removed before he/she resumes work at the facility.