Lockout/Tagout Compliance for General Manufacturing

29 CFR 1910.147 — Requires employers to establish a written program and procedures to disable machinery and prevent the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance.

Any general-industry employer whose workers service or maintain machines or equipment where unexpected energization, start-up, or release of stored energy could cause injury.

How Lockout/Tagout Applies to General Manufacturing

Manufacturing plants are LOTO's home turf — and OSHA's. Press brakes, conveyors, robotic cells, CNCs, and packaging lines all need machine-specific procedures, with stored-energy steps (residual hydraulic pressure, capacitor discharge, gravity blocks) explicitly written. Annual procedure audits are the most-cited gap.

Key Requirements

  • Written energy-control program covering all machines and energy sources
  • Equipment-specific lockout procedures (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, thermal, chemical, gravity)
  • Authorized-employee, affected-employee, and other-employee training with documentation
  • Annual periodic inspection of each procedure by an authorized employee not using it
  • Lockout devices and tags issued, controlled, and standardized across the facility
  • Group lockout procedures for multi-person work
  • Shift-change and contractor coordination protocols

Most-Cited Violations

  • 1910.147(c)(4)(i) — No equipment-specific written procedures
  • 1910.147(c)(6)(i) — Annual inspection not performed or not documented
  • 1910.147(c)(7)(i) — Authorized employee training missing or stale
  • 1910.147(c)(1) — No written energy-control program at all

Typical fine range: $8,000–$32,000 per Serious citation (settled). Repeat or Willful: $50,000–$165,514.

How SafetyNet Helps General Manufacturing Employers Comply with Lockout/Tagout

  • Gap Assessment — Third-party audit against 1910.147 with prioritized remediation roadmap.
  • On-Site Managed Services — Embedded certified safety professional running your Lockout/Tagout program day-to-day.
  • Citation Assistance — If you have received a 1910.147 citation, our consultants help with informal-conference negotiation and abatement.

Free Tools

Lockout/Tagout for Other Industries

Other Standards Relevant to Manufacturing

This page summarizes federal OSHA requirements. State-plan jurisdictions may have stricter requirements. Fine ranges are planning estimates; they are not legal advice. For a binding compliance assessment, contact a SafetyNet consultant.