Ross Controls RIGHT ANGLE - Manual (Page 2)

2 © 2012, ROSS CONTROLS. All Rights Reserved.
Regulations for Workplace Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
regulation (29 CFR 1910.147) details safety requirements for
the control of hazardous energy during the maintenance and
servicing of machines and equipment.
WHAT DOES THE RULE REQUIRE?
In general terms, the rule requires that energy sources
(pneumatic, electric, hydraulic, etc.) be shut off or disconnected
while equipment is being serviced. Furthermore, the
disconnected valve or switch must be locked to prevent
reactivation while anyone is working on the equipment.
In the case of air-operated equipment, a lockout valve must
be used to cut off the air supply to the equipment and exhaust
any stored or residual downstream air. (OSHA Regulation 29
CFR 1910.147 lists a number of requirements for the control
of hazardous energy sources.) In addition, ROSS L-O-X
®
and EEZ-ON ® products assist manufacturers in complying
with European regulation EN 1037 (Safety of Machinery). For
complete information, please read the entire regulations.
WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE RULE?
An estimated 631,000 businesses are affected by this
OSHA regulation. The majority of those affected are in the
manufacturing and servicing industries. Among individual
workers, equipment operators and those performing service
on equipment are at the greatest risk of injury. Workers
involved with packaging equipment, presses, and conveyor
systems are also said to be at high risk.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE RULE?
The Secretary of Labor says the procedures were developed
to protect 39 million American workers from injury, and more
than six percent of all workplace deaths can be eliminated in
the affected industries. Statistics indicate that implementation
of the regulation could prevent 120 deaths and 60,000 injuries
annually.
HOW CAN THE RULE BE IMPLEMENTED?
The rule requires equipment to have “energy isolation
devices” (to isolate the equipment from its energy
sources), and that such devices be capable of being
locked in the “off” position. Formal procedures must be
established to de-energize the equipment, isolate it, and
ensure that any stored energy (for example, air pressure
trapped downstream in a system) has been dissipated.
Employee training in these procedures is mandatory.
If your company uses pneumatically-controlled equipment,
or if you are a manufacturer of pneumatically operated
equipment, OSHA rules can have a substantial effect on
your business. As an employer, compliance may involve
modifications to the air control systems for equipment
in your plant. As a manufacturer, the new machines
or equipment you deliver should include lockout-and-
exhaust devices as a part of your standard package
.
Referenced Standards:
All standards are subject to revision. Parties are encouraged to
investigate and apply the most recent editions of the standards
indicated below.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147
CSA Z142-02*
CSA Z460-05*
ISO 13849-1
ISO 14118:2000
EN 1037
ANSI/ASSE Z244.1-2003 (R2008)
ANSI/PMMI B155.1 - 2011*
Here are some key points about the control of pneumatic energy:
SHUT-OFF VALVE REQUIRED
Each piece of equipment must have a shut-off valve to isolate
the equipment from its air supply and so render the equipment
inoperative.
SHUT-OFF VALVE SHOULD BE LOCKABLE
The valve is lockable if it is designed to allow the use of a
padlock to keep the valve in the closed position.
PRESSURIZED DOWNSTREAM AIR MUST
BE RELIEVED
In addition to locking out the air supply, all downstream air
must be depressurized by providing an exhaust to atmosphere.
Workers must also verify isolation and de-energizing, while
being certain there is no reaccumulation of pressurized air
during service or maintenance activities.
“TAGOUT” MAY REPLACE “LOCKOUT” ONLY UNDER
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
(1) If energy isolation device cannot be locked out;
(2) If employer shows that tagout provides safety equivalent to
lockout. Whenever major replacement, repair, renovation, or
modification of equipment is performed, or when new equipment
is installed, energy isolating devices for such equipment must
be designed to accept a lockout device.
ROSS L-O-X ® VALVES ARE BUILT TO SATISFY THE
TOUGHEST REQUIREMENTS
L-O-X ® valves provide shut-off control, they are lockable, and
they exhaust downstream air to atmosphere. There are several
different designs to meet virtually every plant requirement.
*
ROSS L-O-X ® VALVES ARE EASY TO OPERATE
Positive: push/pull & detented.
*
ROSS L-O-X ® VALVES HAVE EXHAUST PORT EQUAL OR
GREATER THAN SUPPLY
High Flow: dumps pressure quickly.
*
ROSS L-O-X ® VALVES HAVE VISIBLE INDICATOR OF
PRESSURE RELEASE
Verification port, optional pop-up indicator.