NIOSH Toolbox Talks Cover Fire Safety, Lockout/Tagout/Tryout

On Sept. 14, NIOSH published two toolbox talk documents addressing different aspects of occupational safety. The first covers workplace fire hazards (PDF) while the second deals with lockout/tagout/tryout practices for safely performing maintenance on workplace equipment (PDF).

The fire safety document describes a scenario in which a worker is painting the walls of an attic in a three-story house. A fire breaks out in the basement, but the house lacks working smoke alarms, and the worker cannot smell the smoke, resulting in his death. Employers must provide fire protection programs and explain them to workers, NIOSH states. The document also provides instruction on identifying fire hazards, the need for different types of fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires, the importance of ventilation to remove flammable and combustible fumes and vapors, and other controls.

According to the second toolbox talk, lockout/tagout/tryout is the process by which a worker shuts off or isolates the power to a machine, applies a lockout hasp to lock the energy source in the off position, puts a warning tag on the equipment, releases or blocks any stored energy, and tries to turn the machine on, confirming that it has been shut down and locked out. The worker may then safely service the machine without risking electrocution or other hazards. The document notes that machines, especially those marked as “high voltage,” may store energy even when disconnected from power sources, so workers must try out and visually check that energy sources have been released or de-energized before servicing equipment. NIOSH also urges workers to communicate with each other about equipment shutdowns and restarts.

The Fire Safety and Lockout/Tagout/Tryout toolbox talks are both available through NIOSH’s website.