Energy-control programs: machine procedures, devices, inspections and contractors
Lockout works only inside a program: written machine-specific procedures, standard devices, clear rules for the exceptions, periodic inspections, retraining and agreements with contractors. This course explains each part with the US OSHA lockout/tagout standard and UK HSE guidance as examples. This is awareness training written with US (OSHA) and UK (HSE) examples. The law where you work, your employer's procedures and the site's rules govern, and this course doesn't qualify you for any task that needs separate training or authorization.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 50 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 3 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify the parts of a machine-specific energy-control procedure and spot a weak verification step
- Distinguish authorized, affected and other employees and say who must be notified, and when
- Explain the device requirements (durable, standardized, substantial, identifiable) and why tags alone are weaker than locks
- Decide whether a task falls under the minor-servicing or cord-and-plug exceptions in the US example, or needs full lockout
- Follow the sequence for removing locks temporarily to test or position a machine
- Describe what a periodic inspection checks, who may do it, and when retraining is needed, including for contractors
Course outline
- 1.Energy-control programs: procedures, devices, inspections and contractorsVideo · 3 min
- 2.The program and the machine-specific procedureLesson · 17 min
- 3.Devices, exceptions and testing with locks offLesson · 17 min
- 4.Periodic inspections, retraining and contractorsLesson · 16 min
- 5.Energy-control programs: machine procedures, devices, inspections and contractors: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 17 questions
- 6.Energy-control programs: machine procedures, devices, inspections and contractors: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 7.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147: The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) (US example)
- HSE: Maintenance of work equipment (PUWER) (UK example)
- Your employer's safety procedures, risk assessments and site rules (these govern)
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.