📋 OSHA 1910.147 Written Procedure

LOTO Procedure Template: A Fillable Outline for 1910.147

Q: What four sections does OSHA 1910.147(c)(4) require in every written LOTO procedure template?

Per 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i) and (ii), every written energy-control procedure must contain a scope statement naming the equipment and the authorized employees who service it, a specific statement of the energy sources and their magnitudes, the use of the procedural steps for shutdown, isolation, stored-energy dissipation or restraint, and verification, and the requirements for re-energization. A copy-paste template that omits any of the four sections fails the standard.

Q: When can a single LOTO procedure template cover multiple machines under 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A)?

A single written procedure may cover a group of machines only when the equipment is identical, the energy sources and isolation points are identical, and the procedural steps for servicing are identical. As soon as one machine in the group has a different isolation device, a different magnitude of energy, or a different procedural step, a separate written procedure is required for that machine — the group exception does not extend to mixed assets.

Q: Who is allowed to perform a LOTO procedure built from this template?

Only authorized employees listed on the procedure — either named individually or identified by job classification — who have completed the 1910.147(c)(7) training on that specific procedure or procedure group. Affected employees (those who operate the machine but do not perform the lockout) and other employees in the area must not attempt to perform lockout from this template, even if it fills out the same way; the authorization is a people decision, not a procedural one.

Q: How should a completed LOTO procedure template be kept current?

Keep each completed procedure tied to the specific machine, energy sources, isolation points, and authorized employees it covers. Review it after equipment or process changes, document the annual inspection, and retrain affected roles when the procedure or work conditions change.

OSHA 1910.147(c)(4) requires every written energy-control procedure to contain four specific sections — and a generic copy-paste template fails the standard the moment it's stamped onto a real machine. The outline below names what those four sections are, what OSHA cites for each one, and what to fill in for the asset you're putting it on.

A copy-pasted "LOTO procedure template" that names a generic machine and skips isolation points lines up with §1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A) on paper and fails on the floor. OSHA expects every machine to have its own procedure with the four required sections enumerated, scoped to the actual asset, energy sources, and authorized employees on it. Use the boxes below as a fillable outline — the blanks below each section are what you fill out per machine, not optional flavor.

Fillable Template — Four Required Sections of a 1910.147 Procedure

1. Scope, purpose, and authorized employees — §1910.147(c)(4)(i)(A)

OSHA requires the procedure to name the equipment it covers, the purpose of the procedure, and the employees authorized to perform it. A scope statement that says "this procedure covers maintenance on shop equipment" is not specific enough — auditors want the asset ID, the procedure's intent, and the named or group-identified authorized employees on the page.

✓ Machine / Asset ID: __________ (match the asset tag on the physical machine)
✓ Procedure purpose: __________ (e.g. scheduled maintenance, jam clearing, filter change, sensor replacement)
✓ Authorized employees (group or named list): __________ (maintenance group A, or names + roles)
✓ Procedure revision: v__ Effective date: __________ Reviewer: __________

Auditor check: a sample of authorized employees is asked to retrieve this procedure on the spot — if the names or group qualifier don't match the floor, this section fails inspection.

2. Energy sources and isolation points — §1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B)

OSHA requires a specific statement of the energy sources, the magnitudes involved, and the isolation devices — not a generic "lock the main." Multi-source equipment must list every source separately. Copy the row set once per energy source on the machine.

✓ Energy type (electrical / mechanical / hydraulic / pneumatic / thermal / chemical / gravitational): __________
✓ Energy magnitude (V / psi / °F / etc.): __________
✓ Isolation device (breaker / valve / disconnect / block valve / etc.): __________
✓ Device identifier (tag / number / panel position): __________
✓ Lockout device used (padlock + tag, breaker lockout hasp, ball-valve cover, etc.): __________
✓ Stored / residual energy method (bleed / dissipate / block / restrain / gravity-restraint): __________

Auditor check: the auditor picks a source off the energy-source list and asks the operator to point at the device on the machine — mismatched identifiers or missing stored-energy notes are the most frequent citation.

3. Shutdown, isolation, stored-energy dissipation, and verification steps — §1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D)

Per §1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D), the procedure must contain the specific procedural steps for shutdown, total isolation, dissipation or restraint of stored energy, and verification that the energy is zero before any work begins. Each step is numbered and observable — auditors expect to see an operator perform the verification step, not just have it written.

✓ Step __: Notify affected employees that the machine is going down for lockout.
✓ Step __: Shut down the machine using the normal stop procedure (operator panel / control switch / "STOP" button).
✓ Step __: Isolate every energy source listed in §2 at its named device (breaker, valve, disconnect).
✓ Step __: Apply a personal lock + tag at each isolation point — one lock per authorized employee on the job.
✓ Step __: Dissipate or restrain any stored energy by the method named in §2 (bleed the pneumatic line, block the hydraulic ram, dissipate the capacitor, restrain the gravitational drop).
✓ Step __: Verify zero energy by named method (meter test at the disconnect, mechanical block check, observation of pressure gauge at zero, dissipation sequence completion).
✓ Step __: Perform the work the procedure was written for.
✓ Step __: Reverse on completion — proceed to Section 4 (Release-of-LOTO and re-energization).

Auditor check: the auditor watches an authorized employee perform Step 7 (verification) before work begins — a procedure that lists it but an operator who skips it is the most common §1910.147(d)(6) failure.

4. Release-of-LOTO and re-energization steps — §1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(E) + (d)(4)

OSHA also requires the procedure to specify how lockout devices are removed and the machine is re-energized. Skipping this section is a frequent deficiency — most teams write the lock-on steps and leave the lock-off steps to memory.

✓ Step __: Inspect the work area — tools removed, debris cleared, employees clear of the machine.
✓ Step __: Verify all employees are safely positioned away from the machine before re-energization.
✓ Step __: Remove each lockout device in reverse order — the authorized employee who applied each lock removes it.
✓ Step __: Re-energize following the machine's documented startup sequence (control power → drive → operating mode).
✓ Step __: Notify affected employees that the machine is back in service and the lockout is removed.

Auditor check: a sample of removed-lockout records is matched against the work-order closure — a lockout record that doesn't close cleanly is treated as an incomplete release.

This fillable outline gets a team most of the way through §1910.147(c)(4) — once each of the four sections is keyed to a real machine, the procedure is a written energy-control procedure, not a template. The next step is keeping it that way: a paper template goes stale the first time the machine is retooled, the breaker is replaced, or the energy source list shifts. Tie each completed procedure to a controlled review process, annual inspection, and the OSHA 1910.147 training your authorized and affected employees need to apply it correctly.

Pair this template with OSHA 1910.147 LOTO training

Use the four-section outline above with Apprentice's LOTO course to reinforce energy-control roles, verification steps, release requirements, and retraining triggers for authorized and affected employees.

Explore OSHA 1910.147 Training → Browse Course Library

FAQ — LOTO Procedure Template for 1910.147

What four sections does OSHA 1910.147(c)(4) require in every written LOTO procedure template?

Per 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i) and (ii), every written energy-control procedure must contain: a scope statement with the specific equipment covered and the authorized employees; a specific statement of the energy sources, magnitudes, and isolation points; the specific procedural steps for shutdown, isolation, stored-energy dissipation or restraint, and verification; and the requirements for re-energization and lockout release. A template that skips any one of the four sections fails the standard on inspection.

When can a single LOTO procedure template cover multiple machines under 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A)?

A single written procedure may cover a group of machines only when the equipment is identical, the energy sources and their isolation devices are identical, and the procedural steps for servicing are identical — per 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(A)(2). The group exception ends the moment any machine in the set has a different isolation device, a different energy magnitude, or a different procedural step. Mixed assets require separate written procedures, even if a generic template would otherwise cover all of them.

Who is allowed to perform a LOTO procedure built from this template?

Only authorized employees listed on Section 1 of the procedure — either by name or by job classification — who have completed the 1910.147(c)(7) training on that specific procedure or procedure group. Affected employees (those who operate the machine but do not perform the lockout) and other employees in the area must not attempt to perform lockout from this template even when the form is filled out identically to the authorized version. Authorization is a people decision tied to training records, not a procedural outcome of the template.

How should a completed LOTO procedure template be kept current?

Keep the completed procedure tied to the specific machine and its current energy sources, isolation points, verification method, and authorized employees. Review it after equipment or process changes, document the annual periodic inspection, and pair revisions with the OSHA 1910.147 training or retraining employees need before they perform the work.