Hazardous Energy Control

This Hazardous Energy Control Plan establishes performance objectives for the protection of university faculty, staff, students, and outside contractors working at the University of Houston - Downtown. The Hazardous Energy Control Plan shall provide for personal protection from injury due to unexpected energization, startup or release of stored energy for persons working in, on, or around equipment or machinery when it is being maintained, operated, repaired, or serviced. These procedures require that all energy isolating devices for equipment, machinery, and processes be properly labeled or otherwise identified, and when required, shall have the appropriate Lock-Out/Tag-Out device attached.

The Hazardous Energy Control Plan shall apply to activities such as adjusting, construction, erecting, inspecting, installing, maintaining, operating, repairing, or otherwise servicing the equipment, machinery, and/or processes. It applies to all energy sources including, but not limited to; chemical, electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, nuclear, pneumatic, radioactive (i.e. laser and x-ray), as well as thermal.

When an outside contractor, working at or for the University of Houston – Downtown, is engaged in adjusting, construction, erecting, inspecting, installing, maintaining, operating, repairing, or servicing equipment, machinery, and/or processes they shall follow the UHD Lock-Out/Tag-Out Plan, which conforms or exceeds the requirements of that which is required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147. The UHD Project Coordinator will verify at the pre-construction meetings that contractors working at the University and its affiliated satellites have the necessary health and safety policies, procedures, and site rules for the protection of the campus community. A Group Lock-Out/Tag-Out shall be utilized with the outside contractor and the UHD Project Coordinator to verify completion of work before re-energizing.