What this is
What does lockout tagout training cover?
What does lockout tagout training cover?
Under 1910.147(c)(7), recognition of hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of energy in the workplace, and the methods and means for isolation and control, delivered at a depth appropriate to whether the person is authorised, affected or neither.
Who is an affected employee?
Someone whose job requires them to operate or use a machine on which servicing is performed under lockout, or who works in an area where such servicing occurs. They must be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure, and specifically must not attempt to restart equipment that is locked or tagged out.
Scope
When is a lockout tagout training required?
This record covers energy control training. The procedures and the isolation records sit separately.
Use this template when
- Initial training before an employee is assigned duties involving energy control
- Training affected employees who operate equipment serviced under lockout
- Instructing other employees who work in areas where energy control is used
- Retraining on change of role, machine, process or procedure
- Retraining where a periodic inspection identifies deviations or inadequate knowledge
Do not use it for
- Machine-specific energy control procedures, which state how each machine is isolated
- The periodic inspection under (c)(6), which certifies that procedures are being followed
- Group lockout records, which manage people during a specific job
- The permit to work, where the activity also requires authorisation
- Contractor energy control information exchange, which is a separate obligation
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.147(c)(7) requirements does this satisfy?
Training requirements sit within the energy control standard and are tied to the periodic inspection.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A) | Authorised employees: recognition of hazardous energy sources, type and magnitude, and methods for isolation and control | Theory content |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(B) | Affected employees: purpose and use of the energy control procedure | Theory content |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(C) | All other employees: instruction about the procedure and the prohibition on restarting locked or tagged equipment | Theory content |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(ii) | Additional training where tagout is used, covering the limitations of tags | Theory content |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(iii) | Retraining on change of assignment, machines, processes or procedures, or where inspection reveals inadequacies | Outcome |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(iv) | Certification of training with employee names and dates | Outcome |
| 1910.147(c)(6) | Periodic inspection at least annually, certifying that procedures are followed | Practical assessment |
| 1910.147(f)(2) | Contractor energy control information exchange in both directions | Procedure specific |
What it does not cover
- Machine-specific energy control procedures, stating how each machine is isolated and verified.
- The periodic inspection under (c)(6), certifying that procedures are being followed.
- Group lockout records, managing exposure during a specific job.
- Permit to work, where the activity requires separate authorisation.
- Contractor information exchange, a distinct obligation under (f)(2).
How to complete it
How to complete a lockout tagout training, step by step
Train to the category, cover tag limitations honestly, and let the periodic inspection drive retraining.
Authorised, affected and other employees receive different content at different depth, and the record should say which category each person was trained in. Someone moving from operator to maintenance changes category and requires the fuller training, which is a change of assignment and an explicit retraining trigger.
The standard requires recognition of the type and magnitude of energy available in the workplace, which means the actual voltages, pressures, stored energy and gravitational hazards on the equipment people work on. Generic content about hazardous energy does not meet a requirement written in those terms.
A tag is a warning device that provides no physical restraint, can be removed by anyone, and depends entirely on everyone understanding what it means. Where tagout is used, the standard requires training on those limitations specifically, and it is the element most often omitted because it is uncomfortable content.
The annual periodic inspection exists partly to identify deviations and inadequacies, and finding them is an explicit retraining trigger. Where inspections consistently record that everything is satisfactory, either the programme is exemplary or the inspection is not looking, and the retraining trigger never fires either way.
What auditors find
Most common lockout tagout training findings
Energy control training findings concentrate on category coverage and on retraining triggers.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Only authorised employees trained; affected and other employees not covered. | 1910.147(c)(7)(i) | Three categories with different content; affected employee instruction is short and specific. |
| Training generic rather than covering actual energy types and magnitudes. | 1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A) | The requirement names type and magnitude; cover the equipment people actually work on. |
| Tag limitations not covered where tagout is used. | 1910.147(c)(7)(ii) | Additional training is explicitly required and is the element most often skipped. |
| No retraining on change of assignment. | 1910.147(c)(7)(iii) | Category change is a trigger; an operator becoming a technician needs the fuller training. |
| Periodic inspection findings not feeding retraining. | 1910.147(c)(7)(iii) | Inadequacies identified in inspection are an explicit trigger. |
| Certification lacking employee names or dates. | 1910.147(c)(7)(iv) | Both are specified; a course attendance list is not certification. |
| Periodic inspections consistently finding nothing. | 1910.147(c)(6) | Either exemplary or not looking; observe an actual isolation rather than reviewing paperwork. |
| Contractors working under site procedures without information exchange. | 1910.147(f)(2) | Exchange in both directions and record it. |
| Training not repeated after a machine or procedure change. | 1910.147(c)(7)(iii) | New machines and revised procedures are both explicit triggers. |
| Practical application never observed. | 1910.147(c)(6) | Watch an isolation performed; knowledge of the steps is not the same as performing them. |
Case in point
Case in point: the operator who got it started
A maintenance technician isolated a conveyor to clear a blockage, applied his lock at the local isolator, and went to fetch a tool. The line had been stopped for around ten minutes and product was backing up behind it.
An operator, wanting to keep the line moving and finding the conveyor would not start from the panel, went to the motor control centre and started it from there. He had not been told what a lock on a local isolator meant, because the site trained maintenance staff as authorised employees and covered everyone else in general induction.
The standard requires affected employees to be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure, and all other employees to be instructed about the prohibition on attempting to restart equipment that is locked or tagged out. That instruction takes a few minutes and had never been given.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
6 sections
- Reference
- TRN-036
- Archetype
- Training
- Record ID
- TRN-2026-000
- Scoring
- Percent with pass mark
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.147(c)(7)
- Links
- Links Worker, Asset
- Tags
- Training, LOTO
- Sections
- 6
- Fields
- 63
- Follow up fields
- 5
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 7
Header
13 fieldsTraining ID*
Auto sequence. Format TRN-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Delivered By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Course
Course ID
Format CRS-000.
Links to FDN-007 Course ID
Delivery Method*
Duration Minutes*
Trainer Qualified*
- Yes3 pts
- Subject expert, not trainer trained1 pt
- No0 pts
Worker*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Theory content
4 fieldsWhy Isolation Fails
Video of a real incident reconstruction. In almost every case somebody believed the machine was isolated and had not verified it.
Every Energy Source
Electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, steam, thermal, chemical, gravity, spring and ammonia. Photographs of each on our equipment.
The Try Test
Attempt a normal start. If it runs, the isolation failed and you have found out safely. This is the step people skip.
Your Lock Is Yours
Only you remove your lock. Never lend it, never let somebody remove it for you, and never lock on behalf of a colleague.
Knowledge check
7 fieldsName five energy sources that could exist on your machine*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
What is a try test and when do you do it*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Who may remove your personal lock*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Where do you find the procedure for your machine*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Score Percent*
Pass Mark Percent*
Passed*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Procedure specific
8 fieldsEquipment Covered
Asset ID
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Machine Specific Procedures Reviewed*
- Yes3 pts
- Generic only1 pt
- No0 pts
Procedure ID
Links to MNT-055 Procedure ID
Group Lockout Covered*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Lock Removal Process Covered*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Shift Handover Continuity Covered*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Cleaning And Jam Clearing Covered*
Sanitation is where most isolation failures happen. Do not leave this to the maintenance module.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Practical assessment
14 fieldsAssessor*
Assessor Qualified*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Assessed On Real Equipment*
- Yes3 pts
- Simulator1 pt
- No0 pts
Identifies All Energy Sources*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Applies Locks Correctly*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Applies Tags Correctly*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Releases Stored Energy*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Performs Try Test*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Verifies Zero Energy*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Restores In Correct Sequence*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Clears The Area Before Restart*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Removes Own Lock Only*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Practical Result*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with development points2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Areas For Improvement
Outcome
17 fieldsOverall Result*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with note2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Retraining Required*
- No3 pts
- Yes1 pt
Retraining Detail
Authorisation Issued*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Authorisation ID
Links to TRN-024 Authorisation ID
Restrictions Applied
Matrix Updated*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Certificate Issued
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Valid Until*
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Trainer*
Signature*
Worker*
Second Signature*
TRN-036 · record IDs look like TRN-2026-000 · Links Worker, Asset
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The record certifies training by category. What fails is the two populations nobody trained and the inspection that found nothing.
Records training by category with names and dates, and triggers retraining on assignment, machine, process and procedure change.
Connects periodic inspection findings to retraining, so identified deviations produce a training obligation rather than an observation.
Links machine-specific procedures to the people trained on them, so a new machine raises a training requirement.
Covers the two-way energy control information exchange with contractors working under or alongside site procedures.
This template lives in KnowTrain — training and credentials. Induction, competency, toolbox talks, refreshers and expiry tracking.
Meet KnowTrain→Glossary
Lockout Tagout Training definitions and key terms
- Authorised employee
- A person who locks out or tags out machines to perform servicing or maintenance, receiving the fullest training.
- Affected employee
- Someone who operates equipment serviced under lockout, or works in the area, requiring instruction in the procedure's purpose and use.
- Other employees
- Anyone who may be in an area where energy control is used, requiring instruction about the prohibition on restarting.
- Tagout limitations
- That a tag is a warning device with no physical restraint, requiring additional training where tagout is used.
- Periodic inspection
- The annual inspection under (c)(6) certifying procedures are followed, which feeds retraining triggers.
- Retraining trigger
- Change of assignment, machine, process or procedure, or inadequacies revealed by periodic inspection.
- Type and magnitude
- The specific energy present, which the standard requires training to address rather than energy in general.
- Certification
- The training record containing employee names and dates, required explicitly by the standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about lockout tagout training
Who needs lockout tagout training?+
Three categories, at different depth. Authorised employees who apply energy control receive the fullest training. Affected employees who operate the equipment or work in the area are instructed in the purpose and use of the procedure. All other employees are instructed about the procedure and the prohibition on attempting to restart equipment that is locked or tagged out.
Why does affected employee training matter so much?+
Because it prevents someone finding another way to energise an isolated machine. It is the shortest content in the standard and it addresses a recurring fatal mechanism: an operator who does not know what a lock means, wants the line running, and starts the equipment from a different point. A few minutes of instruction stands between those two facts.
What extra is required for tagout?+
Training on the limitations of tags. A tag is a warning device offering no physical restraint. It can be removed by anyone, and it works only if everyone who sees it understands and respects what it means. The standard requires this to be covered specifically, and it is routinely omitted because it amounts to explaining that the control is weak.
When is retraining required?+
On change of job assignment, change in machines, equipment or processes that presents a new hazard, change in the energy control procedures, and whenever a periodic inspection reveals or the employer believes there are deviations from procedures or inadequacies in knowledge. That last trigger connects the annual inspection directly to training.
What should the periodic inspection actually do?+
Observe an isolation being performed and review the procedure with the authorised employee, rather than checking that paperwork exists. Where inspections consistently certify that everything is satisfactory, either the programme is exceptional or the inspection is reviewing records rather than watching work, and in the second case the retraining trigger never fires.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Lockout and Tagout
Audit Finding Record
Records a single audit finding with its evidence, clause reference and classification
Lockout/Tagout Procedure (Machine Specific)
Sets out exactly how to isolate a specific machine, listing every energy source and isolation point
LOTO Periodic Inspection
Checks that a specific energy control procedure is being followed correctly in practice
Energy Isolation Verification
Records the physical test proving stored energy is gone before work begins
Group Lockout Record
Records a group isolation where several people work on one machine under a single lockout
Lock Removal Authorization
Authorises removing a lock when the person who applied it is not available
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Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7), training and communication, OSHA
- 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6), periodic inspection, OSHA
- 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(2), contractor information exchange, OSHA
- 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4), energy control procedures, OSHA
- CSA Z460, control of hazardous energy (Canada)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.