Question

liza is an authorized employee who needs to adjust the machine that owen operates. owen is an affected employee and wants to help with the service work. what should liza decide?

its okay for owen to help remove old parts from the machine, but he cant adjust or install new parts.
its okay for owen to make the adjustments to the machine because hes the normal machine operator.
its okay for owen to get the locks and apply them, but lizas name needs to be written on them.
its okay for owen to notify the other employees, but liza needs to initiate the lockout/tagout process.
its not okay for owen to assist in any way until hes trained as an authorized employee on that machine.

Explanation:

Identify roles in Lockout/Tagout

The scenario describes Liza as an Authorized Employee and Owen as an Affected Employee. Under OSHA standards, these roles have distinct boundaries.

Define role responsibilities

An Authorized Employee is trained to lock out or tag out machines to perform servicing or maintenance. An Affected Employee operates the machine or works in the area but is not authorized to perform servicing, apply locks, or assist with the lockout/tagout process.

Evaluate the options

Owen wants to help with the service work. Because Owen is only an Affected Employee, he is not permitted to assist with servicing, adjusting, or applying locks. He must not assist in any way until he receives the proper training and certification to become an Authorized Employee on that machine.

Answer:

• (A) It's okay for Owen to help remove old parts from the machine, but he can't adjust or install new parts.
• (B) It's okay for Owen to make the adjustments to the machine because he's the normal machine operator.
• (C) It's okay for Owen to get the locks and apply them, but Liza's name needs to be written on them.
• (D) It's okay for Owen to notify the other employees, but Liza needs to initiate the lockout/tagout process.
• (E) It's not okay for Owen to assist in any way until he's trained as an authorized employee on that machine. (Correct answer)