OSHA Lockout/Tagout Standard: What 1910.147 Requires, and the Enforcement Record
Lockout/tagout, the control of hazardous energy, exists to keep machines from starting up while someone is working on them. It carries the highest penalty total of the standards covered in this series. This is what 29 CFR 1910.147 requires and what the enforcement records show. Citation counts come from the full DOL OSHA enforcement dataset, counted by citation issuance year, federal and state-plan programs combined. Data queried June 30, 2026.
Key Findings
- 29 CFR 1910.147, the control of hazardous energy, has been cited 214,060 times across 212,900 inspections, with more than $322 million in current penalties on record.
- That is the highest penalty total among the standards covered in this series.
- OSHA ranks it fourth on its official Top 10 most cited standards for fiscal year 2025.
- Annual citations rose over the period: 3,114 in 2020, 3,204 in 2021, 3,819 in 2022, 4,433 in 2023, 4,713 in 2024, and 4,512 in 2025.
- The most cited provisions are the energy control program (c)(1) with 45,424 citations, and the documented energy control procedures (c)(4)(i) with 42,720 citations and $96.8 million in penalties.
What the lockout/tagout standard requires
1910.147 requires an energy control program built from three elements, written procedures, training, and periodic inspection. The provisions cited most often track those elements:
- Energy control program, (c)(1). Establish a program of energy control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections so machines are isolated and rendered inoperative before servicing.
- Documented procedures, (c)(4)(i). Develop, document, and use procedures for controlling hazardous energy, with a limited exception for certain simple, single-source equipment.
- Periodic inspection, (c)(6)(i). Inspect the energy control procedure at least annually, performed by an authorized employee other than the one using the procedure, to find and correct deviations.
- Training, (c)(7)(i). Train authorized, affected, and other employees so they understand the program and can apply, use, and remove energy controls safely.
The full regulatory text is published by the Office of the Federal Register at ecfr.gov (Title 29, Section 1910.147), and by OSHA at osha.gov.
The most cited lockout/tagout provisions
Citations are recorded against specific paragraphs. The program itself and its written procedures account for the largest share, and the documented-procedures provision carries the single largest penalty total.
| Provision | Covers | Citations | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910.147(c)(1) | Energy control program | 45,424 | $40.5M |
| 1910.147(c)(4)(i) | Documented energy control procedures | 42,720 | $96.8M |
| 1910.147(c)(6)(i) | Annual periodic inspection | 23,199 | $24.4M |
| 1910.147(c)(7)(i) | Employee training | 22,191 | $23.2M |
| 1910.147(c)(4)(ii) | Content of the procedures | 13,254 | $19.9M |
Counts are all years on record by citation issuance date, with whitespace variants of the same paragraph code combined. Penalties are current penalties on record, rounded to the nearest $100,000.
Citation trend, 2020 to 2025
| Year | Citations under 1910.147 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,114 |
| 2021 | 3,204 |
| 2022 | 3,819 |
| 2023 | 4,433 |
| 2024 | 4,713 |
| 2025 | 4,512 |
Counts are by citation issuance year across federal and state-plan programs. The full record for this standard is on the 1910.147 standard page, and the wider ranking is in our Top 10 most cited standards analysis.
Methodology and sources
Citation counts are from the U.S. DOL OSHA enforcement dataset (developer.dol.gov), counted by citation issuance date, federal and state-plan programs combined, delete-flagged records excluded. Provision totals combine whitespace variants of the same paragraph code. Penalty values are current penalties on record, not necessarily final after settlement, rounded to the nearest $100,000. Standard text and paragraph subjects: Office of the Federal Register, eCFR Title 29, 1910.147, and OSHA, osha.gov. Most-cited ranking: OSHA, osha.gov/top10citedstandards, fiscal year 2025. No records are estimated. Data queried June 30, 2026.
29 CFR 1910.147, the control of hazardous energy. It requires employers to establish an energy control program so that machines are isolated from their energy sources, and rendered inoperative, before servicing or maintenance, to prevent unexpected startup or the release of stored energy. The program has three parts: written procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections.
Lockout or tagout applies when employees service or maintain machines and the unexpected start-up, energization, or release of stored energy could cause injury. Energy sources include electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, and thermal energy. The standard sets limited exceptions, such as minor servicing during normal production and some cord-and-plug equipment.
Yes. Under 1910.147(c)(6)(i), the employer must conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually, performed by an authorized employee other than the one using the procedure under review, to find and correct any deviations.
In the federal enforcement records, 29 CFR 1910.147 has been cited 214,060 times across 212,900 inspections, with more than $322 million in current penalties on record, the highest penalty total among these standards. It was cited 4,512 times in 2025, and OSHA ranks it fourth on its Top 10 for fiscal year 2025.
Data Source and Methodology
Data synced dailyData on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement database, accessed via the DOL public data API. Records are updated daily. We strive for accuracy, but errors in data processing or establishment grouping are possible. Penalty amounts reflect the latest penalty amounts on record in the DOL database and may differ from initial assessments or final amounts after informal conference, settlement, or judicial review. Company pages group inspection records by normalized employer name, city, and state as reported in OSHA records. That grouping is deterministic and non-fuzzy, but it is not a universal legal-entity identifier. If you believe any record is inaccurate, please report it and we will investigate. This product uses the DOL Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the DOL. For official and authoritative records, visit osha.gov.