A machine can be quiet without its energy sources being isolated. When equipment starts during cleaning, the investigation needs to establish what stopped it, what could still make it move and who restored power. Whether someone pressed a stop button is only part of that account.
Describe the cleaning task and the available energy
Record where the worker entered or reached into the machine and what the cleaning method involved. Identify the controls, disconnects, pneumatic or hydraulic pressure and any stored energy. Different cleaning routines can require different procedures, even on the same equipment.
An emergency stop, an ordinary control-panel button and an energy-isolating device serve different functions. The motor being quiet does not establish that a lock prevented it from starting. The actual devices and their positions need to be documented.
Put the restart in sequence
Preserve video, work-order timestamps and any record of the machine’s control state. Identify who restored power and how that step related to the cleaning work. Compare those records with the lock assignment and any shift handoff, rather than relying only on a later description that the machine had been “shut down.”
The written procedure, training records and periodic inspections provide context for what people were expected to do. They should be considered alongside evidence of what happened during this cleaning operation.
Check which energy-control requirements applied
OSHA’s lockout/tagout rule addresses covered servicing and maintenance where unexpected energization, startup or release of stored energy could injure employees. Its scope and limited exceptions require review of the actual task.
A tag can warn someone against operation without providing a lock’s physical restraint. The presence of a tag alone does not establish compliance. Examine the device, the written controls and how they were used before reaching that conclusion.
Identify who installed, serviced and controlled the equipment
The machinery owner, control installer, service vendor and people directing the cleaning crew may have different roles. For a workplace injury claim, compare each company’s work with the energy-control sequence and the preserved machine.
R.S. 23:1032 may limit a tort claim against the employer. The Louisiana workers’ compensation overview explains the benefits framework. A possible third-party claim alongside compensation against an independent vendor or manufacturer requires separate analysis of its conduct and the applicable law.
Sources checked: September 30, 2026.