Lockout/Tagout Training Requirements in Michigan: MIOSHA Part 85

Michigan’s MIOSHA Part 85 adopts federal 1910.147 by reference, so the training and certification rules are the federal ones, but MIOSHA’s compliance guide and a dozen vertical standards push employers toward lockout over tagout. The rule, the guide, and how online training fits.

Michigan is an OSHA State Plan state. MIOSHA General Industry Safety Standard Part 85, The Control of Hazardous Energy Sources (R 408.18501 and following), adopts federal 29 CFR 1910.147 by reference (R 408.18502, the May 2, 2011 version with Appendix A), so the lockout/tagout training, annual inspection and certification rules in Michigan are the federal ones: train authorized, affected and other employees, retrain on job or procedure changes, inspect each procedure at least annually, and certify training with each employee’s name and dates. Where another MIOSHA general industry standard has its own lockout language, that standard prevails (R 408.18501), and MIOSHA’s compliance guide lists twelve such standards that require locks and do not allow tagout. There is no Michigan license or approved course.

The Rule in Michigan

1910.147 as adopted by R 408.18502: energy control program and machine-specific procedures (c)(4); periodic inspection at least annually with certification (c)(6); training for authorized, affected and other employees (c)(7)(i); retraining on job reassignment, new hazard, procedure change or inadequacies (c)(7)(iii); certification with each employee’s name and dates of training (c)(7)(iv).
Vertical standards prevail (R 408.18501): where a specific MIOSHA standard has lockout requirements, those govern. MIOSHA’s Lockout/Tagout Compliance Guide (CET SP #27) lists twelve such parts that require locks and do not permit tagout, and states that lockout is a sure means of ensuring de-energization while tagout is only for devices that cannot be locked or where full protection is demonstrated.
Electrical: MIOSHA Part 40 (R 408.14002 to 14005).

Does Michigan Require a Lockout/Tagout License or Approved Course?

No. MIOSHA does not approve or license lockout training. The MIOSHA Training Institute offers a one-day Part 85 seminar for safety staff, which is a voluntary credential, not a legal requirement. The documentation MIOSHA expects is the (c)(7)(iv) training certification and the (c)(6) inspection certification; CET SP #27 includes sample forms for both, with a training record that captures name, dates, items taught, employee category and instructor signature.

How Online Lockout/Tagout Training Fits in Michigan

MIOSHA does not approve or license lockout/tagout courses. The rule asks the employer to train authorized employees to recognize hazardous energy and apply the isolation methods, to teach affected employees the purpose and use of the procedure, and to tell everyone else not to restart locked-out equipment; then to keep a written certification of who was trained and when. Shield’s lockout/tagout course covers the knowledge portion in 40 to 55 minutes, in English or Spanish: energy sources, lockout devices, the six-step procedure, group lockout and shift change, with a 10-question exam, a certificate and a phone wallet card. The part no course can do is your site’s machine-specific procedures; walk the authorized employees through those, then log the training with our free certification tool.

Lockout/tagout step-by-step checklist (printable)

Free tool: fill in and print the lockout/tagout training certification (employee, role, procedures covered, trainer, date)

MIOSHA Resources

MIOSHA’s Consultation Education and Training Division publishes the Lockout/Tagout Compliance Guide (CET SP #27) with sample program, training record and inspection forms. CET consultation visits are free; see our Michigan forklift guide for contact details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Michigan’s lockout rule different from federal OSHA?

The core rule is federal 1910.147 adopted by reference. The practical difference is that twelve MIOSHA vertical standards require locks and do not allow tagout, and MIOSHA’s guide expects lockout wherever the device can be locked.

What must the Michigan training certification contain?

Each employee’s name and dates of training (1910.147(c)(7)(iv) as adopted). MIOSHA’s own sample record adds items taught, employee category and instructor signature; our free tool captures the same.

How often is the energy control procedure inspected?

At least annually under (c)(6), by an authorized employee not using the procedure, with a certification naming the machine, date, employees and inspector.

Does MIOSHA accept online lockout training?

For the knowledge portion. Authorized employees also need training on your site’s machine-specific procedures and on any vertical standard that applies to their equipment.

Lockout/tagout training in other states

Related Michigan guides

Sources: MIOSHA Part 85, The Control of Hazardous Energy Sources, R 408.18502 (adoption of 1910.147); MIOSHA CET SP #27, Lockout/Tagout Compliance Guide; MIOSHA Training Institute: Part 85 Control of Hazardous Energy Sources; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout); OSHA Lockout/Tagout fact sheet (FS-3529)

Lockout/Tagout Safety Certification, $59, English and Spanish, for authorized and affected employees, training certification tool included.