The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) commented on the request for information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to understand the strengths and limitations of new lockout/tagout (LOTO) technology.

“Our members believe that using existing LOTO methods are the safest and most effective tools to reduce this type of risk. Our facilities implement LOTO several times per day in our facilities and the simple process of flipping the breaker for a machine, locking it out, tagging it out and then testing to ensure that it has been de-energized and depleted of stored energy is the best method. If complicated electronic devices are introduced into the system, it could cause confusion and additional risk, especially if the equipment has had serious maintenance or an overhaul,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith in a statement.

Safety is a top concern of NWRA and its member companies, noted NWRA. The association said it does not believe these devices would be beneficial or at least as effective as current devices.

NWRA also commented on a proposed compressed natural gas (CNG) inspection rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“NWRA applauds NHTSA for appropriately balancing safety with burdensome regulations. Our member companies primarily operate heavy-duty vehicles as defined by NHTSA. We support the proposed rule to modify inspections to at least every 12 months,” said Smith in a statement.

The proposed rule aligns with the agency’s intent that the inspection interval be reasonable and aligns with the agency’s requirement that inspections must be performed annually.