April 29, 2025

Lockout/Tagout procedures and passenger safety in motor vehicles

As a service to our policyholders, Texas Mutual shares serious workplace injury trends based on catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to our claims department. Not all of these reported injuries are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but our goal is to help you ensure these types of incidents do not happen in your workplace. Find safety tips below to help keep your employees safe on the job.

You can contact our safety services support center with any questions at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.

In this alert:

• Lockout/Tagout procedures
• Passenger safety in motor vehicles

Lockout/Tagout procedures

An employee was attempting to service a machine without de-energizing it. When the employee placed their hand into the machine to adjust a part, a safety mechanism activated, closing an access panel on the employee. In a separate incident, an employee was servicing the electrical panel of a machine and was electrocuted.

Failure to properly de-energize and lockout machinery before maintenance or troubleshooting is a significant safety concern in industrial settings. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), compliance with the lockout/tagout standard could prevent an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year.

• Identify all potential forms of hazardous energy and review lockout/tagout procedures before beginning work.
• Shut down and isolate equipment from all energy sources, including stored energy in capacitors, pressure systems, fuel lines, springs and suspended parts.
• Apply appropriate lockout devices and tags to secure all energy-isolating devices.
• Release any stored energy safely, then verify complete de-energization by testing all operating controls.
• Inform all employees in the area about the lockout, even if they’re not involved in the maintenance.

Passenger safety in motor vehicles

An employee was a passenger in a truck that attempted to cross railroad tracks and was struck by an oncoming train. In a separate incident, a company truck with multiple employee passengers attempted to cross the highway. No employees alerted the driver to an approaching vehicle, which crashed into the truck transporting the employees.

Passengers in motor vehicles play a crucial role in promoting safety on the road. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 6,122 passengers were fatally injured in passenger vehicle crashes in 2022.

• Always wear your seatbelt, regardless of your position in the vehicle or the length of the trip.
• Remain alert and monitor the driver to ensure safe driving practices are being followed.
• Watch the road and communicate potential hazards to the driver.
• Avoid distracting the driver with unnecessary conversation or actions.
• Offer assistance if you notice signs of driver fatigue, drowsiness, or unsafe behavior such as speeding.

Get free safety resources

Texas Mutual policyholders have access to thousands of free training materials in our multimedia safety resource center, including our safety catalog with up-to-date resources.

To access the free materials, log in to your texasmutual.com account and select Safety. If you need help accessing safety resources or you have a safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (201KB) version of the April Safety Alert.