What is an authorized employee in LOTO?

The person who locks out or tags out a machine to perform servicing or maintenance (1910.147(b)). They apply and remove the energy-isolating devices and must be trained to recognize and control the hazardous energy.

How is an authorized employee different from an affected employee?

The authorized employee applies the lock and does the work; the affected employee operates or works around the equipment but doesn't lock out. The same worker can be authorized for one machine and affected for another.

Who can remove a lockout device?

Generally, only the authorized employee who applied it. The standard allows removal by others only under a specific, documented procedure when that employee is unavailable.

OSHA term · Glossary

Authorized Employee

Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05

In OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147(b)), an authorized employee is the person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment to perform servicing or maintenance. They apply and remove the energy-isolating devices, so they must be trained to recognize the hazardous energy sources and know the procedures to control them. The role is task-specific: an employee can be authorized for one machine and merely affected for another.

29 CFR 1910.147(b)

Also known as: LOTO authorized employee

Authorized Employee at a glance

Applies and removes the lockout/tagout devices to service or maintain equipment.
Requires the most in-depth LOTO training — recognizing energy types, magnitudes, and control methods.
The role is machine/task-specific: authorized for the equipment they service, affected for others.
Only the authorized employee who applied a lock should remove it (with narrow exceptions under the standard).

In plain English

The worker who actually puts the lock on the machine before fixing it. They're trained to know what energy the machine holds and how to shut it down safely, so they're the ones who apply and remove the lockout.

What the source says, in summary

Authorized employee. A person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment.
29 CFR 1910.147(b)Summarized, not quoted: read the source for its operative wording.

In context

An enforcement, recordkeeping, or general-duty concept under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and 29 CFR. These terms define how OSHA inspects, cites, and penalizes employers.

29 CFR Chapter XVII

Where this is written in OSHA's rules

29 CFR 1910.147(b)Read on eCFR / OSHA.gov

Example

A maintenance tech shutting down and locking out a conveyor to clear a jam is the authorized employee: they isolate the energy, apply their personal lock, verify zero energy, then service it. The line operators who normally run that conveyor are affected employees — they must be notified but don't apply the lock.

Why it matters

LOTO failures are a leading cause of amputations and fatalities, and the authorized employee is the last line of defense — the person whose training and lock stand between a worker and stored energy. Getting authorized-employee training and lock discipline right is central to a compliant, life-saving LOTO program.

Authorized vs. affected employee

An authorized employee applies the lock and does the servicing. An affected employee operates or works around that equipment but does not lock out. The same person can be both — authorized for the machine they maintain, affected for a nearby machine someone else is servicing. It's defined by the task, not the job title.

LOTO employee roles (1910.147)

Role	Relationship to the lockout
Authorized	Applies/removes locks; performs the servicing
Affected	Operates or uses the machine; must be notified
Other	Works in the area; trained to not restart locked-out equipment

Authorized Employee: frequently asked questions

What is an authorized employee in LOTO?: The person who locks out or tags out a machine to perform servicing or maintenance (1910.147(b)). They apply and remove the energy-isolating devices and must be trained to recognize and control the hazardous energy.
How is an authorized employee different from an affected employee?: The authorized employee applies the lock and does the work; the affected employee operates or works around the equipment but doesn't lock out. The same worker can be authorized for one machine and affected for another.
Who can remove a lockout device?: Generally, only the authorized employee who applied it. The standard allows removal by others only under a specific, documented procedure when that employee is unavailable.

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More OSHA terms

Abatement

The action an employer takes to fix a cited violation or eliminate a hazard OSHA identified during an inspection. The citation sets an abatement date, the deadline to correct the hazard, and within 10 calendar days after that date the employer must certify to OSHA that the violation was abated. Failure to abate accrues additional penalties of up to $16,550 per day.

Area Director

The senior OSHA official in charge of a specific OSHA Area Office — the local unit that runs inspections and enforcement in its geographic territory. The Area Director has the authority to issue citations, propose penalties, hold informal conferences with employers, and approve settlement agreements. When a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) completes an inspection, it's the Area Director who ultimately issues the citation.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

The federal statistical agency within the U.S. Department of Labor that collects, analyzes, and publishes data on workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. BLS conducts the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) — compiled from employer OSHA 300 logs — and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). SOII data drives OSHA's Site-Specific Targeting (SST) program: establishments whose DART rates significantly exceed their BLS industry average are placed on the SST inspection list.

Competent Person

Under OSHA's construction standards, a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions, and who has the authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. The role requires both knowledge and the authority to act, and is mandated by name in many specific standards — excavations, scaffolds, fall protection, asbestos, and more.

Citation

The formal written notice OSHA issues to an employer after an inspection, describing each alleged violation, the standard cited, the proposed penalty, and the date by which the hazard must be corrected (abated). OSHA must issue a citation with reasonable promptness and no later than six months after the violation occurred.

Closing Conference

The meeting at the end of an OSHA inspection where the compliance officer confers with the employer and informally advises them of any apparent violations found. Importantly, the closing conference discusses what was observed and the employer's rights — but it does NOT state final citations or penalties, which come later in the written Citation and Notification of Penalty.

Compliance Officer (CSHO)

An OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officer — the inspector who conducts workplace inspections. A CSHO presents credentials (a photo ID and a serial number), holds the opening conference, performs the walkaround, collects evidence, interviews employees, and recommends citations. CSHOs are either safety specialists or industrial hygienists.

Contest

An employer's formal challenge to an OSHA citation, penalty, or abatement date. To contest, the employer must file a written Notice of Contest with the OSHA Area Director within 15 working days of receiving the Citation and Notification of Penalty. Filing sends the case to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC); missing the deadline makes the citation a final, un-appealable order.

Sources & verification

Reviewed by HazComFast against eCFR, OSHA.gov, NIOSH, and the Federal Register. Last reviewed 2026-10-05. This glossary is general information, not legal advice; OSHA State-Plan states (e.g. California, Michigan) may adopt stricter requirements.

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