Three Things Crews Get Wrong About Hazardous Energy and Suspended Loads
Myth 1: Turning off the machine and taking the key removes the hazardous energy.
Reality: Turning off the ignition only stops the pump from generating new pressure, but it does nothing to eliminate gravity or the stored pressure already trapped in the system.
On June 24, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the criminal sentencing of a Massachusetts company after a worker was crushed under a soil screener during maintenance because the suspended equipment was not physically blocked against falling. When you turn off a piece of heavy equipment, the fluid trapped inside the hydraulic cylinders is the only thing fighting gravity. If you step into the line of fire under a suspended load without physically securing it, you are trusting your life to a rubber seal or a hydraulic hose that could fail at any moment.
Myth 2: The hydraulics are locked out, so the suspended load cannot drop.
Reality: Lockout/tagout on a hydraulic system is incomplete unless you use physical isolation hardware to mechanically block the load.
Hydraulic systems hold loads by trapping fluid behind seals and valves. If a seal blows, a hose bursts, or a valve bleeds internally, the fluid escapes and gravity instantly pulls the load down. Per 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(5)(i), employers must provide and workers must use physical isolation hardware. To properly control the hazard, we must look to the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, and PPE. What is the highest-order control we can use TODAY? The highest-order control is elimination: lower the bucket, blade, or screener completely to the ground before starting work. If the task requires the equipment to remain elevated, you must use an engineering control: install manufacturer-provided locking pins, rated jack stands, or engineered cribbing to physically bear the weight of the load.
Myth 3: We are just doing a quick repair, so we don't need to set up cribbing.
Reality: There is no quick task exception for gravity, and it takes less than a second for a hydraulic component to fail and crush a worker.
Many catastrophic caught-in and struck-by incidents happen during brief troubleshooting or minor maintenance tasks where crews feel that setting up blocks takes longer than the repair itself. Administrative controls, like warning signs or training, cannot stop a falling load. If a load is suspended, the energy is active. You must either eliminate the hazard by bringing the equipment to a zero-energy state on the ground, or engineer the hazard out by placing physical blocks that are rated for the weight of the machinery.
Quick Reference
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Does turning off the engine isolate hydraulic energy? | No. It only stops the pump. Stored pressure and gravity remain active hazards. | 29 CFR 1910.147 |
| How do we secure a suspended hydraulic load? | Lower it to the ground (Elimination) or use physical isolation hardware like rated cribbing or pins (Engineering). | 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(5)(i) |
| What happened in the Massachusetts soil screener case? | A worker was crushed during maintenance because the suspended equipment was not physically blocked against falling. | DOJ June 24, 2026 Sentencing |
| Can I rely on hydraulic pressure to hold a load during maintenance? | Never. Hydraulic seals bleed and hoses can fail without warning. | 29 CFR 1910.147 |
What To Do With This At Tomorrow's Huddle
- Read the Massachusetts soil screener incident outcome aloud to anchor the discussion in reality and remind the crew why we never trust hydraulics to hold a load.
Note: Discussion prompts: Where is the stored energy in the equipment we are servicing today? What is the first sign we are going off-plan and relying on hydraulics instead of physical blocks? What is the line of fire if a hydraulic seal fails right now?
Note: Verification question: Do we have the physical isolation controls—like rated cribbing, pins, or blocks—in place right now?
Note: Comprehension check: What will we do differently today when working around suspended equipment?
Note: Stop-work authority: Every worker has the absolute right to stop work for an unsafe condition if a load is not physically blocked. There will be zero retaliation for stopping an unsafe task and asking for the right cribbing.
Note: Close-the-loop: The Lead Mechanic will report back at tomorrow's huddle on whether we had the correct blocking materials available for today's tasks.
Action Steps
- Lower all workable attachments to the ground to eliminate the hazard before beginning service. Owner: Operator Due: Before maintenance begins
- Inspect and stage engineered physical isolation hardware like cribbing or jack stands for any load that cannot be lowered. Owner: Lead Mechanic Due: Before maintenance begins
- Verify that all stored hydraulic pressure has been bled off or physically blocked per the machine specific LOTO procedure. Owner: Servicing Crew Due: Before entering line of fire
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(5)(i) - The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA, 2026-07-09. osha.gov
- Massachusetts Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker's Death — DOJ, 2026-06-24. justice.gov