Millwrights
Millwrights install, align and repair industrial machinery: turbines, conveyors, pumps and production lines. Heavy rigging and hazardous energy are part of every job.
- Industrial
- Construction
Top hazards
- Unexpected machine start-up and stored energy
- Crushing during rigging, skidding and setting heavy equipment
- Pinch points during alignment
- Falls from platforms and equipment
- Cutting, grinding and welding hazards
Key practices
- Lock out all energy sources, including hydraulic, pneumatic and gravity, and verify zero energy. See Lockout/Tagout.
- Plan lifts and use rated rigging, rollers, jacks and cribbing. See Rigging Basics.
- Never put hands or feet under a load; use pry bars and tools to position it.
- Replace all guards before returning equipment to service. See Machine Guarding.
Moving heavy machinery
- Know the weight and center of gravity. Machinery is often top-heavy or off-center.
- Use the right gear: machinery skates, toe jacks, hydraulic gantries, cribbing and rated rigging.
- Crib as you lift: raise the load in small steps and build cribbing under it as you go, so it’s never held only by a jack.
- Watch the floor: check floor load capacity, trenches and drains along the route.
- Control the path: barricade the route and keep people out of the area where the load could tip or roll.
Alignment and commissioning
- Lock out before turning shafts by hand or installing couplings.
- Turning equipment for alignment can involve stored energy in belts, flywheels and fluid systems. Release or restrain it.
- During first start-up, keep everyone clear, follow the commissioning plan, and have a way to stop the machine immediately.
Hearing and vibration
Grinding, air tools, hammering and plant noise add up. Wear hearing protection and get regular hearing tests. See Noise.
Job checklist
- All energy sources locked out and verified at zero
- Lift or move plan with weights and rigging
- Rigging, jacks and cribbing inspected
- Route and floor checked; area barricaded
- Hands and feet kept out from under the load
- Guards replaced before restart
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1910.147: Lockout/tagout
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