1910.269(d)(3): Protective materials and hardware
Key takeaways
- 1910.269(d)(3) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart R).
- OSHA cited it 2 times in the last 3 years, in 2 inspections, with $16,131 in current penalties.
- Related part: 1910.269(d) Hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures (47 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.269(d)(3) ("Protective materials and hardware") is one requirement inside 1910.269 Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart R). It includes 8 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(3) Protective materials and hardware. 2 citations
(i) Locks, tags, chains, wedges, key blocks, adapter pins, self-locking fasteners, or other hardware shall be provided by the employer for isolating, securing, or blocking of machines or equipment from energy sources. 1 citations
(ii) Lockout devices and tagout devices shall be singularly identified; shall be the only devices used for controlling energy; may not be used for other purposes; and shall meet the following requirements: Open (d)(3)(ii) 1 citations
(A) Lockout devices and tagout devices shall be capable of withstanding the environment to which they are exposed for the maximum period of time that exposure is expected.
(1) Tagout devices shall be constructed and printed so that exposure to weather conditions or wet and damp locations will not cause the tag to deteriorate or the message on the tag to become illegible.
(2) Tagout devices shall be so constructed as not to deteriorate when used in corrosive environments.
(B) Lockout devices and tagout devices shall be standardized within the facility in at least one of the following criteria: color, shape, size. Additionally, in the case of tagout devices, print and format shall be standardized.
(C) Lockout devices shall be substantial enough to prevent removal without the use of excessive force or unusual techniques, such as with the use of bolt cutters or metal cutting tools.
(D) Tagout devices, including their means of attachment, shall be substantial enough to prevent inadvertent or accidental removal. Tagout device attachment means shall be of a non-reusable type, attachable by hand, self-locking, and nonreleasable with a minimum unlocking strength of no less than 50 pounds and shall have the general design and basic characteristics of being at least equivalent to a one-piece, all-environment-tolerant nylon cable tie. Open (d)(3)(ii)(d)
(E) Each lockout device or tagout device shall include provisions for the identification of the employee applying the device. 1 citations
(F) Tagout devices shall warn against hazardous conditions if the machine or equipment is energized and shall include a legend such as the following: Do Not Start, Do Not Open, Do Not Close, Do Not Energize, Do Not Operate.
For specific provisions covering accident prevention tags, see § 1910.145.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.269.
Export the list: 2 inspections cited 1910.269(d)(3) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moWhere and how often it was cited
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.269(d)(3), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.269(d)(3).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.269(d) Hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures 47 citations
- 1910.269(d)(2) General 31 citations
- 1910.269(d)(6) Lockout/tagout application 13 citations
- 1910.269(d)(2)(i) 10 citations
- 1910.269(d)(2)(iii) 8 citations
- 1910.269(d)(2)(iv) 5 citations
- 1910.269(d)(2)(iv)(B) 2 citations
- 1910.269(d)(6)(iv) 2 citations
- 1910.269(d)(3)(ii) 1 citations
- 1910.269(d)(5) Notification 1 citations
- 1910.269(d)(3)(ii)(D)
- 1910.269(d)(4) Energy isolation
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.269 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.