DEFINITION
A red tag marks equipment as out of service and unsafe to operate until a defect is corrected. When an inspection finds a safety-affecting deficiency, the equipment is red-tagged and removed from service so no one can use it before the repair is verified.
ALSO KNOWN AS · out of service tag · OOS tag · do not operate tag · danger tag
Red-tagging is the practical mechanism that turns a failed inspection into enforced removal from service. A red 'Do Not Operate' or 'Out of Service' tag is attached to the equipment and its controls, signaling unambiguously that the asset has a defect making it unsafe and may not be operated until the deficiency is corrected and the equipment is cleared back into service.
The red tag is rooted in several OSHA requirements. For cranes, 1926.1417 prohibits operating equipment with a safety device or operational aid out of service and requires a crane with a safety-hazard deficiency to be taken out of service. For forklifts, 1910.178(q)(7) requires removing a truck from service if a daily inspection shows a safety-affecting condition. The tag makes that 'removed from service' status visible and enforceable on the equipment itself.
Red-tagging is distinct from lockout/tagout, though they often work together. LOTO controls hazardous energy so maintenance can be performed safely; red-tagging communicates that the equipment is unfit for use due to a defect. A red-tagged machine awaiting repair is commonly also locked out so it physically cannot be energized.
In a digital inspection workflow, the equivalent of a red tag is a status flag: when an operator marks a critical item as failed and takes the asset out of service, the equipment's status flips to out-of-service, an open deficiency is created for the mechanic, and the asset is blocked from new inspections or dispatch until the repair is verified — preserving the same enforceability as the physical tag, with an audit trail of who tagged it and why.
AUTHORITATIVE · SOURCE
29 CFR 1926.1417 — Operation (OSHA.gov)FREQUENTLY · ASKED
Whenever an inspection or operator finds a deficiency that makes the equipment unsafe to operate. The red tag removes it from service and prevents use until the defect is corrected and the equipment is cleared back in.
No. A red tag communicates that equipment is out of service due to a defect. Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the procedure for controlling hazardous energy during service. A defective machine is often both red-tagged and locked out, but they address different things.
RELATED · TERMS
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is the OSHA-required practice of isolating and de-energizing machinery so it cannot start up during service or maintenance. Under 29 CFR 1910.147, each energy-isolating device is locked and tagged, protecting workers from the unexpected release of hazardous energy.
An OSHA competent person is someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to workers, AND who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
OSHA 1926.1412 is the construction-crane inspection standard within Subpart CC. It mandates three inspection tiers: each-shift inspections by a competent person, monthly documented inspections, and a comprehensive annual or 12-month inspection by a qualified person.
OSHA 1910.178 is the powered-industrial-truck standard covering forklifts and similar trucks. Section 1910.178(q)(7) requires that each truck be examined at least daily before being placed in service, and removed from service if any condition adversely affects safety.
PUT · IT · TO · WORK
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