While I don't run off fully into the 'untrained flunky' field, in the years I worked and supervised high voltage field service technicians I cautioned them about going into what I called 'soft industry' facilities - grain handling, small timber mills, gravel quarries, where the 'expertise' might be sparse, telling them to use extra caution and accept nothing without first examining and testing for themselves. Compared to a large refinery or petrochem plant with 1500 employees and its own engineering and technical staff, a podunk sawmill was not likely to have a very good handle on their hazards.
that said, 'lockout-tagout' is religion in most facilities today. One might well question the amount of effort that went into preparing the equipment for work to be performed. Cutting corners or 'we don't need to lock it out. This will only take a minute' is a good way to be a safety statistic.
Another good way is to blindly follow procedures written with a 'one size fits all' mentality, not understanding that each case needs to be evaluated separately as to hazards. By nature, repair work means working on things that are not working as they should. The careful consideration of the equipment, the problems, and the procedures needs to be done.
old field guy
