Best Practice Guide to: Lockout/Tagout€¦ · What is Lockout/tagout? This in-depth process boils down to the same system used for all successful LO/TO procedures: identify the hazards,

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Best Practice Guide to:

Lockout/Tagout

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This document contains information derived from sources we deem reliable. Graphic Products, Inc. has made reasonable efforts to ensure correctness but does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Graphic Products makes no warranties express or implied regarding the contained subject matter. Contents are subject to change without notice. Graphic Products disclaims liability for injury, damage, or loss arising from reliance on the information contained herein. Users of this information should independently consult municipal, state, or federal code and/or verify information with the appropriate regulatory agency.

contents

What is Lockout/tagout? ................................................................... pg 1

Protection for Workers

Types of Hazardous Energy

Locks and Tags

Locks for CertaintyTags for Warning

Regulations and Standards

impLementing Lo/to ................................................................................ pg 4

Training for Safety

LO/TO Procedures

Tools of the Trade

Auditing the Process

soLutions for Your Lo/to needs ................................................ pg 1o

Building a LO/TO Program

sampLe Lo/to procedure .................................................................... pg 11

Purpose

Compliance with this Program

Sequence of Lockout

Restoring Equipment to Service

Ensure reliable control over your machines and equipment with locks and tags.

There are four simple steps in creating a successful LO/TO program in your facility.

pg 2

pg 4

1 877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com

What is Lockout/tagout?Workers have been routinely cut, crushed, shocked, and burned while working on industrial equipment. But all of these injuries could have been prevented with a single, simple approach: turn it off first, and keep if off until maintenance is done. That’s lockout/tagout (LO/TO) in a nutshell.

protection for WorkersLO/TO is a system for protecting workers during maintenance or service on equipment. In a LO/TO procedure, all energy sources for that piece of equipment are disconnected, and those disconnections are locked or tagged to avoid accidental re-connection. Maintenance and repairs can be safely carried out, and when the work is done, the tags or locks are removed to allow the equipment to be used again. This system has been recommended by several organizations and has been incorporated by law into American workplaces.

There are many variations on LO/TO processes, but they all share four basic ideas that are addressed before work begins:

Identify potentially hazardous sources of energy

Disconnect those energy sources from the equipment

Apply lockout or tagout devices to temporarily prevent re-connection

Confirm that the system is safe

After these steps have been followed, workers can maintain the equipment without being at risk of cuts, crushes, electric shock, or burns.

OSHA’s regulations in 29 CFR §1910.147 discuss the “Control of Hazardous Energy,” the core idea behind LO/TO. It’s an important set of rules to follow: in 2015, violations of this regulation were the fifth most common OSHA citation. Complying with the rule doesn’t only protect you from fines, but also protects your workers and keeps your facility productive. OSHA has estimated that LO/TO compliance prevents 50,000 workplace injuries and 120 fatalities every year.

types of hazardous energyHazardous energy comes in various forms; often, this energy is electricity. OSHA’s regulations give more specific rules for LO/TO when it comes to electrical power, and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) includes a complete section on LO/TO in their major industrial standard for safe electrical work, NFPA 70E.

Modern equipment can use many kinds of energy, and all possibilities need to be considered. For example, a system might use hydraulic oil at high pressure; that pressure is a source of potentially harmful energy. A raised piece of equipment, such as a cutting blade, might fall under its own weight without being securely locked in place; even gravity can be a kind of hazardous energy. All possible sources of hazardous energy need to be considered in the LO/TO process.

Why is CONTROLLING hazardous energy sources IMPORTANT?Compliance with the lockout-tagout standard prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each yearOSHA Fact Sheet, Lockout/Tagout

877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com 2

Locks and tagsHow can these sources of hazardous energy be reliably controlled? Essentially, this is where the locks and tags come in. The employee performing the work will disconnect each source of energy, using a “disconnecting device” such as a switch, valve, or interlock. Then, the worker will apply a lock or tag to the disconnecting device, preventing it from being accidentally reconnected while the worker is still in danger.

Once a disconnecting device is in its safe position, either a lock or a tag may be used to keep it there. But there is a very important difference between the two approaches.

Locks for certainty

A lock provides a physical barrier that prevents the accidental release of energy. For example, OSHA’s requirements in §1910.147(c)(5)(C) require locks to be “substantial enough to prevent removal without the use of excessive force or unusual techniques, such as… bolt cutters or other metal cutting tools.” While the lock is in place, it is not possible for the disconnecting device to leave its safe position, and the only worker with the key should be the worker protected by the lock.

What is Lockout/tagout?

Locks used for LO/TO must also be standardized within the facility, so that their purpose can be easily identified, and they must also be traceable to the specific worker who applied them. Anyone who sees a LO/TO lock should know better than to tamper with it, but the physical obstruction of the lock is meant to eliminate even accidental or well-intentioned release.

tags for Warning

A tag, on the other hand, only provides a warning for other workers. While OSHA requires tagout devices and their attachment systems to “prevent inadvertent or accidental removal,” an inattentive or confused worker could still overpower them. Equipment failure or other unforeseen circumstances could also defeat the protection of a tag. As a result, tags are less secure than locks.

Naturally, OSHA and other safety groups recommend that locks be used whenever possible. However, some equipment has no effective way for a lock to be applied. This is especially common with older or specialized equipment. In these cases, the equipment can only be tagged out.

Using tags and locks together offers the best of both worlds: a physical barrier against accidents, and effective communication for other workers.


regulations and standardsOSHA’s rules in §1910.147 generally apply whenever equipment is serviced or maintained, and the unexpected energization or startup of that equipment (or the release of stored energy) could harm an employee. A few specific industrial applications are left out of the rules in §1910.147. The most important exception is for electrical work, which has more detailed LO/TO rules in §1910.333 and in the NFPA 70E industry standard.

Because the goal of LO/TO is the same in every application, the variations between different rule sets can be traced to the unique situations those rules are tailored for. As an example, Article 120 of NFPA 70E describes a detailed approach to ensure that a piece of equipment is “electrically safe,” or completely isolated from potentially harmful electric current.

What is Lockout/tagout?

This in-depth process boils down to the same system used for all successful LO/TO procedures: identify the hazards, disconnect the energy sources, apply lockout or tagout devices, and confirm that the system is safe before proceeding with work.

Identify all possible sources of power to the equipment1

Use appropriate steps to shut down the power, and then systematically disconnect each power source from the equipment

2

Where possible, verify (visually) that all disconnections are complete

3

Lock or tag out the power sources to prevent accidental re-energizing

4

Use an adequate test instrument to confirm that each part of the equipment has been effectively de-energized, and then verify that the test instrument is working normally

5

Where voltage may be induced, or where the de-energized parts could contact other energized parts, apply a ground connecting device rated for the available fault current

6

The steps listed there are:

Electrical work presents specialized hazards, but the basic ideas of LO/TO are shared across all sources of hazardous energy.


impLementing Lo/toThere are four simple steps to create an effective LO/TO program in your facility: train your workers, create a plan for working on each piece of equipment, provide the tools to get the job done, and follow up with routine check-ups and revisions.

Successful LO/TO programs start with training. Graphic Products offers training materials to help kick start your facility’s program; visit Shop.GraphicProducts.com/PPE for more details.

training for safetyOSHA requires employers to provide LO/TO training in the workplace. Workers with different responsibilities need different kinds of training, however. There are three broad categories of training, based on the degree of a worker's involvement in the LO/TO process.

•Authorized employees are those who will perform maintenance or service work under circumstances that require LO/TO. These employees will need to use locks and tags to protect themselves, and must be trained to recognize sources of hazardous energy, the kinds and magnitudes of energy available in the facility, and the steps needed to isolate and control that energy safely.

•Affected employees are those whose work may be affected by having equipment or machinery locked out or tagged out. While these workers will not perform the maintenance work themselves, and will not generally need to apply locks or tags in their own work, they may need to adjust their normal work procedures to account for the LO/TO process. They need to be trained on the purpose and general use of the LO/TO procedures.

•Other employees are generally unaffected by the actual practice of LO/TO. However, if they might work near equipment that is locked or tagged out, even these employees need to be aware that a LO/TO procedure is in place, and how to recognize when it is being used. All workers should be prohibited from attempting to restart or re-energize equipment that is locked or tagged out.

Additionally, employers are required to provide retraining for authorized or affected employees whenever any of the following apply:

• The worker’s job assignment has changed

• The facility’s equipment, machinery, or business process has changed to present a new hazard

• The LO/TO procedures to be followed have been revised

• A periodic inspection has shown (or the employer has reason to believe) that the worker does not fully understand, or does not adequately follow, the LO/TO procedures

Once training is completed, the employer must keep a record of the names of the trained workers and the dates of their training.

Workers injured on the job from machinery that was not shut off properly lose an average of

for recuperation24 work dayshttp://ohsonline.com/articles/2015/01/01/seven-steps-to-compliance.aspx


Lo/to proceduresFor each piece of equipment that needs to be locked or tagged out for maintenance, there should be a written step-by-step procedure. Because these procedures are unique to each piece of equipment, a given facility may have many different LO/TO procedures, and many employees may be trained on more than one set of procedures. To avoid confusion and encourage compliance, the LO/TO procedures for a given piece of equipment may be posted on or near the equipment as part of a custom label.

impLementing Lo/to

What equipment is covered, and when the procedures apply1

The goal of the procedures2

Steps to shut down the equipment and disconnect energy sources

3

Steps to place LO/TO devices after disconnection (and which employees are responsible for those steps)

5

Steps to test the control measures to confirm their effectiveness6

Steps to remove LO/TO devices when service is complete (and which employees are responsible for those steps)

7

How to notify all affected employees that LO/TO of the equipment is done, and normal work can resume

8

Only trained, authorized employees should be assigned the responsibility of applying or removing the LO/TO devices, although other employees may be able to help in other areas.

How to notify all affected employees that LO/TO is about to begin on the equipment

4

The written procedures need to describe:

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2015/01/01/seven-steps-to-compliance.aspx

Approximately

3 million workers service equipment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly implemented.


impLementing Lo/to

Before shutting down equipment, the authorized employees must know what kinds of energy hazards may be present, and how to properly control them. Once that information is available, the equipment should be safely shut down and disconnected from energy sources. Each authorized employee should apply his or her own LO/TO devices to each disconnecting device, and then any stored or residual energy that could be hazardous should be safely relieved or disconnected. Before starting service, the authorized employees should confirm that the equipment is completely de-energized.

After the maintenance or service work is complete, but before LO/TO devices are removed and the equipment is re-energized, the area must be checked. This is to ensure that no employees are in unsafe areas, and no tools or parts have been left in the wrong places. Then, the authorized employees may remove their LO/TO devices, reconnect the energy sources, and allow ordinary work to resume.

Under normal circumstances, only the authorized employee who placed a LO/TO device should remove it. However, situations may arise in which that employee is not available when the work is complete. In these cases, employers may

Employer verification that the employee is not at the work facility

1

“All reasonable efforts” to contact the employee, informing him that the LO/TO device is being removed

2

Confirmation that the employee is aware of the device removal before he/she returns to work

3

direct the removal of the LO/TO device. Employers who take this option must have a written procedure for doing so, and that procedure must be included in the LO/TO training program. At a minimum, employer procedures for removing an employee’s LO/TO device must include these three steps:

When workers encounter a locked-out piece of equipment, they should immediately know who applied the lock. Personal responsibility ensures personal protection.


impLementing Lo/to

tools of the tradeEmployers are responsible for providing the necessary hardware for the LO/TO procedures in place. It should be easy to tell which equipment is to be used for LO/TO, and no other equipment should be used for LO/TO purposes. Because lives may be on the line, this equipment must meet important requirements.

All LO/TO equipment must be:

•Durable enough to stand up to its expected environment, for as long as it may be exposed to that environment. Where used, tags and tagout devices must be able to remain legible and intact through adverse weather, wet conditions, or extreme temperatures.

•Standardized by color, shape, and/or size, so that all LO/TO devices in the facility can be easily identified as LO/TO equipment.

•Substantial enough to avoid accidental removal. Tags must be attached with nylon cable ties or a similarly tough system, and locks may not be cut or broken open without special equipment like bolt cutters or similar devices.

•Identifiable by name, photo, title, or other designation, allowing a viewer to know which employee applied the device.

Additionally, any tagout equipment should carry a legible warning about the hazards that may result if the equipment is removed, as well as a simple instruction, such as “Do Not Operate.” Many facilities use a combination of pre-printed tags with typical padlocks; these pre-printed tags feature a basic warning and “Do Not Operate” instruction, along with blank space for adding additional details by hand, such as the name of the worker applying the tag.

The most common supplies for LO/TO are color-coded padlocks. These may be keyed or combination-style, but the authorized employee who will use the lock should have the key or combination. OSHA regulations permit the employer to remove a lock under some circumstances, and so some employers prefer to keep a copy of each lock’s key or combination. Safety experts usually recommend against this practice, as it can offer a temptation to “shortcut” around the LO/TO rules.

Some equipment may require a specialty locking device. A circuit breaker lockout, for example, is designed to fit over a circuit breaker switch and accept a standard padlock; with the lock in place, the switch is restricted to the “off” position. Similarly, a valve lockout cover completely surrounds a valve control wheel, and prevents the valve from being opened.

Where more than one worker would be at risk if a given device was re-connected prematurely, each worker should apply his own lock to the disconnect device. This may require the use of a multi-lock hasp, which allows more than one standard padlock to be applied to the same lockout point. The hasp cannot be removed again until every padlock is removed, ensuring that no workers are left behind.

Stop accidents before they occur with LO/TO products. Call 877.534.5157 or visit GraphicProducts.com/LOTO.

Lockout/tagout devices like valve covers can be matched to your equipment, providing secure protection for your workers.


impLementing Lo/to

auditing the processThe regulations in §1910.147(c)(6) require employers, at least once per year, to check each LO/TO procedure in use in their facilities. These inspections are intended to confirm that the procedures are effective and are actually being followed, with the goal of correcting any problems (rather than punishing any violators).

The inspection must be performed by an authorized employee, but not one of those who are using the specific procedure being inspected. As a result, the “inspector” will always be a coworker with LO/TO training who will be able to watch the procedure with a fresh, outside perspective. The inspection should always include a review between the inspector and each authorized or affected employee, covering the employees’ responsibilities in the procedure.

When the inspections have been completed, a record of the inspection should be made. This record must include:

• The equipment being locked out

• The employees included in the inspection

• The person performing the inspection

• The date of the inspection

Other information may also be helpful, such as a note of any observed problems and recommendations for resolving them.

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Safety Compliance AnalysisBest practices and recommendations from a trained specialist.

Call 888.601.8535 or visit GraphicProducts.com/CASImprove safety in your workplace today!


soLutions for Your Lo/to needsYou can help prevent workplace injuries and fatalities with an effective LO/TO program. Instituting a new LO/TO procedure can be a daunting task, but with a careful, step-by-step approach, you can develop a procedure that will work for your facility and protect your workers.

Building a Lo/to programTake advantage of the expertise that your existing workers already have; ask for feedback on new procedures, and get workers involved in their protection. Once you have a plan, write it down, and make it available for review. It can be very helpful to post the procedures on or near the equipment described; in these cases, a tough, custom label or sign may be the best approach. DuraLabel industrial label and sign printers from Graphic Products offer an excellent way to create these custom labels in your facility, as well as meeting other labeling and signage needs, to minimize your total safety expenses.

When it comes to the LO/TO equipment that employers must provide, it’s important to choose a reliable product that will do the job right. Specialty lockout tools such as multi-lock hasps, circuit breaker lockouts, and valve lockout covers are all available through Graphic Products. Customizable tagout tags are also available and allow easy, one-time use.

LO/TO is intended to provide effective safety in the modern industrial workplace. It saves lives by protecting workers from hazardous energy, and it reduces downtime by streamlining and standardizing work processes. It can even improve your companies' profitability, as more buyers are considering their suppliers' TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) as part of the buying process. However, none of these advantages will appear on their own. LO/TO must be an active choice: doing nothing will get nothing done.

Create a LO/TO plan for each piece of equipment2

Provide the locks and tags to get the job done3

Follow up with routine check-ups and revisions4

Train your workers to understand and follow LO/TO steps

1

Four steps to a successful LO/TO program:

DuraTagTM LO/TO Tag Stock (Lockout/Tagout)Grab attention with vivid red stripes• Red candy striping with “Danger” header on one side• Tear resistant, no grommets needed• Attach with cable tie, chain, etc.• Indoor & outdoor use• Resistant to moisture, UV light, common chemicals• Custom tags available

Contact us today for more information.877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com


sampLe Lo/to procedureThese procedures are based on 29 CFR §1910.147, Appendix A, and are provided here as an example. Fill in the blanks to create an initial LO/TO procedure for your own equipment.

purposeThis procedure establishes the minimum requirements for the lockout of energy-isolating devices whenever maintenance or servicing is done on equipment. It will be followed to ensure that the equipment is stopped, isolated from all potentially hazardous energy sources, and locked out before employees perform any servicing or maintenance where the unexpected energization or start-up of the equipment, or the release of stored energy, could cause injury.

compliance with this programAll employees are required to comply with the restrictions and limitations imposed upon them during the use of lockout. The authorized employees are required to perform the lockout in accordance with this procedure. No employee shall attempt to start, energize, or use any machine or piece of equipment which is locked out for servicing or maintenance.

_________________________________________________ (Type of compliance enforcement to be taken for violation of the above.)

sequence of Lockout1. Notify all affected employees that servicing or

maintenance is required on a machine or equipment, and that the machine or equipment must be shut down and locked out. _________________________________________________ (Name(s)/Job Title(s) of affected employees and how to notify.)

2. Identify the type and magnitude of the energy that the machine or equipment utilizes. The authorized employee shall understand the hazards of the energy, and shall know the methods to control the energy. _________________________________________________ (Type(s) and magnitude(s) of energy, its hazards and the methods to control the energy.)

3. Shut down the machine or equipment, if it is operating, by the normal stopping procedure (depress the stop button, open switch, close valve, etc.). _________________________________________________ (Type(s) and location(s) of machine or equipment operating controls.)

4. Isolate the machine or equipment from the energy source(s), using the energy isolating device(s). _________________________________________________ (Type(s) and location(s) of energy isolating devices.)

5. Lock out the energy isolating device(s) with assigned individual lock(s).

6. Dissipate or restrain any stored or residual energy (such as that in capacitors, springs, elevated machine members, rotating flywheels, hydraulic systems, and air, gas, steam, or water pressure, etc.) by grounding, repositioning, blocking, bleeding down, etc. _________________________________________________ (Type(s) of stored energy - methods to dissipate or restrain.)

7. Confirm that the equipment is disconnected from the energy source(s). First, check that no individuals are exposed; then verify the isolation of the equipment by operating the push button or other normal operating control(s), or by testing, to make certain the equipment will not operate. Caution: Return operating control(s) to neutral or off position after verifying the isolation of the equipment. _________________________________________ (Method of verifying the isolation of the equipment.)

8. The machine or equipment is now locked out. Service or maintenance may begin.

Lockout Procedure for

(Name of Company for single procedure or identification of equipment if multiple procedures are used)


restoring equipment to serviceWhen the servicing or maintenance is completed and the machine or equipment is ready to return to normal operating condition, the following steps shall be taken.

1. Check that the equipment is operationally intact and that all nonessential items have been cleared from the immediate area.

2. Check the work area for other workers. All individuals must be safely positioned or removed from the area.

3. Verify that the controls are in neutral/off.

4. Remove the lockout devices and reenergize the machine or equipment. Note: The removal of some forms of blocking may require re-energization of the machine before safe removal.

5. Notify affected employees that the servicing or maintenance is complete, and the machine or equipment is ready for use.

Graphic Products®, DuraLabel®, PathFinder®, Toro®, Bronco®, and Lobo® are Registered Trademarks of Graphic Products, Inc. ©2011, 2016. Graphic Products, Inc. grants a limited revocable right to reuse portions of the material contained herein for non-commercial, internal, and educational/training use. Any use beyond that described here requires the written consent of Graphic Products, Inc. Licensee agrees to reproduce the Trademark, Copyright, and Legal disclaimers in all works created under this license.

sampLe Lo/to procedure

Visual reminders can help ensure that LO/TO procedures are not forgotten or ignored.

Documents

Best Practice Guide to: Lockout/Tagout€¦ · What is Lockout/tagout? This in-depth process boils down to the same system used for all successful LO/TO procedures: identify the hazards,