LOTO Lockout Tagout Safety

Lockout tagout (LOTO) is a safety procedure designed to prevent accidental injury to people or assets while equipment is being serviced. It keeps workers from coming into contact with mechanical, electrical, and thermal hazards.

Lockout and tagout procedures prevent accidental injury for both the technicians working on the machine and anyone who may try to use the machine while it’s being serviced. Here’s what you need to know about this critical protocol.

What is LOTO? 

LOTO is shorthand for lockout tagout. Lockout and tagout procedures vary based on the type of equipment. However, the name refers to two essential parts of the procedures.

Lockout, the first part of LOTO, is a way to physically prevent equipment from being turned on when it is unsafe to do so. For example, flipping a circuit breaker and then securing it with a padlock would prevent the circuit breaker from being turned back on accidentally. For other types of equipment, lockout could include using a padlock to prevent the equipment from being started.

Tagout, the second part of LOTO, involves placing a tag on the lock that prevents equipment from being operated. This tag notifies personnel of vital information, such as who is responsible for the LOTO. It may also include warnings such as “Do Not Operate,” information about the reason for the LOTO, or the date work is expected to be complete. 

LOTO Compliance 

OSHA and other regulatory bodies mandate that companies comply with LOTO safety measures. Following these protocols ensures employees will be safe while they’re working.

Accidents caused by a lack of LOTO procedures can cause electrical shocks, fires, equipment damage, and bodily injuries like burns, broken bones, and even death. LOTO compliance is a necessary part of performing machine preventive maintenance and repairs.

In order to remain OSHA compliant, employers must have standardized energy-control processes and train employees on how to follow them. The processes must establish the steps for energy control processes by providing the steps to:

  • Disconnect the machine’s energy supply
  • Address stored or re-accumulated energy
  • Perform the lockout/tagout procedure
  • Test the equipment to ensure the lockout/tagout was completed correctly  

When is LOTO Required? 

LOTO is required any time there is a risk of hazardous energy discharge during the servicing or maintenance of machinery and equipment. Proper lockout tagout procedures ensure that machines are properly shut off and energy sources are isolated, preventing unexpected startup or release of energy that could cause injury. 

Here are examples of when LOTO is required:

  • Servicing and maintenance: Any time an employee performs equipment maintenance, inspection, or repair work that could cause equipment to unexpectedly start up or release stored energy.
  • Electrical work: When repairing or installing systems where there is a risk of shock, arc flash, or other hazards.
  • Cleaning or lubricating machines: If the process requires removing guards or bypassing safety mechanisms where moving parts could cause injury.
  • Machine setup and adjustment: During equipment changeovers or adjustments where there is a potential for the machine to activate.

In general, LOTO is required any time an employee could be at risk of injury from unexpected energy release or machine operation. 

Steps for LOTO 

While lockout tagout may sound like it has only two steps, there are several steps users must take to ensure full compliance with LOTO procedures. The details may vary based on the type of equipment, but here are the seven basic steps required for lockout and tagout procedures based on OSHA guidelines:

  1. Preparation: Identify and notify all employees who may be impacted by the machine being shut down. 
  2. Identify the machine’s power source: The employee in charge of LOTO must be aware of both the machine’s power source and the potential energy, such as the energy in springs or capacitors.
  3. Turn the machine off: Use the normal procedure to stop the machine, whether by pushing a button, closing a valve, etc.
  4. Deactivate energy: Remove the equipment from its energy source.
  5. Apply lockout tagout devices: Use a padlock, number pad, or other lockout device to disable the equipment. Securely fasten the tagout device and ensure it can withstand pulling pressure of at least 50 pounds.
  6. Release stored energy: Discharge stored energy by grounding, blocking, repositioning, or performing other operations as necessary. Energy may be stored in capacitors, springs, hydraulic systems, or air-/water-/gas-pressurized lines, for example.
  7. Verify isolation: Ensure employees are safely away from the equipment. Then, attempt to turn it on or perform other operations. This ensures that LOTO procedures have been performed correctly. Once confirmed that the equipment is inoperable, turn any switches back to the “Off” position before beginning maintenance.

After the required repairs or maintenance have been performed, inspect the work area and ensure it is safe to resume operation. Authorized personnel can remove the LOTO device, and then the system can be re-energized. Be sure to notify any affected employees that the equipment is back in operation.

Ensuring workplace safety is a vital part of efficient, reliable plant operations. Using a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) like eMaint can help you standardize processes to ensure safety standards like lockout tagout are always followed before maintenance work begins.