Lockout / Tagout

Tim Hughes – Tech IOSHBusiness Development

ManagerMaster Lock Corporation

There are two occasions for gaining access to potentially hazardous machinery or

process equipment.

1. Unplanned access e.g. clearing a blockage.2. Planned access e.g. scheduled maintenance

or repairs.

Contrasting control measures are needed, depending upon which of these tasks is being undertaken.

• Unplanned maintenance is usually of shortduration.– The hazard is temporarily immobilised/isolated,

for example while a safety gate is open.• Planned maintenance is usually of longer

duration.– The hazard is immobilised/isolated until the

repair work is completed.

For unplanned access a fixed control system is needed e.g.:

• Safety switch• Light Curtain• Mechanical Interlock• Safety Mat

For planned access, a Lockout/Tagout procedure is needed, including:

• Safety Padlock• Multi Hasp• Tag• Speciality Device

What is Lockout/Tagout?

Lockout/Tagout is a control measure usually conducted in advance of planned maintenance or repair activity.

A Risk Assessment will often be carried out in advance of this work.

Depending upon the hazards identified, a Permit to Work may be implemented.

What type of hazards might necessitate the implementation of Lockout/Tagout?

• Lockout/Tagout safeguards against the unexpected release of energy.

• This energy can be in the following forms:– Electrical– Mechanical– Hydraulic– Pneumatic

• Simply turning off the machine, equipment or processes is not enough.

• You may be working out of site of the on/off switch or isolator.

• In this case, another worker might inadvertently switch the machine back on.

• Watch the following video clip to understand the signification of this point.Accident Reconstruction – click here to start video

And here’s how to avoid this tragedy

Work Safe Reconstruction – click here to start video

• Lockout / Tagout is an effective and low cost means of preventing an accident like this.

• Incorporating lockout/tagout into your permit to work can further increase the safety integrity.

If the potential hazards are sufficient, a lockout procedure is likely to be incorporated within a Permit to Work (PtW)

What’s the permit for?• As the name suggests a permit to work is a control

document which grants permission for work to be carried out. Permission is granted by an authorised person.

• It will record the various tasks and activities being undertaken.

• It will list the hazards which have been identified during the risk assessment.

• It will describe the preventative measures taken to negate these risks.

• It will identify the individual workers assigned to the task.• An estimate of the duration of work will be noted.• It can list any specialist tooling needed for the work.• Most importantly, it will be signed by the authorised

person and the person(s) carrying out the work.

What are the legal obligations?• The Health & Safety at Work

etc Act., 1974 places responsibility for Health & Safety on both employer and employee.

• General duties of employers to their employees.– It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far

as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.

• Duty (of employees) not to interfere with or misuse things provided pursuant to certain provisions.– No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere

with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare in pursuance of any of the relevant statutory provisions.

What does this mean in practical terms, and in relation to Lockout/Tagout?

• The employer must ensure that the worker is sufficiently qualified to carry out his/her duties, and provide any safety equipment (e.g. PPE) to enable them to work safely.

• The employee must use the safety equipment provided, and must not damage it such that it may put at risk himself or his/her co-workers.

The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998)• PUWER demand that

machinery is provided with the means to switch it off.

• It also demands that lock-off should be used to prevent unexpected start-up of machinery or equipment.

The Electricity at Work Regulations (1989)

• Similar to PUWER, EAWR draws attention to the importance of isolating electrical equipment before working on live circuits.

Seven Steps to Safe Lockout

Step 1: Prepare

Know the type of energy the machine uses. Identify its potential hazards. Find the switches, valves, or other devices that control energy and need to be locked off.

Step 2: Inform Others

Let affected workers know you’ll be locking off or tagging the equipment and why.

Step 3: Turn Off

Switch off the machine or equipment.

Step 4: Locate and isolate all energy sources.

Beware of the danger of stored energy which can still cause harm even if switched off e.g. springs, hydraulic systems & air pressure. You may also have to block, bleed, vent pipeline systems.

Step 5: Lock off switches or other energy controls.

Attach a padlock that holds the switch or device in an ‘off’ or ‘safe’ position.

Step 6: Test the controlsFirst check that no-one is close enough to get hurt. Put all controls in the ‘ON’ position and check that the machinery or equipment doesn’t start. Doing this step ensures that you have isolated the correct equipment. Afterwards, return the switches to the ‘OFF’position.

Step 7: Perform

Carry out the necessary maintenance or repair.

Equipment

• Padlock• Hasp• Tag• Special Device

Padlock• The integrity of the lockout procedure rests

with your choice of padlock.• The greatest risk to a lockout procedure is a

rogue key, which could be used to remove your padlock while you are working.

• Ensure that there are no duplicate or master keys in circulation.

• When not in use, keep your padlock with you at all times.

• Most importantly, check that your padlock key number is different to your co-workers.

• The best solution is, 1 worker, 1 padlock, 1 key per energy isolation.

Hasp

• Fit the hasp to the isolating device BEFORE your padlock.

• Place your padlock through one of the holes.

• By using a hasp, other workers can work on the same isolated equipment.

• Only when the last worker has finished and removed his padlock, can the hasp be removed and energy re-instated.

To raise the safety integrity of your lockout procedure:

1 Person

1 Padlock

1 Key

Tags• A tag is a mean of communicating to other

workers what work is being carried out, who’s doing the work and when they expect to complete.

• Also some equipment can’t be locked off. • In this case, see if the machine can be isolated

by removing a fuse, tagging it and where possible locking the fuse box shut and controlling the key.

• This is not a good standard of isolation and should only be used as a last resort.

• Where this is the case consider fitting a lockable isolator at the earliest opportunity.Remember: Tags alone will not prevent equipment

from starting up. They are only warnings. If you’re using a tag system alone, take additional precautions to prevent machinery or equipment start-up.

Specialist Devices

• Depending on the equipment being locked out, there are a variety of devices available to lock out the equipment for example:

• Circuit breaker lockouts• Cable lockouts• Valve handle and hand-wheel

lockouts• Electric plug lockouts

Lockout

• Regard your lockout equipment as an extension to your standard PPE. It can save your life.

Thank you for watching…….

For further information

www.safetyseries.co.uk