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Typical Lockout Tagout Procedures

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures should always be used to improve safety in the workplace. The LOTO procedure is a pretty straight forward safety policy that has saved thousands of lives and prevented many more injuries.
MaintainX
07/26/2022

Typical Lockout Tagout Procedures

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures should always be used to improve safety in the workplace. The LOTO procedure is a pretty straight forward safety policy that has saved thousands of lives and prevented many more injuries.

    Types of Hazardous Energy

    Understanding each hazardous energy source is important when identifying where the lockout tagout system needs to be implemented in a facility. Those other energy sources include:

    Electrical Energy

    Common LOTO Procedures:

    Mechanical Energy

    LOTO Procedures:

    Hydraulic Energy

    LOTO Procedures:

    Pneumatic Energy

    LOTO Procedures:

    Chemical Energy

    LOTO Procedures:

    Thermal Energy

    LOTO Procedures:

    Creating Machine-Specific Procedures

    The lockout tagout process is unique for every machine across all industries. Some machines have just one power source, while others have multiple. Because of this, when using lockout tagout programs in a facility, it is important to make sure detailed instructions are written and followed for every single machine.

    In most cases, the best way to do that is to create a step-by-step checklist that everyone who works on a machine can follow. Having checklists is a great way to guarantee everything is done correctly and in the proper order, which is critical for safety when working on potentially dangerous machines.

    Steps to a Lockout/Tagout Procedure

    When creating a lockout tagout procedure for a machine, it is important to include the following items. How these items are covered will vary from situation to situation, but the general concepts listed here should all be addressed in every lockout tagout procedure:

    Notification

    Visual Communication

    Energy Identification

    How Energy Is Removed

    Dissipate Energy

    Secure Movable Parts

    Tag/Lock Out

    Engagement Procedures

    Other

    Understanding Lockout/Tagout Programs

    Employee training for both affected employees and LOTO authorized employees should always occur before servicing and maintenance activities begin for those who are new to LOTO.

    Retraining for these procedures should take place when employees have:

Source: MaintainX (Community Member)

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