*LO/TOResumenLO/TO proporciona control de las fuentes de energa
que podran causar lesiones durante el servicio o mantenimiento de
maquinaria y equipoLos dispositivos tiene que ser nicos y
substanciales Los individuos autorizados son los UNICOS que pueden
aplicar candados, etiquetas y otros dispositivos de LO/TOLas
etiquetas tienen que identificar quien aplico el dispositivoSe
tienen de seguir los seis pasos.Se tienen desarrollar procesos
escritosLas procesos agrupados para interrumpir la energa y para
remover candados de individuos ausentes tienen que ser
definidos
*Welcome to Lock Out/Tag Out safety training.*This material was
produced under grant number 46B4-HT15 from the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not
necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or
organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.*"Lock
Out/Tag Out" refers to specific practices and procedures to
safeguard employees from the unexpected energization or startup of
machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during
service or maintenance activities.
When a piece of machinery or equipment is being serviced,
maintained, cleared or unjammed, the energy sources that drive that
machine must be turned off or isolated so that the machine can not
operate and injure the operator or mechanic.When a piece of
machinery or equipment is being serviced, maintained, cleared or
unjammed, the energy sources that drive that machine must be turned
off or isolated so that the machine can not operate and injure the
operator or mechanic.
*Most incidents occur in the workplace around machinery or
equipment; cut hands, crushed fingers or pinch-point nips are a few
examples. Other incidents occur from electric shock, hazardous
materials, chemical splashes, exposed wiring, or from inadequate
control of hazardous energy sources. Many of these types of
injuries can be avoided by using Lock Out/Tag Out to contain
hazardous energy.
*Lock Out/Tag Out (LO/TO) is required when service or
maintenance of equipment occurs. Servicing or maintenance is a
workplace activity such as constructing, installing, setting up,
adjusting, inspecting, modifying, and maintaining or servicing
machines or equipment. These activities include lubrication,
cleaning or un-jamming of machines or equipment and making
adjustments or tool changes, where the employee may be exposed to
the unexpected energizing or startup of the equipment or release of
hazardous energy.
LO/TO is also required if a worker needs to remove or bypass a
safety guard, and when workers are required to place their hands,
arms, fingers or any body part into machinery or equipment. LO/TO
ensures that the equipment will not start up unexpectedly.
*
Electrical energy: Energy that is caused by electrical current
that provides power to run the machine.
Hydraulic Energy: Power that utilizes liquid under pressure in a
piston or cylinder to drive a motor, engine or the movement of
machinery.
Potential energy from springs: Energy caused by force. When a
spring is wound or forced closed, it has force energy waiting to be
released or un-sprung.
Gravitational Energy: Energy caused by gravity or weight that
could cause a crushing injury from a falling object.
Chemical Energy: Hazards presented by either chemical reaction
in a process or by the movement of chemicals themselves. Pipes and
piping systems that provide chemicals to a process may need to be
locked or tagged to prevent the feeding of these chemicals into a
piece of equipment that is being serviced.
Radiation Energy: Caused by either radiant heat or radioactive
sources that emit hazardous energy.
Pneumatic Energy: Uses compressed air to power the equipment or
move materials. Air supplies must be shut down or locked out before
working on pneumatic equipment.
Thermal Energy: Heat related energy. This can be through
friction, chemical reaction, or heat generating equipment or
processes (like ovens, kilns, welding, melting pots, etc). The heat
source must be prevented from reaching the mechanic or service
person to maintain their safe working conditions.
Mechanical Energy: Moving parts that may have force energy that
needs to be restrained. For example: a rotating blade, such as on a
lawnmower, may have residual energy in it if it was jammed. When
the block or jam is removed the pent up energy remaining in the
blade assembly could force the blade to spin, causing injury to the
person un-jamming the blade assembly.
There may be other types of energy that could cause direct or
indirect injury, such as steam, and these are not cited directly in
this standard, but may be covered under the OSHA general duty
clause. The general duty clause states that an employer has the
responsibility to provide a safe and healthful work environment for
its employees.*Isolating or eliminating the energy in a piece of
machinery or equipment uses LO/TO to achieve what is commonly
referred to as a zero energy state. This means that there is no
energy flowing to the equipment that could cause it to activate or
parts of the equipment to move or shift, potentially causing injury
to the operator or service mechanic.
When LO/TO is used, all area operators and other employees in
the area have been trained to their level of involvement with the
LO/TO process, so these operators and employees know that equipment
under LO/TO may not be started, or tampered with. However, the
LO/TO process ensures that no one can start or activate the
machinery or equipment while it is being repaired or cleaned.
Many injuries have occurred, when a service mechanic has
followed MOST of the requirements of LO/TO, but they failed to
actually apply the lock and tag, and an unknowing operator returns
from a break and starts up the machine, not knowing that the
mechanic is there.*There are three different levels of training
that are required for employees. They are authorized individuals,
affected individuals and other employees.
Authorized individuals are those who actually apply the locks,
tags or other devices. Service mechanics, electricians, and some
machine operators require this higher level of training, because
they are directly involved in the LO/TO process.
Affected individuals are those who work with the machines or
equipment that are locked and tagged by someone else. They may work
in an area where LO/TO is being applied to either their machine or
a co-workers machine.
Other employees are employees who may encounter a lock or tag as
they walk by an area, and need to know what the devices look like,
and not to touch or tamper with the devices. *There are several
different types of devices that can be used for LO/TO. In all
cases, the devices must be UNIQUE to the companys LO/TO program and
can not be used for any other purpose (such as locking a cabinet or
tool chest, or tagging a machine that is out of service for any
other reason than a lockout).
A lock with one key and a tag is the most common LO/TO device
used. Locks must be identifiable as a LO/TO lock, meaning all locks
used for LO/TO must look the same throughout the company. (For
example: they must all be gold-colored, or they must all have a
green stripe). Locks must be substantial, in that they can not be
easily broken open without the use of a special tool. Locks must
always have tags with them.
Chains may also be used, and must also have a tag with them.
A block to prevent a machine from cycling or activating may also
be considered a LO/TO device.
Flanges and pipe blanks or blinds are considered LO/TO devices
as well, and must also have a tag.*Tags are always attached to the
lock or to the energy isolation device (such as a chain, flange or
pipe blank). Tags by themselves are not substantial enough to
provide protection for LO/TO and must be supplemented by another
LO/TO device or other equivalent means.
Tags serve only as a communication device. They must indicate
the name of the authorized individual who applied the device, the
date it was applied and the specific equipment, machine, or pipe
that is being locked or blocked out.
Tags must state Do Not Operate or a similar statement, and must
be securely fastened to the lock, chain or other LO/TO device.
*Locks and Tags are to be used by each authorized individual
working on the machine. Each authorized individual should double
check the equipment for extraneous power or stored energy before
working on it.
LO/TO devices must be placed either on the hasp of the machine
or start switch itself, or be able to be lockable to a box with
alternate hasp.
Devices should only be removed by the authorized individual who
applied the device after their work is complete. In the case of a
shift-change, the oncoming shift worker should place their own
LO/TO lock or device on the equipment. Locks and keys should not be
transferred from one worker to another.
Tags without locks are only allowed additional protection is
taken. Additional procedures or precautions must provide the same
level of safety as if a lock was used. An example of this would be
to place a cap over the start button of the machine and remove the
fuse or circuit breaker in the electrical panel box. *This picture
shows an example of a LO/TO-lock and an equipment tag that is
affixed to an electrical switch. The lock is affixed so that the
switch is in the off position. The tag is directly associated with
the authorized individual who applied it, and is always associated
with this particular type of lockout (in this case an electrical
lockout, applied by an electrician or other qualified individual
who has also been trained in LO/TO).
*This picture shows an example of a LO/TO-lock and a personal
tag that is affixed to an electrical switch. The lock is affixed so
that the switch is in the off position. The tag is directly
associated with the authorized individual who applied it.*There are
six major steps to applying LO/TO to machinery or equipment. They
are:PreparationEquipment ShutdownEquipment IsolationApplication of
LO/TO deviceRelease of stored energyVerification
Each of these steps will be explained on the next two slides.
Written procedures for the LO/TO process should be used to assist
in the performance of the six steps.*Preparation is the first step.
The authorized individual must identify and isolate the energy
sources and understand how to use the equipment. Identification of
the energy sources is normally included in the written procedure
for the equipment or machinery.
The second step of LO/TO is to shut down the equipment. Use any
stop buttons and follow the standard operating procedures for
turning the equipment off.
The third step is equipment isolation. This is where the sources
of the energy are shut down. Circuit breakers may be turned off, or
power to the machine is isolated so that it can not re-energize the
equipment.*The fourth step of LO/TO of the lock, tag or other
device. The lock is affixed to the equipment assuring that the
equipment can not be restarted. If something can be locked out, it
must be locked out. If it cannot be locked, it must be tagged and a
supplemental or additional activity must be implemented to provide
an equal level of safety to that which a lock would provide.
The fifth step is releasing the stored energy. Any existing
energy in the circuits or in the machine must be released or
dissipated before the service or maintenance activity occurs. Some
types of equipment are able to store up energy over time. For
example some electronic equipment must build up the electrical
charge before it can activate or cycle. With this type of
equipment, it may be required that the authorized individual
periodically re-release the energy that builds up during the
service or maintenance.
The sixth step is the most important step of any LO/TO
application. That is verification. Test the equipment, turn it on
or try activating the start button to ensure that everything is
off. Double check any interlocks and be sure the area is clear of
materials and people.*Not only is there a specific process and
steps needed to apply a LO/TO device, there are also specific steps
that need to be taken when releasing a piece of equipment or
machinery from LO/TO.
When work is complete the authorized individual must:-Remove any
tools & equipment from inside the machine and from the
immediate area.-Ensure that all employees keep a safe distance from
the equipment during the re-energization process.-Remove the LO/TO
devices that were applied to the machine.-Restore the energy
sources to the equipment, and then-Notify the machine operators and
area supervisors that the work is complete and the equipment has
been released from LO/TO status.*LO/TO does not apply during
routine adjustments (such as calibration or size adjustments) or
when performing repetitive adjustments.
Cord and plug equipment (those types of equipment that normally
plug into a wall outlet) are also exempted from LO/TO requirements,
provided the cord is kept within sight of the service person or
mechanic. Cord and plug equipment should be unplugged from the wall
outlet during service or maintenance unless the energy must be
present to provide adequate service.
LO/TO also exempts service or maintenance activities that are
integral to the production process. However, tool changes and
clearing or unjamming must use a LO/TO device to protect the
operator from stored energy hazards.
When in doubt, lock it out. Always use safe work practices.*The
employer must train all three levels of employees (authorized,
affected and other employees) in their responsibilities with regard
to LO/TO.
Other Employees (those who may encounter a lock or tag during
the course of normal business) must know and recognize what the
devices used at the company are what they are used for. This group
of people must have a very basic understanding of the intention of
the regulation and be able to recognize a lock, tag or other LO/TO
device and know that they should not touch or tamper with the
device.
An Affected employee must have a more detailed knowledge of the
regulation, as their job duties require them to operate or use a
machine or equipment on which serving or maintenance is being
performed under lock-out or tag-out, or whose job requires them to
work in an area in which such serving or maintenance is being
performed.
An Authorized Employee, however, is one who actually locks out,
blocks out, or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform
servicing or maintenance and who would be exposed to hazardous
energy, if they did not lock, block or tag the machine. These
employees must have a detailed knowledge of the procedure used for
LO/TO and how to apply lockout/tagout to the machinery or
equipment. This includes the six steps of LO/TO: preparing the area
and the equipment, how to shut it down, how to isolate the energy
sources, how to apply the devices, how to release the energy and
how to verify the energy has been released. They must also
understand when re-verification of energy release may be needed
(for example if the energy could re-accumulate during the service
or maintenance) and how to release the equipment from LO/TO once
the work is completed.
Re-training must occur whenever the company has reason to
believe that the authorized employee does not understand their
responsibilities or does not perform the lockout properly.
Training must be documented with the employees name and the date
of training (or re-training).*Written LO/TO procedures must be
developed. Routine lockouts can be individual to a machine or piece
of equipment, or can be grouped together for similar machines. For
example: if a company owns one labeler and one bottler, then a
procedure specific to each piece of machinery or equipment will
need to be written. If the company owns three labelers and one
bottler and the three labelers are similar to one another, then the
company can write and maintain one procedure for all three labelers
and one for the bottler, for example.
Whenever a non-routine lockout is performed, or one that is not
normally required, a specific procedure must be developed for the
particular task or activity that is non-routine. For example, the
company owns a crusher, and it is normally lubricated and oiled
each month. A procedure for that LO/TO application will be
maintained. If that machine breaks and a major piece requires
replacement, then a specific procedure for the replacement process
will need to be written.*Written LO/TO procedures must have four
specific parts: A statement of the intended use of the procedure
(what it is for and who will use it) Procedural steps for the LO/TO
process for that type of equipment. (This includes the 6 steps of
LO/TO: Prepare, Shutdown, Isolate, Lock, Release Energy, and
Verify) Specific steps for testing a machine to determine if a zero
energy state is achieved Steps to release or remove the equipment
from LO/TO (area and equipment clear, employees are safely
positioned, device removal and restart)*Each LO/TO procedure for a
routine lockout must be inspected periodically. In this case,
periodically means at least once per year, if the lockout is
performed at least that often. If a lockout is performed less
frequently than once per year, the procedure must be reviewed
BEFORE it is used.
The periodic inspection requires a review of the written
procedure, and a demonstration of the lockout process for that
equipment or machine. The inspection must be performed by someone
OTHER than the person performing the lockout.
The inspection must be documented and certified. The
documentation includes the specific identity of the piece of
equipment being reviewed (or the specific procedure being
reviewed), the date of the review and inspection and the names of
all the people who participated in the review.
Every person who is authorized to use that procedure or perform
a lockout on the piece of equipment must be included in the review.
Group reviews are acceptable, or individual reviews, provided that
each authorized employee for that LO/TO application has
participated.*There are times when a machine or equipment is not
capable of being locked out. Older equipment and machines, for
example, may not have LO/TO mechanisms built into them and no place
to lockout the energy source.
Employers may choose to modify this equipment and retro-fit it
to allow for 100% LO/TO capability. Or, they may choose to
implement additional or supplemental measures (administrative and
procedural) that will accommodate the LO/TO process. In all cases,
employees must be fully protected in any situation where LO/TO
applies to the servicing or maintenance of machinery and
equipment.
Examples of additional or supplemental measures may include
items like:Removing the circuit breaker or fuse from the panel box
that feeds the electrical energy to the machine, or locking out the
panel box entirelyPutting additional procedures in place to provide
protectionShutting down the process lines that precede the machine
requiring service, orBarricading the area to ensure that no other
employees other than the service mechanic can access the
equipment.
Even with these additional or supplemental measures, a tag must
still be affixed and used. Tag only LO/TO applications require
additional employee information and training on the use and
limitations of a tag-only process. Employees who use the tag only
process must understand that:
Tags do not provide the physical restraint.Tags are not to be
removed without authorization Tags are never to be bypassed,
ignored, or otherwise defeated.Tags must be legible and
understandable.Tags and attachments capable of withstanding the
environment.Tags may evoke a false sense of security, and their
meaning needs to be understood as part of the overall energy
control program.Tags must be securely attached*Group lockouts are
also covered in the regulations. Group lockouts occur when more
than one person must be covered under lockout/tagout for the same
task or activity. For example, if there are two or three mechanics
that are providing repair to the same machine, or if there are
electricians, plumbers and mechanics all working on the same
process or equipment.
Group lockout procedures must be written, indicating the type of
group lockout equipment that will be used. These procedures must
specify the same items that an individual lockout/tagout procedure
require, and must provide for a level of protection that is equal
to that which an individual procedure would have. This means that
everyone participating in the group lockout will be given the same
level of protection as if they were performing an individual
lockout. The OSHA website has examples of group lockout/tagout
procedures.
There are two primary types of equipment used with group
lockout/tagout. The first type is a multi-lock adapter. This device
uses a hasp that locks onto a single machine. The body of the
multi-lock adapter has several holes, so that each person can place
their individual lock and tag onto the multi-lock adapter. The hasp
of the adapter will not open until all locks are removed.
The second type of equipment uses a strong-box or other storage
device. One main lock is placed on the machine or process line, and
each mechanic or tradesperson puts their individual lock and tag
into the strong box. They remove their lock from the box when they
have completed their portion of the work. Once all locks are
removed from the strong-box, the main lock can be removed from the
machine or process line.
For group lockouts there must be one vested person who is given
the responsibility to oversee the lockout/tagout process for all of
the participants. This person is responsible for making sure that
all locks and tags are accounted for throughout the job. They are
vested with the key to the main lock, and may only remove the lock
once all the work is done.
If a job will take more than one shift to accomplish, the vested
person can transfer the responsibility to another person, however
only one person can be vested at a time.*A specific process is
defined in the regulation to safeguard the authorized individuals
who apply locks and other LO/TO devices. This is called the
absentee lock removal process. This process describes the process
for removing a LO/TO device that was applied by an authorized
individual, when that individual is no longer on-site at the
facility.
Only one person should be designated at the company to supervise
the absentee lock removal process. This person must be an
authorized individual and trained under LO/TO to that level.
Normally this person is the supervisor of the maintenance staff.
This designated person must make every reasonable effort to notify
the authorized person who applied the device that the device is
being removed. They must ascertain or determine the status of the
lockout to assure that it is safe to remove the LO/TO device. And
they must be sure that the authorized person who applied the device
knows that the device was removed BEFORE that authorized person
resumes work at that facility. *The following is a brief summary of
the information discussed in this training.
LO/TO provides for control of energy sources that could cause
injury during service or maintenance of machinery and
equipment.LO/TO devices must be unique to the LO/TO process and
substantial enough to provide protection.Authorized individuals are
the ONLY people who can apply locks, tags and other LO/TO
devices.Tags must identify who applied the device.All six steps of
the LO/TO process must be followed for each lockout.Written
procedures must be developed and reviewed annually.Group lockouts
and absentee lock removals must be defined and have specific
processes to follow.
