What is Lockout Tagout Procedures?
Industrial and commercial sectors are incomplete without heavy machines and equipment, as they rely on these machines only for most of their tasks. To ensure that these machines work efficiently for a long duration, maintenance is also required. But unlike the simple machines and components, the maintenance of heavy machines and equipment requires following a safety procedure during the maintenance. The Lockout Tagout Procedure process is specifically designed to ensure the safe maintenance of these machines and prevent any accidents or damage. This process ensures the prevention of the release of hazardous energy from industrial machines during their repair or maintenance.
Adherence to the LOTO or Lockout Tagout Procedure is a must, and one should follow each and every step of the procedure to ensure that the machines are shut off in the right way and they will not restart until the maintenance is over. Companies like Globalite Safety are contributing to this process by supplying several devices, padlocks, and other components related to the Lockout Tagout procedure. In this blog, we will read about the LOTO procedure step by step to understand how it works in the right way.
Steps Involved in Lockout Tagout Procedure
Ensuring safety at industrial workplaces is highly essential, and that is why certain guidelines and procedures are formulated to maintain the same. The OSHA has approved the complete procedure and protocols of the Lockout Tagout procedure to ensure that the workers and employees working closely with industrial machines and equipment during the maintenance process are safe and protected. To maintain this safety, step-by-step processes are required to follow, which we are sharing below.
1. Identifying all sources of energy
The Lockout Tagout procedure is employed to prevent or control the different types of hazardous energy released by machines and equipment during maintenance. It can be thermal energy, chemical energy, mechanical energy, electrical energy, pneumatic energy, and other sources of energy. Before starting the maintenance process, it is essential to identify all potential sources of hazardous energy.
2. Shutdown all the equipment
To start the maintenance process, firstly, one needs to shut down all the machines and equipment in a proper way. Do inform the machine operators or workers associated with that particular machine so that they do not operate the machine once the maintenance process begins. One must follow the standard procedures to shut down the machinery and equipment in the right way.
3. Isolation of machines and equipment
Isolation may involve different things in different industries. While at some industries, one might need to physically disconnect the machines and equipment from energy sources. It also involves closing valves, breaking circuits, or turning off the power for complete isolation.
4. Lockout and Tagout
Once the above-mentioned steps are followed properly, lockout and tagout devices and components are required to be used. It means the machine should be locked and tagged by the designated professional performing the lockout tagout (LOTO) procedure. One must use excellent quality padlocks and devices manufactured by renowned manufacturers like Globalite Safety. Every machine should be locked, and warning tags should be placed on them to avoid any unauthorized removal of locks and tags. Every tag should have the name of the authorized person who is performing the LOTO procedure along with the other information. These locks and tags show that the maintenance process is going on and machines or equipment should not be accessed during this time.
5. Final verification process
Once the lockout and tagout step is followed, one must again check the machines and equipment for any stored hazardous energy sources. It will help in eliminating any risk associated with the same. Once the complete verification is done, one can now perform the maintenance task easily and safely.
It is essential to follow each and every step during the Lockout Tagout (LOTO) procedure. It is one of the reasons why it is considered crucial during the machines and equipment maintenance. Those seeking reliable lockout tagout equipment and devices can rely on us for complete safety. At Globalite Safety, we adhere to all the compliances when manufacturing lockout tagout devices and locks. We are known for the quality, durability, and cost-effective prices of our products.
