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While safety should be the main objective in every work environment, it’s especially important in fields such as construction, manufacturing, and other businesses that use heavy machinery and other hazardous tools and equipment. These machines are necessary to deliver high-quality work while meeting schedule and budget demands. However, without proper safety training and procedures, operating these tools can have devastating, safety protocols and often deadly, consequences.
Many organizations have a safety management program that covers operating machinery and tools. Such a program should include training and certification steps, which can help management make sure that this equipment is operated by the right people. For example, a construction superintendent can make sure that the person operating an excavator is qualified to do so. The best safety management programs also have processes to make sure tools are in good working condition. This includes regular inspections, servicing, and repairs as needed. You may be wondering, what protocols or processes are in place to prioritize safety during equipment inspection and service?
Lockout Tagout are terms that refer to a procedure that ensures dangerous equipment is properly turned off before maintenance. A LOTO procedure also makes sure that the equipment stays off while repairs are made. You might think that turning off a machine or unplugging it is sufficient to begin maintenance, but that’s not always the case. Think about an electrician working on a device that, despite being unplugged or disconnected, still maintains an electrical charge that could lead to electric shock.
When it comes to frequently-used tools, it’s best to think of them in terms of hazardous energy, which, when released, can cause harm or injury. A safety lockout procedure makes sure that all forms of hazardous energy, including chemical, electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, pneumatic, thermal, and other types of energy, are released prior to maintenance.
A complete LOTO procedure ensures that equipment is isolated from these hazardous energy sources, and is rendered inoperative for the duration of maintenance. This is generally achieved through the following steps:
To prevent accidental reconnection or the restarting of an energy source, the person completing the repairs usually keeps the key for the lock. The need for clear lockout tagout steps transcends industries and locations. Everyone involved must understand the lockout tagout procedure through training, practice, review, and documentation.
Job sites, industries, company locations, and other details account for significant variation among different lockout tagout procedures. Generally, your plan should include the following steps:
Your safety plan should include a lock out tag out procedure template that covers every step in a manner that’s consistent, uniform, repeatable, auditable, and documentable.
When creating a template, be sure to include the following information, at a minimum:
Fluix provides a cloud-based platform for managing workplace safety, completing, and distributing documents such as a lockout tagout procedure form, especially as part of an automated workflow. This lightweight, yet powerful platform works on mobile devices, making it ideal for use in construction, manufacturing, and other industrial work environments.
Ensure Safety of All Your TeamsAvoid incidents caused by unintended energizationStay LOTO-compliantKeep your equipment in a working condition