e- loto

Lock Out, Tag Out (LOTO) is a safety procedure used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or repair work. It requires that hazardous energy sources be "isolated and rendered inoperative" before work is started on the equipment in question.

Lockout is one way to control hazardous energy. In practice, the lockout is the isolation of energy from the system (a machine, equipment, or process) which physically locks the system in a safe mode. The energy-isolating device can be a manually operated disconnect switch, a circuit breaker, a line valve, or a block (Note: pushbuttons, selection switches, and other circuit control switches are not considered energy-isolating devices). In most cases, these devices will have loops or tabs which can be locked to a stationary item in a safe position (de-energized position).

The main Lockout / Tagout injuries also known as the ‘fatal five’ are:

• Not stopping the Equipment
• Not disconnecting from the power source
• Not dissipating residual energy
• Restarting of equipment accidentally
• Not clearing work area before restarting