What Is Lockout Tagout? 7 Steps To Reach LOTO Safety

Lockout/tagout procedures help prevent many injuries maintenance technicians face while servicing equipment. However, implementing LOTO procedures can be difficult, and they should be followed precisely to ensure critical safety precautions are in place.

Tracking LOTO procedures and knowing where to find critical information doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult when attempting to disable a piece of equipment properly. 

Learn seven basic steps for reaching LOTO and a simple, all-in-one way to track LOTO procedures, communicate with team members, check the LOTO status of equipment, and more.

What Is the Meaning of LOTO?

LOTO — also called lockout/tagout — are safety practices and procedures that ensure dangerous machines are properly shut off and won’t unexpectedly restart or release hazardous energy during maintenance activities or repairs.

Hazardous energy can be dangerous to workers and results in serious injury should they be released during servicing. They include:

• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Hydraulic
• Pneumatic
• Chemical
• Thermal
• And more

LOTO Safety: Why Are Lockout/Tagout Procedures Important?

As industrial processes evolved, advancements in machinery began requiring more specialized maintenance procedures. With highly technological equipment comes more serious injuries, causing problems for LOTO safety. 

With this systematic approach in place, maintenance teams can isolate and control energy sources to safeguard themselves during maintenance tasks.

In 1982, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) published its first guidance on lockout/tagout procedures to provide safety precautions in the maintenance of hazardous energy sources. In 1989, LOTO guidelines developed into an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation.

According to OSHA, lockout/tagout procedures help prevent 50,000 injuries and 120 fatalities annually. LOTO safety is important to understand and implement because it:

• Prevents accidents by isolating energy sources
• Ensures employee protection and allows maintenance teams to perform tasks knowing that equipment is properly isolated
• Reduces downtime by allowing maintenance trams to complete tasks quickly and effectively
• Allows for clear communication when a tag clearly indicates that a machine is being serviced and should not be operated

OSHA Guidelines

If your industry uses machinery under LOTO requirements, OSHA guidelines require that you follow the rules under the Control of Hazardous Energy Title 29 CFR Part 1910.147 and 1910.333.

Under this OSHA standard, industries must disable machinery during repair and maintenance work to protect employees from hazardous energy, equipment, and electrical circuits. Industries with potentially dangerous machinery must follow a LOTO procedure whenever the machine is under maintenance.

OSHA LOTO standards apply if you have employees who service or maintain machines that could:

• Unexpectedly release stored energy
• Suddenly start
• Produce energization

How LOTO Works

OSHA, through Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.147, provides standards on the proper maintenance and servicing of equipment that can potentially release hazardous energy. Companies should identify equipment that is required by law to abide by these maintenance standards to avoid hefty fines and ensure the safety of their workers.

A robust documentation process is required to ensure all equipment complies with federal regulations on LOTO procedures during maintenance activities. The capability to add LOTO procedures to your CMMS using lockout tagout software can significantly improve the visibility of the progress of more hazardous tasks.

UpKeep offers a simple way to document LOTO procedures and mark when a piece of equipment’s status is LOTO for all employees to track easily.

What Are the 7 Steps of LOTO? 

Once equipment with hazardous energy sources is properly identified and maintenance procedures are documented, the following general steps should be accomplished before servicing activities are carried out:

#1: Notify Employees

Inform employees who might need to use the disabled equipment that it is entering LOTO status and should not be used. This includes operators, maintenance personnel, and any other workers in the vicinity.

#2: Identify Energy Sources

Find out what type of energy the equipment uses, the magnitude of the energy, the hazards, and the method and location of the energy-isolating mechanism. This should involve locating switches, valves, breakers, or another control device that will stop the flow of energy to the equipment.

#3: Shut Down Equipment

Perform proper shutdown procedures prescribed by the manufacturer or standard operating procedures. This ensures all equipment has been safely deactivated before any maintenance work begins.

#4: Deactivate Energy Isolating Devices

Isolate the energy sources using normal procedures — shutting off valves, disconnecting electrical connections, etc. — to prevent the flow of energy to the equipment.

#5: Apply Applicable LOTO Devices

Apply lockout devices with assigned locks and tags to energy-isolating devices. Each lock and tag should be assigned to the individual performing the maintenance task to prevent re-energization of the equipment before the maintenance tasks are complete.

#6: Dissipate Stored Energy

Remove stored energy from springs, capacitors, etc. to prevent unexpected movement and the release of energy during maintenance activities. You can use restraints if necessary.

#7: Verify Energy Isolation

Before beginning maintenance work ensure the equipment is effectively isolated from all energy sources. You can do this by attempting to restart the equipment using normal operating procedures. The equipment should remain in its de-energized state.

Necessary Tools for Performing LOTO Procedures

LOTO procedures are only successful with the right tools in hand. You’ll need:

• Lockout devices to ensure the equipment in LOTO status is inaccessible or isolated
• Tagout devices to visibly identify if a piece of equipment is potentially hazardous

Maintenance teams can benefit from having an extra tool in their toolkits — maintenance management software — to help track LOTO procedures more efficiently and ensure accurate compliance with standards.

Track LOTO Procedures and Ensure Employee Safety Using UpKeep

Performing lockout/tagout procedures is one way to ensure the safety of workers during maintenance tasks, particularly from hazardous energy sources. Failure to comply with LOTO standards not only results in fines but may also cause injuries and fatalities to your employees. 

Putting LOTO procedures in place is just one piece of the puzzle. 

UpKeep’s CMMS software allows maintenance teams to track LOTO processes, opens communication between employees and teams so everyone is aware when a piece of equipment’s status is LOTO, allows for easy documentation, and more, increasing the effectiveness of LOTO procedures tenfold.

Don’t risk the safety of your employees any longer — allow UpKeep to help you successfully implement LOTO procedures in your facility. Contact us to request a demo today.