OSHA Lock Out / Tag

Out (LOTO):
Control of ‘Hazardous’ Energy
By
Mohammad Rizwan Khan
Engineer (Electrical)
SFGCS
 According to one OSHA study, each year,
nearly 150 people die because
there is a failure to control energy in the workplace!

These deaths could be avoided

if workers would take the time to perform proper
LOCKOUT/TAGOUT procedures.

A lack of respect for the hazards of energy

could cost your life or that of your co-worker!
Contents
• What is LOTO
• Why is LOTO Necessary
• OSHA Standard for LOTO
• Concept of Hazardous Energy & Prevention
• LOTO procedure at PPL & SFGCS (focusing on Electrical Isolations)
• Other Industrial Standards
• Case Studies: Industrial incidents related to LOTO
• Your Role in Prevention
• Piper Alpha Disaster & Video footage of a real-life LOTO accident
 What is LOTO
• We learn the most basic form of LOTO from our homes. For e.g., turning off the power switch for
replacing bulb, etc.

• LOTO is an industrial safety procedure in which any machine/equipment needed to undergo repair,
maintenance, or service is shut off and rendered inoperative

• To ensure that, the equipment is turned off from its source, mechanically locked and gets attached
with a label/warning tag or label for information.

• Lock-out is placement of a lock-out device on energy-isolating equipment in a safe/off position

• Prevents equipment from becoming energized because no one can remove them without a key or
other unlocking mechanism

• Tag-out is placement of tag-out device on energy-isolating equipment

• Serves as warning devices fastened to energy-isolating controls to warn employees not to reenergize
the equipment
Why is LOTO Necessary
 Why is LOTO Necessary
• Machines need to be serviced. It’s not enough to just “shut them off”.

• Unlike small appliances, industrial machinery requires more than turning off a switch or
unplugging a cord. These machines get their power from multiple energy sources that
interact with each other.

• If all energy sources are not isolated before service or maintenance is performed, an
accidental release of energy could occur and result in injury.

• That’s why it is more important now than ever to generate awareness for LOTO and
educate a broad business audience about LOTO procedures
 Looking further at the
statistics
• Millions of  workers face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly implemented.

• In most cases, overconfidence, experience, complacency and familiarity with the equipment/procedures
that workers overlook lockout/tagout basics

• Before OSHA was created, an estimated 14,000 workers were killed on the job every year.

• United Auto Workers revealed 20% of fatalities among their membership were attributed to inadequate
hazardous energy control or lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures

• Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) violations are consistently among OSHA’s 10 most common violations every year

• Compliance with lockout/tagout standards prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each
year.

• Fatal occupational injuries in the U.S. dropped in 2013 to 4,405 from 4,628 in 2012.
 OSHA Standard for LOTO
• To establish a program that would eliminate the injuries and fatalities associated with hazardous energy while
performing maintenance activities.

• Started 50 years ago by employer unions and safety organizations such as NSC, ANSI & NFPA

• Conducted studies from 1974-84 – most incidents found completely preventable.

• Failure to establish an effective LOTO program resulted in increased employee exposure to hazardous energy,
resulting injuries and fatalities.

• OSHA used this information to develop the current LOTO standard that is designed to prevent future incidents
published in the Sept. 20, 1990.

• Standard Number 1910.147: "The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)"

• The standard specifies that employers must establish an energy-control program (LOTO)
 OSHA Lockout/Tagout
• It is basically an energy control program

• Energy Control Program has 3 Core Components:

1. Written procedure: scope, purpose, authorization rules and techniques to be for the control
of hazardous energy
2. Periodic inspections of the energy control procedure
3. Employee training to ensure that the energy control programs are understood

Page 9
Written Procedures Inspections Training
Concept of Hazardous Energy
What is Hazardous energy?

 Not to be confused with Hazardous Area Classification!

 Hazardous energy is any type of energy that can cause equipment to move even when equipment is
turned off

Could be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, gravity. For e.g.,

• A steam valve is automatically turned on burning workers who are repairing a downstream connection in the
piping.

• A jammed conveyor system suddenly releases, crushing a worker who is trying to clear the jam.

• Internal wiring on a piece on machine electrically shorts, shocking the worker

• A open valve - hydraulic fluids can move machinery parts even when the motor or electricity is off.
nergy Isolation Devices
A mechanical devices that physically prevents the transmission or release of energy. Lock-Out and
Tag-Out are performed on these devices.
• Circuit breaker & Disconnect switches
• Manual Hand Valves
• Blind flanges
IMPORTANT!!
• Push buttons, selector switches and other control circuit type devices are NOT energy isolating
devices
• Don’t get disillusioned with mere isolation tags – it is not a protection in itself!

Page 11
 Lockout/Tagout Program in
PPL & SFGCS
Lockout Tagout Procedure for Electrical, Mechanical &
Process Isolation

PPL - QHSE - PR /218

Effective from Mar.’17

Developed to prevent injury from the unexpected

startup, or release of energy, including electrical,
chemical, thermal, physical, flammable, potential,
kinetic etc. during equipment service or maintenance.

Only by considering all energy sources and their

hazards could you develop a comprehensive LOTO
program.
 Main Players
Authorized employee: person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform
servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment. An affected employee becomes an
authorized employee when that employee’s duties include performing servicing or maintenance
covered under the standard.

Affected employee: An employee whose job requires him/her to operate or use a machine or
equipment on which servicing or maintenance is being performed under lockout or tagout, or whose
job requires him/her to work in an area in which such servicing or maintenance is being performed.

Originate Deptt.: department that requests isolation.

Page 13
Responsibilities of Authorized
•
Employees
Identify all energy sources
• Isolate all energy sources to equipment
• Lock and tag all isolating devices
• Dissipate all stored or residual energy sources.
• Verify the isolation
• Remove lock and tag when repair and testing are complete

Page 14
Responsibilities of Affected
Employees
• Never interfere or tamper with a lock or tag
• Stay clear of the area as much as possible
• Never attempt to assist
• Report any unusual situation or unsafe condition to your supervisor

Page 15
 Brief Electrical LOTO procedure
1
at SFGCS
2 3 2 parts

ISOLATION PART COMPLETE HERE

Operation raises i) Authorized person from
ISOLATION STARTS HERE

Electrical Deptt. performs

Electrical
Originate Deptt., Isolation/De-isolation
thru’ Operations, Work permit, fills
requests Electrical out/signs Part-A of
the permit,
Deptt. for mentioning:
Electrical isolation Equipment ID of the
of equipment to equipment to be
electrically isolated
be serviced
and Date & Time of
the request.
electrical isolation and LOTO
on the equipment, and
fills/signs Part-B of permit,
mentioning:
1. Unique number of the
padlock
2. Unique number of the
isolation tag
3. Date & Time of isolation
ii) Originate Deptt. also locks-
out the isolating device using
their personal lock and
mentions on the Isolation
permit

4 5 2 parts 6
DE-ISOLATION STARTS

After maintenance job on
equipment is complete,
Originate Deptt. close
HERE
i) Operation, fills out/signs
Part-C of Electrical
Isolation/De-isolation work
DE-ISOLATION PART
COMPLETE HERE
Authorized person from
Electrical Deptt. performs
electrical de-isolation

permit , mentioning Date & and removes LOTO from

their CWP, and thru’
Time of the de-isolation
Operations, requests request.
the equipment, and fills
Electrical Deptt. for ii) Originate Deptt. removes & signs Part-D of
Electrical De-isolation of their personal lock from the Electrical Isolation
equipment to be made isolating device and Certificate, mentioning:
available for operation mentions this on the permit Date/Time of de-isolation
Isolation Certificate

Multiple Locks System

•Blue: HVAC
•Green : Machinery
•Yellow: Instrument
•Red: Electrical
Isolation Tags
 Case Studies
1. Be careful when troubleshooting – Verify LOTO & Drain Residual Energy!

A worker was trying to clear a blocked pipe. The LOTO permit was authorized, and all of the required locks were
placed. The worker opened several valves in an attempt to try to blow it free. This did not work, so he re-closed the
valves and reinstalled the lock-outs… except that he missed the valve on the pressurizing line. When the worker
opened a flange below the plugged valve, material was blown out, burning the worker.

2. Lock-out requires a lock – Interlocks are NOT Safety!

An operator needed to clean a mixer. The mixer had an interlock limit switch that prevented the mixer from
operating when the lid was up. For protection, the operator propped the lid up and entered. When the mixer was
clean, the operator started to climb back out. As he reached up, his hand touched the lid. This was just enough to
clear the 'lid is up' limit switch and deactivate the interlock. Since he had not locked out the power, the motor
started. The motion of the mixer caused the operator to fall back inside. When he fell, the lid returned to full-open
and the limit switch interlocked the mixer mechanism. However, the mixer made a number of complete revolutions
– badly injuring the operator – before coming to a stop.
Incidents related to LOTO

Untold numbers of major process safety incidents and individual injuries

have been caused by failure of LOTO. A prime example is Piper Alpha &
Phillips-Pasadena catastrophy, to name a few, were also caused in part by
failure to perform adequate LOTO.
 Other Industry Standards for
LOTO
 The BS7671:2008 states that “Every employer shall ensure that where appropriate, work equipment is
provided with a suitable means to isolate it from all its sources of energy. [Provision of Work Equipment
Regulations – Regulation 19 – Isolation from Sources of Energy]

 EU legislation states that “every piece of equipment must be fitted with clearly visible devices with which it
can be separated from every energy source” [EU Guidelines 89/655 (Paragraph 2.14). This indicates that all
workplace machinery should be fitted with permanent LOTO solutions for easy and safe Lockout Tagout
procedures.

 PUWER  (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (1999 in Northern Ireland)) reinforces that
employers should make all machinery safe for use, including adding additional precautions such as extra
Guards and safer PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
 Your Role in Prevention
• A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that
63% of workers injured were production workers that were NOT authorized to perform
LOTO procedures.

• Know & follow your companies LOTO policies & procedures at ALL times

• Know the machinery and the type of energy it uses

• Get familiar with different hazardous energy sources, isolating points and Lock-Out & Tag-
Out devices

• Do not try to bypass locks, interfere or re-energize a system with locks or tags

• Communicate any unusual situation you find to proper authorized personnel, including lost
tags.
 Conclusion
Accidents CAN be, CAN be prevented!!
Many employees are killed and injured each year
when they are working on machinery and power is accidentally restored. If proper
LOTO procedures are followed, these injuries could be prevented.

While LOTO procedures are the best way to prevent injuries resulting from the release of
stored energy, an employee’s last line of defence is his PPE.

At PPL, We believe in a ZERO workplace incidents.

A report by National Council for Occupational Safety & Health
(NCOSH) 2013 & 2014