What is LOTO Procedure?

By
OSHACAMPUS.COM
Hazardous energy from the maintenance and service
of equipment may cause illness and even death to
workers. In order to reduce and eliminate these
hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) issued the Control of
Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard (
29 CFR 1910.147) as a measure for controlling the
various types of hazardous energy.
 Under the LOTO standard, employers are responsible for protecting
workers and training them to guarantee their knowledge and
understanding of the relevant requirements of the hazardous
energy control procedures:
1. Employees may be trained under programs such as OSHA 30 Hour
construction outreach program. They must also be trained on the
entire employer’s energy control program, energy control
procedures appropriate to the worker’s job responsibilities and all
requirements of the OSHA LOTO standard. Retraining may be done
to maintain expertise or to introduce changes in the program.
2. Employers will develop a hazardous energy control
program.
3. Be able to use lockout devices for equipment that
can be locked out. Lockout devices are any locking
device that may be able to secure the energy-
isolating device in a safe way. Equipment that may be
locked out according to OSHA are:
• Designed with a hasp or other part to which you can
attach a lock such as a lockable electric disconnect
switch;
• Has a locking mechanism built into it; or
• Can be locked without dismantling, rebuilding, or
replacing the energy-isolating device or permanently
altering its energy-control capability, such as a
lockable valve cover or circuit breaker blockout.
4. Tagout devices are used only in place of lockout deveices.
They must be able to provide the same amount of
protection as a lockout device. “The tag alerts employees to
the hazard of reenergization and states that employees may
not operate the machinery to which it is attached until the
tag is removed in accordance with an established
procedure,” states OSHA.
5. Make sure that new or overhauled equipment may be
locked out.
6. Make sure that tagout procedures are effective when
lockout procedures are not applicable. Tags must be
readable and understandable by all employees. They will
contain warnings to employees about the hazards if the
machine is energized. They usually state instructions such as
“Do Not Start” or “Do Not Operate”.
7. Develop, document, implement and enforce energy control
procedures. Exceptions to the documentation requirements
are in 29 CFR 1910.147 (c)(4)(i).
8. Utilize LOTO procedures specific to the equipment and
machinery. The LOTO devices must be durable,
standardized and substantial.
9. LOTO devices must be able to state the identification of
the individual users.
10. Set up a policy that only the person who applied the
LOTO device will be able to remove it.
11. Inspect energy procedures at least once a year.
12. Employers must meet the provisions of the
standard when it comes to outside contractors work,
group lockout situations and during changes in
worker’s shifts.
Link Resources and Image Credits

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9804

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/3120.html

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9804

http://www.oshacampus.com/osha-30-hour-training

Corbis-42-35720510 Hanno Keppel Westend61 Corbis

Corbis-42-15477824 Josh Westrich Corbis