Lockout Tagout

Reece Safety is proud to supply Lockout Tagout to multiple industries for over 20 years. Our Lockout Tagout services include Electrical Lockout, Mechanical Lockout and Group Lockout. In addition to this, we supply a range of Lockout Kits, Lockout Stations and Lockout Hasps. Every year thousands of workers get killed or injured across the globe while performing maintenance or repair work on industrial equipment or machinery. Many of these accidents are caused by the uncontrolled release of energy – Electrical, Chemical, Thermal or Kinetic. Regulations require all energy sources to be isolated and 'locked out' while machines are being serviced or repaired. Reece also has a variety of Safety Padlocks, Padlock Accessories, Key Cabinets, Permit Stations, Boxes and Units to help with your Lockout Tagout needs. Working with uncontrolled releases of energy can be extremely dangerous so it is important you have the correct safety Tags and Scafftag alongside Safety Signs and Labels.

WHAT IS LOCKOUT TAGOUT?
Lockout Tagout (LOTO) procedures ensure that the hazardous energy sources are isolated and rendered inoperable before any maintenance work commences. A safety lock is used when the energy source is turned off to prevent it from being switched on.

Locking out refers to the physical method of isolating a piece of equipment or machinery to prevent it from releasing stored energy or potentially re-energising whilst work is being done on it.

Tagout specifically refers to the visible written warning, on an attached tag or sign, that a piece of equipment is locked out and should therefore not be used. It should be highly visible and obvious.

WHY USE A LOCKOUT TAGOUT STRATEGY?
Having an appropriate lockout tagout strategy in place in your business helps to severely reduce the risks involved with working on equipment. It puts in place a System of Safe Working which helps to ensure the safety of all workers and reduces any risk of the employer’s being liable to prosecution should any accidents occur as the HSE would expect such systems to exist.

In addition to the obvious safety benefits, having a lockout tagout strategy can help reduce unplanned downtime and thus increase productivity in the workforce. A food or chemicals plant would suffer major contamination wastage if a valve were to be closed accidentally – lockout can also be used to “lock on”.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LOTOTO?
The term LOTOTO is increasingly being used across all industries and is now recognised as best practice due to the additional documented steps in the process. LOTOTO is known as “Lock-Out, Tag-Out, Try-Out” with the focus on testing controls before completing any tasks and equipment - it was always in the normal steps, but this approach reinforces the life-saving checks of “Try-out”.

This simple addition to the process would identify if there are any faults with the Isolation Point(s) and if found then work would cease until the investigation into the fault has been diagnosed and safe to continue.

If the “try-out” failed, then it is vital that equipment would be left in the original running condition if appropriate.

The point of a LOTOTO procedure is to identify a hazard that may injure or even kill employees if such an incident occurs due to the start-up or release of energy during the maintenance of machines and equipment.

A Lockout Tagout procedure ensures that the hazardous power sources are isolated and rendered inoperative before any maintenance work is started.

Usually, a lock, and a suitable device, are used to prevent the power source from being switched on. A tag affixed to the lockout device cautions that it should not be turned on. LOTOTO describes a safe work procedure and identifies tasks and equipment that may expose employees to hazardous energy. It also identifies hazardous energy sources and adjacent equipment. It prevents accidental energisation and unauthorised reactivation of machines, equipment or energy sources.

An authorised employee must ensure the LOTOTO procedure is followed before beginning work and on completion, he or she must verify that all personnel are clear of danger before re-energising the system.