If you operate, clean, service, adjust, or repair machinery and equipment, be aware of the hazards to which you are exposing yourself. Powered equipment could put you in danger, something that can be prevented through lockout/tagout/tryout procedures.
Before working on or near any energized equipment, perform an inspection of the work area to identify the energy sources.
Consider each step of the process to ensure equipment will not be activated unexpectedly. If you identify an energy source, follow appropriate lockout/tagout/ tryout procedures.
Never touch or operate power-activated equipment unless you are trained or assigned the authorization to do so.
Never touch anything that is locked or tagged unless you are responsible for performing work on this equipment and have followed the steps to disconnect the power.
Failure to perform lockout or tagout on powered sources on equipment can result in electrocutions, amputations, and other serious, even fatal incidents.
Locking, tagging, and trying out is required whenever an employee is to remove or bypass a guard or safety device or when an employee places a part of his body into an area that would be a danger zone during a machine operation cycle.
Lockout-tagout-tryout is a three-part procedure designed to protect you from accidental or unexpected start-up of equipment.
This Procedure Serves Four Important Purposes:
- To protect the person working on the equipment;
- To protect other workers in the area;
- To protect the equipment; and
- To serve as a communication device for the above three—this is usually done in conjunction with a safety work permit.
The “lockout” involves the use of a specific lock or locks to isolate equipment from all energy sources. These sources may include air, water, electricity, hydraulic power, and stored energy like gravity. Once the shutoff devices have been identified, personal locks are attached to each device.
The “tagout” requires a specific lockout tag to be filled out, completing the documentation necessary and then attaching it with a lock that is placed on an isolation device. The completed tag will usually have a lock number, name, department, equipment identification, and reason why the equipment is shut down.
The “tryout” requires that you attempt to turn on the equipment on purpose, by using the switches and devices, after the equipment has been placed in a “lockout” position.
Once the equipment has been isolated and locked out by following the proper steps, at this point no one should be able to restart the equipment, thus preventing the equipment from operating.
This equipment will not be restarted until the necessary work is completed and you have removed all your personal locks from each power switch or device.
How to Prevent Injury from Moving Machinery:
- Identify all jobs and equipment that require lockout of power sources.
- Post warning signs wherever possible to indicate that lockout is required.
- Develop written procedures explaining how lockout is to be done.
- Train all personnel in the lockout procedures for their particular job and offer periodic refresher training.
- Allow no deviation from the written policies and procedures.
- Use engineering and administrative controls as much as possible to eliminate the need for lockout.
- Test the energy after you believe it to be isolated.
- This is one of the most overlooked steps and probably the most important, because employees may think they have isolated the energy at the source, but it hasn’t been for one reason or another.
- Perform regular maintenance to prevent malfunctioning equipment.
WHEN IN DOUBT, LOCK IT OUT, TAG IT OUT, AND TRY IT OUT!
Download flyer: SMOTW_1121_LockOut-TagOut-TryOut Download Spanish flyer: SMOTW_1121_LockOut-TagOut-TryOut_esp
