Lockout/Tagout is an important safety component of your workplace. In fact, it’s critical to safeguarding workers and employees around the machinery and equipment they operate, service and maintain.

This valuable safety practice involves de-energising all forms of energy so any hazardous energy isn’t re-introduced while equipment is being serviced. That way, your employees can get their job done as safely as possible to keep your operation running efficiently.

 

Lockout

Physically ensuring equipment is inoperable while repairs or adjustments are made with the use of a padlock and a suitable device.

 

Tagout

Clearly communicating to workers, with labels and tags, that the equipment is being serviced, should not be operated and when it will return to service.

 

Lockout/tagout programs are most successful when you look at the complete safety picture. That means making sure employee training, instructive procedures, the right products and a dedication to continuous improvement are all part of your program. By taking this approach, you could realise great benefits throughout your organisation, including:

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY – Reducing equipment downtime

CUTTING COSTS – Significantly decreasing lost employee time and insurance costs

SAVING LIVES – Preventing thousands of incidents, injuries and even fatalities annually

 

The Australian Standards for Lockout/Tagout are AS/NZS 4836:2011 - Safe working on or near low-voltage electrical installations and equipment - and AS 4024.1603-2006 - Safety of machinery - Design of controls, interlocks and guards - Prevention of unexpected start-up. However, businesses should always personally check with their local State or Territory regulations for full details on relevant energy isolation standards.

 

The Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Part 4.7) outlines specific requirements pertaining to Electrical Safety and Energised Electrical Work. This regulation specifies that a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure that:

  • Electrical work is not carried out on electrical equipment while the equipment is energised.
  • Electrical equipment that has been de-energised to allow work to be completed is not accidentally re-energised while the work is being carried out.
  • A competent person test electrical equipment to determine whether or not it is energised.
  • Safe Work Method Statements include a description of electrical work; specify associated hazards and risks with suitable control measures. 
  • The Work Health and Safety Regulations have been developed to provide all Australian workers with the same level of workplace safety protection despite specific work locality 
 
In addition to the above measures, each workplace should still develop their own isolation procedures to ensure maximum effectiveness. Factors which may affect the isolation procedures include: 
 
  • The reason/s for the equipment isolation, such as maintenance, cleaning, set-up, etc.
  • The level of expertise of the person/s who will be working on the equipment once it is isolated.
Other factors may exist that will affect the isolation procedures. This is why isolation procedures should be workplace specific to suit unique operating requirements.

 

1. Program/Policy

The first step to lockout tagout success is developing and documenting your equipment energy control policy/program. A written lockout document is the skeleton of your overall lockout program – It essentially establishes and explains the elements of your program.

A program is not a one time fix. It should be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it’s still relevant and effectively protects employees. Creating a lockout program should be a collaborative effort from all levels of the organisation.

 

2. Equipment/Task Specific Procedures

It’s important that lockout procedures are formally documented and easily identify the equipment covered. They should detail the specific steps necessary for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing equipment to control hazardous energy, as well as steps for the placement, removal and transfer of lockout/tagout devices.

 

3. Identify & Mark Energy Isolation Points

Locate and identify all energy control points, including valves, switches, breakers and plugs, with permanently placed and standardised labels or tags. These points must be clearly marked. You should also keep in mind that these labels and tags should be consistent with the equipment-specific procedures from Step 2.

 

4. Training and Periodic Inspections/Audits

Be sure to adequately train your employees, communicate processes and conduct periodic inspections to ensure your program is running effectively. Training should not only include Australian regulations & standard requirements, but also your own specific program elements, such as your machine-specific procedures.

 

5. Provide Proper Lockout Devices

The next element of your lockout program is providing employees with the necessary devices to keep them safe. There are many products on the market, and selecting the most appropriate solution for your application is the key to isolation effectiveness. It’s important to document and use devices that best fit each lockout point. 

When ISOLATING a piece of equipment, it’s essential to follow these 7 steps in order to be compliant and safe:

  1. Notify affected employees of your intent to lock out the equipment
  2. Review the written lockout procedure
  3. Perform the normal machine stop
  4. Shut off all energy isolation controls
  5. Lock out the energy isolation controls
  6. Dissipate any stored or residual energies
  7. Verify the zero-energy state to safely begin servicing

 

6. Sustainability

Last but not least, we recommend taking a continuous improvement approach to your lockout program. By consistently reviewing your program, you are creating a safety culture that proactively addresses isolation. This allows your company to focus on maintaining a world-class program, instead of starting from scratch each year and reacting only when something goes wrong.

Not sure you can maintain the costs of sustainability? Consider the costs of re-creating your lockout tagout program each year – when you could simply maintain your program throughout the year to enhance your safety culture while reducing money spent re-inventing the wheel. When looking at your program from this perspective, it’s clear that a sustainable program helps you stay one step ahead, while saving time and money.

 

Scavenger Hunt

Now that you know the elements you need – let’s put your facility to the test. Take a walk around your workplace and check to see if you have the following items:

  • Machine-Specific Procedures - Are your employees trained on them?
  • Fully Stocked Lockout Tagout Stations - Are they updated?
  • Permanent Identification Labels - Are they easily identified?
  • Locks, Tags & Devices - Were they easy to find and the proper devices for the types of equipment?
  • Tutorial or Training Posters - Do these align with your employee training?
  • Corporate Safety Messaging - Could your employees easily define these?
If you have them, great! If you don't, it's time to update what you need and begin your continuous improvement journey.
 
Next, ask a few of your employees to perform the same scavenger hunt. This will help you determine how well they understand your lockout program. After all, your employees are the ones responsible for performing lockout tasks. If they can’t easily spot the device or procedure necessary, then it is likely out of sight, out of mind. Safe work is a team effort - make sure the whole team is up to speed.

 

Non-Compliance:

How does non-compliance impact your employees?

Every employee deserves to work in a safe environment and get home safely every day. The best way to achieve this is to ensure your isolation program is not only compliant, but meets the custom needs of your workforce. We all know that non-compliance can have a serious negative impact on the safety of your employees and your workplace.

 

How does it impact your bottom line?

Non-compliance not only impacts the well-being of your employees, it can be a financial disaster for your company and kill your productivity. Failure to meet Australian standards will often lead to fines that cost employers. Not to mention that a serious accident could lead to additional penalties, legal fees, medical costs, lost productivity and negative media attention, potentially costing millions of dollars for the company. Just think about how 24 days without one of your experienced workers would impact your turn-around time, on-time delivery and parts per million (PPM) metrics at your facility.

 

For much greater detail on Lockout/Tagout, view the Brady Lockout/Tagout guide here