LOTO Procedure
Why LOTOTO is an important part of your machine safety
Despite the fact that maintenance, cleaning and replacement work accounts for only a few percent of a machine’s total operating time, a large proportion of industrial accidents occur during these activities.
The importance of LOTO
LOTOTO procedures
It is therefore essential that maintenance, cleaning and replacement work is done safely and without any electrical interference. The solution to this is the use of LOTO (Lockout-Tagout-Tryout). LOTO is a safety procedure that focuses on isolating all energy sources before any work can take place.
By setting up an efficient LOTO procedure and linking it to your work permit system, it is possible to eliminate a large part of the risk.
Zoals de term al zegt is de basis van LOTOTO gericht op het uitschakelen en vergrendelen (Lock-out), markeren (Tag-out) en testen (Try-out) van iedere energiebron die betrekking heeft op de werkzaamheden.
De LOTO-Procedure
LOTO procedures consist of a general procedure and machine specific procedures. The general LOTO procedure describes in particular the guidelines and requirements for the use of LOTO. A machine procedure specifies exactly which interlocks are to be placed where to secure the installation.
Drafting the machine specific LOTO procedure can be a time consuming task. A separate procedure sheet must be drawn up for each machine to which LOTOTO applies. In this, knowledge of electrical schematics, piping (P&ID) and residual energy is required. To keep this procedure up-to-date it is important to also implement a management of change system (MOC), so that adjustments to the machines are also processed in the LOTO procedure.
LOTO Products
Once the LOTOTO procedures have been established, it is then necessary to prepare a slotting schedule. In this, the following is established:
- Whether or not to use a master keyed system.
- Color codes and engravings for the various padlock groups.
- Employees who require one or more personal safety padlocks.
- The number of safety padlocks required for outside employees and contractors.
- Whether or not to use group lockout locks.
Next, an inventory can be made of the required LOTO materials, in addition to the safety padlocks described above, think also of electrical and mechanical locks (lock-outs), safety tags, group lock boxes and storage systems.
LOTO implementation
The final step is implementation. This includes making the materials available, linking the procedures to the work permit, and training the LOTO manager, employees, and others involved.
It is recommended that you train your employees annually to maintain knowledge of the procedures and use of the materials.
Do you need help in drawing up procedures inventory of the required LOTO materials? Or are you interested in a free consultation with one of our specialists about the use of LOTO? Then please contact us via T +31 10 822 44 00 or sales@lockout-tagout-shop.com.
As support we offer a free LOTOTO manual on our webshop www.lockout-tagout-shop.com.
