Lockout/Tag-out
Procedures
Valley City State University | Facilities Services
• What is LOCKOUT/TAG-OUT?
• Lockout/Tag-out refers to a safety procedure which is used
in industry settings to ensure that dangerous machines are
properly shut off and not started up again prior to the
completion of maintenance or servicing work. It requires
that hazardous power sources be "isolated and rendered
inoperative" before any repair procedure is started.
• "Lock and tag" works in conjunction with a lock usually
locking the device or the power source with the hasp, and
placing it in such a position that no hazardous power
sources can be turned on. The procedure requires that a tag
be affixed to the locked device indicating that it should not
be turned on.
Introduction
• Energy sources including electrical, mechanical,
hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal or other sources
in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers.
• During the servicing and maintenance of machines and
equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored
energy could cause injury to employees.
What is HAZARDOUS ENERGY?
• Workers servicing or maintaining machines or equipment
may be seriously injured or killed if hazardous energy is
not properly controlled.
• Injuries resulting from the failure to control hazardous
energy during maintenance activities can be serious or
fatal!
• Injuries may include:
• Electrocution
• Burns
• Crushing, cutting, lacerating, amputating, or fracturing body
parts.
What are the harmful effect
of hazardous energy?
• Examples:
• A steam valve is automatically turned on burning workers
who are repairing a downstream connection in the piping.
• A jammed conveyor system suddenly releases crushing a
worker who is trying to clear the jam.
• Internal wiring on a piece of factory equipment electrically
shorts shocking employee who is repairing the equipment.
What are the harmful effect
of hazardous energy?
• Craft workers, electricians, machine operators, and
laborers are among the 3 million workers who service
equipment routinely and face the greatest risk of injury.
• Workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous
energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation.
What are the harmful effect
of hazardous energy?
• Failure to control hazardous energy accounts for nearly
10 percent of the serious accidents in many industries.
• Proper lockout/tag-out (LOTO) practices and procedures
safeguard workers from the release of hazardous energy.
• A LOTO standard establishes the employer's
responsibility to protect workers from hazardous energy.
What can be done to control
hazardous energy?
• Employers are required to train each worker to ensure
that they know, understand, and are able to follow the
applicable provisions of the hazardous energy control
procedures:
• Proper lockout/tag-out (LOTO) practices and procedures
safeguard workers from the release of hazardous energy.
• Provide training for workers.
• Retraining of all employees to maintain proficiency or
introduce new or changed control methods.
What can be done to control
hazardous energy?
• Employee Responsibilities
• All employees who work in the area where the energy control
procedure(s) are utilized need to be instructed in the purpose and
use of the energy control procedure(s) and about the prohibition
against attempting to restart or reenergize machines or equipment
that is locked or tagged out.
• All employees who are authorized to lockout machines or
equipment and perform the service and maintenance operations
need to be trained in recognition of applicable hazardous energy
sources in the workplace, the type and magnitude of energy found
in the workplace, and the means and methods of isolating and/or
controlling the energy.
What can be done to control
hazardous energy?
• Next- a video demonstrating some LOTO
practices/procedures:
• VIDEO
LOTO Video
• VCSU’s lockout/tag-out procedures can be found in the
Safe Operating Procedures Manual.
• This document provides the expectations of each employee
and how to properly LOTO during repair.
What are VCSU’s
Procedures?
VCSU SAFE OPERATING PROCEDURES:
Lockout/Tag-out Guidelines
Certain employees will be required to work with power/energy/electricity. These employees need to be aware of
the risks involved and know the proper procedures to de-energize these certain sources of power. This includes
ensuring that when an employee is working on a machine, it is isolated from all hazardous energy and is locked
out or tagged out before beginning their work.
There are many forms of energy which supervisors and employees should be familiar with in the work place.
These include hydraulic, pneumatic, steam, gas, and stored energy in suspended weights, springs, air pressure,
electrical, or others.
Terminology

Hazardous Energy- Energy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical,
thermal or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the
servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored
energy could cause injury to employees.
What are the harmful effects of Hazardous Energy?
LOTO Safe Operating
Procedure
THIS CONCLUDES THIS
PORTION OF THE TRAINING…
Take a 5 minute stretch break before we
continue to the next module.