Lockout/tagout refers to a safety procedure that is used in a variety of industries including manufacturing, warehouses, and research. It ensures machines are properly shut off and cannot be turned back on until maintenance being done on them is completed.
The main goal is to protect those who are physically working on the machines. Since there are many large and potentially dangerous machines in facilities throughout the country, this type of program is more important than ever.
The lockout tagout program was developed in response to the numbers of people who were injured when a machine they were working on engaged. This can occur because someone unknowingly turns the machine on, because a power source is not properly removed, or any number of other reasons.
The lockout tagout program allows the people who are actually performing the maintenance to take physical responsibility for their own safety, which can prevent an accident. This is done by physically removing the power source (often by tripping a circuit breaker) and putting a lock on it to prevent it from being re-energized.
Along with the lock is a tag, which alerts people in the area that the power has been intentionally cut and that someone is working on the machine. The person who is performing the maintenance will have the key to the lock so nobody else can power up the machine until he or she is ready. This has proven to be an extremely effective way to limit the risks associated with people working on dangerous machines.
Post time: Sep-30-2022