A Health and Safety Guideline for Your Workplace

|A Health and Safety Guideline for Your Workplace |

| Lockout |

What is a lockout?

Why is a lockout necessary?

How is a lockout done?

Energy forms, energy sources, and general lockout guidelines

Train your workers

Legislation

References

What is a lockout?

"Lockout" means to physically neutralize all energies in a piece of equipment before beginning any maintenance or repair work. Lockouts generally involve:

• stopping all energy flows (for example, by turning off switches, or valves on supply lines);

• locking switches and valves;

• securing the machine, device, or power transmission line in a de-energized state (for example, by applying blocks or blanks, or bleeding hydraulic or pneumatic pressure from lines).

Why is a lockout necessary?

If a lockout is not performed, uncontrolled energies could cause:

• electrocution (contact with live circuits);

• cuts, bruises, crushing, amputations, death, resulting from:

- entanglement with belts, chains, conveyors, rollers, shafts, impellers;

- entrapment by bulk materials from bins, silos or hoppers;

- drowning in liquids in vats or tanks;

• burns (contact with hot parts, materials, or equipment such as furnaces);

• fires and explosions;

• chemical exposures (gases or liquids released from pipelines).

Often power sources are inadvertently turned on, or valves opened mistakenly before the work is completed, resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. Therefore, it is important not only to ensure that all energies are properly locked out, but also that they remain locked out until the work is completed.

How is a lockout done?

For lockouts to be effective, a clear, well-defined lockout policy supported by administrative and control procedures, and proper...