If maintenance or repair of equipment and machinery is not carried out properly, it can result in something catastrophic that will end up costing the company a lot of money. That is why today we will tell you about a way to minimize risks: the LOTO procedure and its importance.
LOTO procedure
LOTO is the acronym for Lockout-Tagout, which translates to lockout and tagout, this is the protective measure that ensures that machines are free of hazardous energy that can cause injury to workers during a maintenance process.
In other words, it is a safety procedure to disconnect and tag out the different energy sources of industrial equipment in order to ensure that workers do not suffer an accident.
Importance of the LOTO procedure
It is critical for companies to have a proper lockout-tagout program that complies with all industry regulations and also protects their employees from any hazards, as LOTO violations have high penalties and result in serious injuries.
To avoid penalties or any accidents it is important to have a written plan, which is called a LOTO procedure manual, and ongoing employee training. The written plan should consider: the scope and reason for the program, the personnel who will carry it out, the policies, the complete procedure, the form of training, inspection methodology and coordination with possible external contractors.
This LOTO procedure manual should be available to the employees involved so that they are aware of it and can assist in coordination, planning, evaluation and control.
Effective way to perform the LOTO procedure
- Preparation: The first stage of the LOTO procedure is to plan the operation to be performed, from the necessary resources to the person or persons who will carry it out. At the same time, the type of energy to be handled and the risks associated with the task must be identified. Once the procedure is defined and planned, all employees must be notified of the plan and then isolate the machine from all possible voltage sources and turn off the machine.
- Lockout: Lockout refers to the isolation of equipment from power sources through the installation of devices to prevent the equipment from being reactivated during maintenance or repair. Among the most commonly used lockout equipment are: padlocks, cables, circuit breakers, pneumatic connections and lockout valves.
- Tagging: The function of Tagging is so that all personnel can identify and locate the installation that is to be maintained and should not be in operation. These tags are placed at the point of blockage and must contain the data of the person responsible for the repair. In conjunction with the tags, it should also be verified that there are no personnel near the hazardous areas.
- Power Restoration: Once the repair or maintenance has been completed, it should be tested for proper operation, in this step the danger tags should be left in place so as not to expose anyone. Once it is confirmed that the operating conditions are adequate to operate, the personnel should be informed that the locks and tags will be deactivated and removed.
Learn more
To create the LOTO procedure manual, it is best to hire an expert company in the subject that will help you to make a previous analysis to determine the necessary files, processes and tags; as well as train your personnel to carry out the procedure.
Alher Sem is a company with more than 15 years of experience that offers Engineering and Multitechnical solutions in the Industrial, Commercial and Services Sectors. Conformed with a team of expert professionals in the subject. To know more about Alher Sem click here.
Comments
We are interested in your opinion, please leave us a comment