A LOTO Tools Tutorial

A centralized lockout station prevents confusion and clutter. Maximizing space, in addition to streamlining operations, also helps to make a facility safer.

A careful and organized approach to lockout/tagout is critically important. Lockout/tagout procedures protect the lives and well-being of workers; failure to build an effective lockout/tagout program can result in serious injury or death.

And yet, despite the critical nature of lockout/tagout and the staggering human cost of making lockout/tagout mistakes (as well as monetary costs by way of punitive fines), it continues to be found in OSHA’s top 10 most-cited violations list every year. Given this information, we can conclude that lockout/tagout non-compliance is a serious, widespread, current, and relevant problem. As such, the problem and potential solutions to the problem warrant a very close look. This article aims to discuss ways for companies to comply with lockout/tagout regulations in the safest, easiest, and most efficient manner possible. We will discuss a number of products that will help businesses create an organized and streamlined lockout/tagout program, including lockout stations, tag centers, group lockout boxes, and lockout information cabinets.

Employers should make every effort to not only observe OSHA standard 1910.147 (The Control of Hazardous Energy), but also make sure complying with the standard is as easy and efficient as possible.

OSHA's LOTO requirements are clear. The Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.147, outlines precisely what steps need to be taken in order to use lockout or tagout devices effectively. But, as we mentioned, the clarity of the standard has not prevented LOTO from consistently appearing among OSHA’s most cited infractions. This may be due in some cases to willful negligence or some other blatant disregard for workplace safety. In other cases, however, preventable accidents may occur due simply to poor organization or improper training. This last set of cases comprises our concern here; they may be less egregious, but they are no less dangerous. The most important question facing a business that is implementing a lockout/tagout program can be formulated in the following way: How can we comply with OSHA's requirements in the most organized, efficient, and safe manner? There are a number of products and programs that are designed to address this very question. A brief overview of some of these products follows.

This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.