Five causes of injury that can be prevented using Lockout-Tagout

• Posted on 29 November 2022
• 0

Lockout-Tagout is used to disable any form of hazardous energy and render the machine inoperable until maintenance or repair work is completed. By using Lockout-Tagout, situations that escalate into injury can often be avoided.

The consequences of not or incorrectly securing hazardous energy can be severe. During machinery and equipment maintenance, the unexpected start-up or release of stored energy can lead to serious injuries or even fatal accidents. Injuries that can be prevented by using Lockout-Tagout are burns, crushing, electrocution, cuts, amputation or fractures of body parts.

Five causes of injury that can be prevented by using Lockout-Tagout correctly.
1. Failure to shut down or improperly shut down the machine
2. Failure to isolate or improperly isolate the power source
3. Failure to correctly dispose of residual energy
4. Accidental re-starting of equipment
5. Failure to set up the work floor correctly

1. Failure to shut down or improperly shut down the machine
While performing maintenance on a machine, it is not enough to simply switch the machine off. The power source must also be isolated and then locked with a special Lockout-Tagout safety padlock. To finish a proper Lockout-Tagout, it is important to clearly identify and label the power source with a safety tag.

2. Failure to isolate or improperly isolate the power source
It is common to switch off the machine and isolate the power source. Many people think only of electric energy when they think of hazardous energy. But while performing maintenance and repairs, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal and mechanical energy are at least as dangerous and these too must be insulated and secured.

3. Failure to correctly dispose of residual energy
Stored energy can build up while carrying out maintenance. All this energy can rise to dangerously high levels. Simply turning off the power or removing the energy source does not always guarantee that the equipment is safe. The energy can suddenly be released and cause considerable injury. This can be prevented by taking proper Lockout-Tagout measures.

4. Accidentally restarting equipment
Even a simple miscommunication can lead to fatal injuries. When more than one person is working on a machine, it is necessary to prevent that while one person is engaged, someone else does not restart the machine. To prevent such mistakes, OSHA has established the principle of 1 padlock = 1 employee = 1 key for everyone working on the machine.

5. Failure to properly set up the work floor
It is important to properly inform all employees about the situation in the workplace. It is important to select the right materials, such as safety tags. Simple texts, engravings, bright colours or even photo identification tags can ensure that equipment is clearly identified. Visual markings placed right next to a machine or system can help people recognise the parts of the machine and power source. This information can be used to properly lock down the equipment or simply prevent the system from accidentally being started up.