Lockout Tagout - Is there an exception?

05-02-2020

When do we need to isolate and lockout and when don’t we? What are the exceptions to the rule and how do you guarantee your own safety? 

Lockout Tagout is becoming more and more pertinent and accepted as best practice in a wider range of industries across the world. The Lockout – Tagout – Tryout (LOTOTO) process outlines the steps employees must take to ensure machinery is isolated, dispersed of any stored or potential energy and rendered safe for service and maintenance tasks, before being re-energised for production.

High risk industries are beginning to utilise the process in relevant and prone areas, seemingly sparked by reactivity to near misses, injury or fatality. However, despite audits and recommendations injuries, from minor shocks to loss of limbs and worse still occur regularly.

But why? There seems to be a mind-set, belief system or simply lack of knowledge when it comes to the potential dangers of hazardous machinery.

Sayings such as I’ve never had to lockout, I’ve never done it that way, I’ve never been injured, occur all too often, prompting the question: Are there any exceptions when it comes to lockout?

Read the full article to find out more: https://www.spectrum-industrial.co.uk/lockout-tagout-is-there-an-exception/