Implementation of Lock Out Tag Out

Purpose

Scope

Actions

Responsibility

Policy Base

Supporting Documents

Promulgation

Implementation

Purpose

To reduce the risk of injury when people are working on plant or equipment by preventing the item and its components from being set in motion and preventing the accidental release of stored energy.

Scope

This procedure applies to people (staff, contractor, sub-contractor, self-employed person, student, etc), working on plant or equipment on University premises.  Where several people are working on plant or equipment, this procedure applies to every person.

Actions

Unless specified otherwise, the following actions apply to any person planning to work on an item of plant or equipment at the Factory:

• A. Shut Down the Plant / Equipment

• B. Conduct a Job Safety Analysis

• C. Isolate All Energy Sources: Lock Out / Tag Out

• D. Release All Stored or Trapped Energies

• E. Test for Effective Isolation

• F. Complete the Work

A. Shut Down the Plant / Equipment

1.  Shut down the item of plant/equipment.  Simple items can usually be shut down by a single control, such as a switch or valve.  More complex items may have to be shut down in a set sequence or by shutting down several energy sources (e.g. electricity, pneumatic, hydraulics, fuel, etc).

2.   Place a completed Out of Service Tag on the controls of every energy source. 

B. Conduct a Job Safety Analysis

1.  Identify all sources of energy associated with the item of plant/equipment and their isolation points, including ones that may be remote or hidden.  Include electricity, compressed gases, fluids under pressure, stored energy, fuels, heat, steam, gravity, radiation, etc. 

2.   Identify all other hazards, including mechanical, chemical, falls, burns, asphyxiation, and impact.

3.   If the work and the item of equipment meet all the conditions listed below, proceed with the work:

·     the item involves only one source of energy, and that energy source will be under the direct control of the worker throughout the work;

·     the work involves only one worker;

·     the worker is not working in isolation;

·     the work and item are well within the technical competencies of the worker;

·     Other safety requirements do not apply (e.g. permit-to-work).

1.   If the work or items of plant/equipment do not meet any one of the requirements in Item 3 above, record the findings on a Job Safety Analysis form and contact the Facilities Services office of the premises/campus where the work is being carried out. 

2. If there is uncertainty about any aspect of conducting a Job Safety Analysis or if further information is required (e.g. plans or diagrams), contact Facilities Services. 

3. Facilities Services will review the JSA, issue the necessary Locks and Tags, make the entries in the Lock and Tag Register, and determine the level of supervision and additional measures required. 

C. Isolate All Energy Sources: Lock Out / Tag Out

1.   Once Facilities Services have approved the JSA and have issued the necessary Locks and Tags, isolate every energy source by means of one Lock and one Danger Tag for every worker on every isolation point.  Where several workers are involved, use Safety Hasps (see Figure 1 below).  Contact Facilities Services to obtain these Hasps. 

2.   Except for simple electrical equipment connected via a plug and socket, an electrician* must isolate and disconnect all electrical supply to an item of plant/equipment.

*Note: "electrician" in this procedure means a worker who holds either of the following electrical licence:

- Disconnect/Reconnect Worker's Licence (D Licence/Restricted)

- Electrician's Licence (A Class/A/E Licence)

Figure 1 - A typical lock out / tag out set up

D. De-energise All Stored or Trapped Energies

Take any of the following steps necessary to guard against energy left in the item of plant/equipment after its energy sources have been isolated:

1.     Inspect the plant/equipment to make sure all parts have stopped moving. 

2.     Install ground wires. 

3.     Block or brace parts which could fall due to gravity. 

4.     Release the tension on springs, or block the movement of spring-driven parts. 

5.   Block parts in hydraulic and pneumatic systems that could move from the loss of pressure. 

6.     Relieve trapped or stored pressure.  Bleed the lines and leave vent valves open. 

7.   Drain process piping systems and close valves to prevent the flow of hazardous material. 

8.     If a pipe must be blocked where there is no valve, use a blank flange. 

9.     Purge tanks and process lines. 

10.   Dissipate extreme cold or heat, or provide protective clothing. 

11.  If stored energy can re-accumulate, monitor it to make sure it stays below hazardous levels.  

E. Test for Effective Isolation

1.  After the item of plant/equipment has been shut down, locked out and tagged out, but before any person attempts to start work on the item, test all isolated power sources.  Test first with appropriate instruments and then by trying to activate the item.  Ensure the complexity of the plant (or parts of the plant, including control stations and computers remote from the plant) is understood.  If unsure, contact Facilities Services. 

2.  Only begin work on the item of plant/equipment when tests have confirmed it is safe to do so.  

F. Complete the Work

While performing the work, monitor the condition of the item of plant/equipment throughout the work to ensure unforeseen hazards or changing conditions do not cause injury. 

On completion of the work:

1.     Return the item of plant/equipment to a safe and serviceable condition. 

2.   Ensure each worker removes his/her own Safety Lock(s) and Danger Tag(s).  Note: Only the worker who was issued with a given Lock and Danger tag can remove them.  Anything other than this strict safety rule is absolutely prohibited.  Contact Facilities Services if for any reason it is impossible to comply with this rule (e.g. lost key).

3.    Ensure the person who fitted the Out of Service Tag(s) removes it(them). 

4.    Test the equipment for correct operation.

5.    Report to Facilities Services.  Return all the items  including used tags

Responsibility

1.  The HOD – Facilities Services has ownership of this procedure and its implementation. 

2. The Manager – Risk, Health and Safety is responsible for the maintenance of this procedure. 

3. The Facilities Managers are responsible for including this procedure in contractor inductions and for ensuring that contractors/sub-contractors and Facilities Services staff complies with this procedure. 

4.  Deans/Directors are responsible for ensuring their staff and students comply with this procedure. 

5.   Specific responsibilities are included under Actions.

Supporting Documents

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA)

Permit To work Register

Lock and Tag Register

Promulgation

This Procedure will be communicated throughout the University via:

1.    An Announcement Notice under ‘FedNews’ and through the University's Policy - ‘Recently Approved Documents’ webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy;

2.    Inclusion on the factory Policy, Procedure and Forms website; and/or

3.    Distribution of emails to Manager / Directors / staff; and/or

4.    Documentation distribution e.g. posters, brochures.

Implementation

This Procedure will be implemented throughout the Factory / Organization via:

1.      Lockout-Tag out Procedures

2.      Lockout-Tag out Training (for authorized employees and affected employees),

3.      Lockout-Tag out Policy (often referred to as a program),

4.      Lockout-Tag out Devices and Locks,

5.      Lockout-Tag out Auditing - Every 12 months, every procedure must be reviewed as well as a review of authorized employees

5 E's Safety Module

v    Engineering Application

            By the engineering application, major part of safety problem can be controlled or eliminated.  Engineering in safety begins even from blue print stage of any factory.  Potential hazards are to be considered at design stages to avoid production losses to reduce accident and to save cost on re – designs or replacement of equipment.  The participation of safety specialist form planning stage will definitely help in building a safe factory environment.  Such co – ordinates can also result in better housekeeping provisions lighting, ventilation, and flooring, built in safety guard to machines, Installation of standard electrical panel good efficient treatment method etc.

            There are six steps to be applied for safety programs involving engineering revisions.

Ø    Identification of hazards.

Ø    Substitution of hazardous or elimination of hazardous substances, operation and arrangements.

Ø    Enclosing or guarding the hazards by technical means

Ø    Isolation of hazard from normal working environment

Ø    Diluting the harmful environment

Ø    Provide personal protective equipment in the case of above fine steps could not give total safety.  This step can be adopted as an additional safety measure.

The safe physical environment may become unsafe in due course of production process when engineering applications are used to rectify.  Such a situation we have to keep in mind that unsafe situation can again come up of proper maintenance is into made at proper time and proper education for the employees s not given continuously

v    Education and Training

            Due to lack of proper knowledge many accidents occur in our daily life.  Repetitive creation of unsafe condition, exposure to physical hazards, and doing unsafe condition due to lack of knowledge, improper attitude or ignorance on the part of employees.  The employees are given necessary training even at the initial stage of appointment to an assigned job.  If the content is designed to teach an experienced employee for accommodating the changed situation, he will get more skills in his job and will do few mistakes in procedures.  For safety working specific training and education is needed for any employee.  Sometime people may forgot proper procedure or may become over confident in their job.   This also creates accidents.  Hence refreshes training courses are needed frequently.  Supervisors will be best medium for giving effective training to their subordinates.

            ­After getting proper education and training can bring vast difference in the quality of work.  Effective training may be useful in improving productivity, turnover and developing good industrial relationship.  But even today many industrial establishments don’t recognize the need of training and its importance.  Thus it is a time change the attitude and introduces the proper training to its people.  Depending upon the demand of the situation suitable training program should be selected certain individual may lead specific knowledge skill and attitude, certain individuals may need training to suit their new jobs or for improving their capabilities.

v    Enthusiasm

            When an injurious accident occurs in an industry, it is sure that everyone becomes enthusiastic about safety.  Had the same enthusiasm prevailed always in the working environment accidents can very well be avoided to a considerable extent?  Hence, a safety practitioner may have to motivate not only the employee but also the management personnel.  Rather than primary duty begins with winning the confidence of the management personal in the strategies he put forth.

            For conveying the management about the nobility and benefits of accident prevention a safety practitioner must put for the various advantages projecting the economic benefits of safety will be the most one.  Any management can easily understand the language of profit.  Benefits achieved from decreased payment in compensation, reduction ‘n’ insurance premium, and minimized manpower losses and medical expenses can be calculated easily.  The indirect financial benefits are many times higher than those of direct benefits.  These benefits shall also highlight Maslow’s theory of “Need hierarchy” explain that satisfaction is the limit of need for any human being.

            Absence of hygienic factors like salary welfare facility etc. may dissatisfy people.  But presences of this factor are not helpful in motivating anyone. 

v    Enforcement

            For achieving better performance in the field of industrial safety and management should encourage.  It’s personal to follow safety rules and procedures.  The rules formed should be simple and understandable and should be avoiding conflict of opinion.  The management should say that the rules are formed only when they are essential.  The rule should not be too much, to confusion and frustration among people. 

v    Encouragement

              Safety minded people might have many innovative ideal for improving safety in their field of work. Favorable company climate can encourage such people through proper suggestion schemes.  They may give suggestion in the area of production quantity, procedural changes and system improvement in manufacturing process, welfare facilities etc.  There can be a safety suggestion scheme along with the above scheme of company. To encourage worker of different industries government of India has formulated a national award scheme named Shram veer NationalAward or Vishwakarma National award.

           Introduction of safety incentive schemes are found to give encouraging results.  Depending upon size and safety performance of the company in company incentive scheme and interplant incentive schemes can be improvement in percentage reduction of accident or accident free period.

            Safety inventory system is another method by which the management can develop safety confidence among employees.  In this method, a well-framed question format will be prepared and circulated among a selected 30% of the employ of a section.