EC_March_2016_lores_withlinks

28 / 60

Hayley Arnesen has had over 16 years of experience in the
safety industry. Her experience has been diverse spanning
many industries and functions. She currently works for
North Safety Products Africa as Exports Manager.
Enquiries: Tel. +27(0)11 974 7062 or email harnesen@
take note
HAZARDOUS AREAS + SAFETY
The equipment should be turned off at its main source, which is
either a circuit breaker, mains connection, air or hydraulic line, for
example. It is important to bear in mind that there may be more than
one shutdown point, and all of these should be turned off. The next
step is to place a special lockout device on each source of energy,
and to attach a tag to each lockout device so that employees are
aware of the situation.
Equipment may contain stored or potential energy that could
cause harm – this should be released or blocked. After following
these procedures, test for zero energy by trying to start the equip-
ment. LOTO doesn’t end when repair work is complete, and inspec-
tions must be done before starting the equipment up again. The site
should be inspected for tools and parts that may be lying around
on the floor or machinery, and equipment controls must be in the
off or neutral positions, before the locks and tags are removed by
authorised personnel only. Locks and tags should be returned to
designated areas and employees should be notified that the
equipment is being powered up again.
Group Lockout
When two or more workers are working on
different parts of a larger overall system,
the locked-out device is first secured with a
folding scissors clamp that has many pad-
lock holes capable of holding it closed. Each
worker applies their own padlock to the clamp.
The locked-out device cannot be activated until
all workers have signed off on their portion of the
project and removed their padlock from the clamp.
A lock selected by colour, shape or size is used to
designate a standard safety device, locking and securing
hazardous energy. No two keys or locks should ever be the same.
A person's lock and tag must not be removed by anyone other than
the individual who installed the lock and tag unless removal is ac-
complished under the direction of the employer.
Trained personnel should always manage the LOTO system. For
instance, if a steam valve automatically gets turned on, it might burn
the workers who are repairing a downstream connection in the piping.
Another scenario is the sudden release of a jammed conveyor system,
which can result in the crushing of workers, if not properly managed.
It is the responsibility of the employer to develop and implement
an energy control procedure that provides authorised and affected
employees with the same level of protection as a personal lock-out
or tag-out device. A good LOTO system consists not only of clearly
labelled energy sources and easy-to-follow procedures, but also
quality and accessible lock-out tools to ensure smooth and quick
maintenance and servicing activities.
Types of padlocks
Lock-out padlocks are available in nylon,
aluminium, steel and brass body options.
Nylon body padlocks are best-suited to elec-
trical applications, due to the non-conductive
properties of the material. Temperature and
corrosion-resistant aluminium body padlocks are
ideal for high-temperature outdoor applications up
to 580°C.
Owing to their strong physical resistance characteristics,
steel body padlocks are designed for severe physical environments,
while spark-resistant brass body padlocks are ideal for use in flam-
mable applications. The range of padlocks described feature shackle
diameters ranging from 4,7 mm to 7 mm, and have shackle heights
ranging from 20 mm to 75 mm.
• Unexpected machine start-ups can cause severe injury to
operators and extensive damage to equipment.
• LOTO systems ensure that dangerous machines are properly
shut off and not restarted before completion of maintenance
and servicing.
• A good LOTO system consists of clearly labelled energy
sources, easy-to-follow procedures, and lock-out tools that
ensure quick service and maintenance activities.
Electricity+Control March ‘16 26