Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO)

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard all personnel exposed to any MIT associated LOTO activity (including, MIT employees, visitors, staff, researchers, students, and contractors) from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities. If you need further assistance, please contact safety@mit.edu.

Overview

MIT is required to adhere to the OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 70E which requires the control of hazardous electrical energy sources is also applicable.

As outlined in the OSHA Standard, LOTO requirements apply to any servicing or maintaining of equipment where the authorized person:

Removes or bypasses a guard or other safety device.
Places any part of their bodies in or near a machine’s point of operation, or
Places any part of their bodies in a danger zone associated with machine operations (i.e. nip points).

To assist DLCs with meeting the minimum requirements of the OSHA Standard, MIT EHS has developed a Model Energy Control (LOTO) Program that outlines LOTO requirements including roles and responsibilities, written energy control procedures (ECPs), periodic inspection requirements, and staff training.

Types of Potentially Hazardous Energy

Hazardous energy can be any form of kinetic or potential energy that if not controlled properly can seriously injure or kill individuals that are working on machinery and equipment. Types include:

Thermal energy: Heat energy; most commonly, steam energy.
Hydraulic energy: The energy of pressurized, moving liquids, usually water or oil, in accumulators or lines.
Electrical energy: Usually the equipment’s main power source.
Chemical energy: Energy created by a chemical reaction between two or more substances.
Mechanical energy: Energy created by a machine’s moving parts, like wheels, springs or elevated parts.
Pneumatic energy: The energy of pressurized, moving gas, as found in air in tanks and lines.
Other/Stored energy: i.e. energy stored in batteries and capacitors.

Activities Not Covered by the LOTO Standard

Minor tool changes and adjustments, and other minor servicing activities that take place during normal operating production operations which are routine, repetitive, and integral to the use of that production equipment, as long as personnel are effectively protected by alternative measures.
Work on cord and plug connected electric equipment for which the only exposure to the hazards of unexpected energization or startup of the equipment are controlled by the unplugging of the equipment from the energy source. The plug must be under the exclusive control of the person performing servicing or maintenance.

Energy Control Procedures

Although a written energy control procedure (ECP) for all equipment (other than cord and plug) with hazardous energy sources is best practice, an ECP is only required for equipment that has more than one energy source that needs to be locked and tagged out. This procedure shall detail and document specific information that an authorized person must know to bring machinery or equipment to the zero-energy state.

At a minimum the ECP must contain the following:

A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;
Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machinery or equipment to control hazardous energy;
Procedure for notifying affected personnel and documenting shutdowns
Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, transfer of LOTO devices, and assigned responsibility; and
Specific requirements for testing a machine or piece of equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of LOTO devices, and other energy control measures.

Energy control procedures must be maintained in a way that is readily accessible when needed for maintenance or servicing.

EHS has developed a Fillable ECP Template to assist with your energy control procedure development.

Use the flowchart to help determine if a written energy control procedure (ECP) is required for your equipment. An accessible document for the flow chart is available: MIT EHS LOTO Determination Flowchart Document

Working with MIT Department of Facilities during LOTO Procedures

The Department of Facilities (DOF) is responsible for applying LOTO on all facility owned equipment and energy sources so LOTO requests must be Coordinated with DOF when DLC owned equipment requires their assistance.

The table below (PDF) presents examples of how LOTO responsibilities of DLC researchers, DLC Facility Managers and Department of Facilities change depending on DLC owned equipment characteristics. If you have any questions or need further assistance, contact safety@mit.edu.

Table 1. Actions for DLC Researcher Owned Equipment with Hazardous Energy Sources

Steps to Control Hazardous Energy

Prepare: Before an authorized person locks out machinery or equipment, they shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled, and the method or means to control the energy.
Notify: Notify everyone in the surrounding area that will be affected by the planned LOTO.
Shutdown: If the machinery or equipment is operating, shut it down using the normal stopping procedure (stop button, toggle switch, valve, etc.).
Isolate and Lockout: Lockout Tagout Devices and locks where used, must be affixed in a manner that will hold the energy isolating devices in a “safe” or, in many but not all cases, the “off” position.
Release: After the energy-isolating device has been locked out, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy must be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe.
Verify: Prior to starting work, verify that isolation and de-energization of the machine or equipment has been accomplished. This can be verified by an authorized person using normal equipment starting procedures or meters, gauges and visual inspection.
Restore: Return a piece of equipment or instrument to normal operating mode after maintenance or service has been completed.

Periodic Inspection

DLCs are expected to conduct periodic (at least annual) inspections of their written energy control procedures (ECPs); authorized personnel competency; availability of LOTO equipment and any locked-out equipment (if present), to ensure compliance with this program.

Each ECP must be verified for its accuracy, completeness and effectiveness in energy control. If it is apparent that there are deviations from, or inadequacies in, the authorized person’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures, retraining will be required.

The Inspection Form Template can be used when conducting authorized personnel and/or energy control procedure annual reviews.

Using the Annual Summary Report Template should help you organize all of your DLC LOTO metrics in one place, which can easily be provided for spot audit inquiries.

Training

If you will conduct maintenance, servicing or other procedures on equipment or tools that could expose yourself or others to potentially hazardous energies. (electrical, pressure, hydraulic, stored kinetic, etc.), you are required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course (certificate required). This course can be found in the ATLAS Learning Center Course Catalog or by selecting this activity in the Training Needs Identification Checklist.

NOTE: Trained personnel are only allowed to perform maintenance or servicing on specific equipment with which they are familiar. Only use LOTO on equipment you are authorized to work on.

If you are the operator of equipment or tools and not conducting the maintenance or servicing yourself, you are not required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course but should take the LOTO Awareness/Affected Training course (certificate required).

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Contact safety@mit.edu if you need assistance with any of the items identified below.

Technical assistance to determine if equipment needs to be included in the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy program.
Assistance with the development of DLC equipment energy control procedures (ECPs)
Field audits of lockout/tagout methods and procedures,
Assistance with the Local implementation of the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy Program.
Energy control devices and locks available to borrow for periodic/infrequent LOTO operations.
Assistance in selecting the appropriate LOTO devices.

Documents

Overview

As outlined in the OSHA Standard, LOTO requirements apply to any servicing or maintaining of equipment where the authorized person:

Removes or bypasses a guard or other safety device.
Places any part of their bodies in or near a machine’s point of operation, or
Places any part of their bodies in a danger zone associated with machine operations (i.e. nip points).

Types of Potentially Hazardous Energy

Hazardous energy can be any form of kinetic or potential energy that if not controlled properly can seriously injure or kill individuals that are working on machinery and equipment. Types include:

Thermal energy: Heat energy; most commonly, steam energy.
Hydraulic energy: The energy of pressurized, moving liquids, usually water or oil, in accumulators or lines.
Electrical energy: Usually the equipment’s main power source.
Chemical energy: Energy created by a chemical reaction between two or more substances.
Mechanical energy: Energy created by a machine’s moving parts, like wheels, springs or elevated parts.
Pneumatic energy: The energy of pressurized, moving gas, as found in air in tanks and lines.
Other/Stored energy: i.e. energy stored in batteries and capacitors.

Activities Not Covered by the LOTO Standard

Minor tool changes and adjustments, and other minor servicing activities that take place during normal operating production operations which are routine, repetitive, and integral to the use of that production equipment, as long as personnel are effectively protected by alternative measures.
Work on cord and plug connected electric equipment for which the only exposure to the hazards of unexpected energization or startup of the equipment are controlled by the unplugging of the equipment from the energy source. The plug must be under the exclusive control of the person performing servicing or maintenance.

Energy Control Procedures

At a minimum the ECP must contain the following:

A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;
Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machinery or equipment to control hazardous energy;
Procedure for notifying affected personnel and documenting shutdowns
Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, transfer of LOTO devices, and assigned responsibility; and
Specific requirements for testing a machine or piece of equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of LOTO devices, and other energy control measures.

Energy control procedures must be maintained in a way that is readily accessible when needed for maintenance or servicing.

EHS has developed a Fillable ECP Template to assist with your energy control procedure development.

Working with MIT Department of Facilities during LOTO Procedures

Table 1. Actions for DLC Researcher Owned Equipment with Hazardous Energy Sources

Steps to Control Hazardous Energy

Prepare: Before an authorized person locks out machinery or equipment, they shall have knowledge of the type and magnitude of the energy, the hazards of the energy to be controlled, and the method or means to control the energy.
Notify: Notify everyone in the surrounding area that will be affected by the planned LOTO.
Shutdown: If the machinery or equipment is operating, shut it down using the normal stopping procedure (stop button, toggle switch, valve, etc.).
Isolate and Lockout: Lockout Tagout Devices and locks where used, must be affixed in a manner that will hold the energy isolating devices in a “safe” or, in many but not all cases, the “off” position.
Release: After the energy-isolating device has been locked out, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy must be relieved, disconnected, restrained, and otherwise rendered safe.
Verify: Prior to starting work, verify that isolation and de-energization of the machine or equipment has been accomplished. This can be verified by an authorized person using normal equipment starting procedures or meters, gauges and visual inspection.
Restore: Return a piece of equipment or instrument to normal operating mode after maintenance or service has been completed.

Periodic Inspection

The Inspection Form Template can be used when conducting authorized personnel and/or energy control procedure annual reviews.

Using the Annual Summary Report Template should help you organize all of your DLC LOTO metrics in one place, which can easily be provided for spot audit inquiries.

Training

NOTE: Trained personnel are only allowed to perform maintenance or servicing on specific equipment with which they are familiar. Only use LOTO on equipment you are authorized to work on.

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Contact safety@mit.edu if you need assistance with any of the items identified below.

Technical assistance to determine if equipment needs to be included in the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy program.
Assistance with the development of DLC equipment energy control procedures (ECPs)
Field audits of lockout/tagout methods and procedures,
Assistance with the Local implementation of the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy Program.
Energy control devices and locks available to borrow for periodic/infrequent LOTO operations.
Assistance in selecting the appropriate LOTO devices.

Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO)

Overview

Energy Control Procedures

Periodic Inspection

Training

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Documents

Overview

Energy Control Procedures

Periodic Inspection

Training

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Documents

Related

Electrical Safety