ISO 45001 Lockout Tagout (LOTO) Procedure Template

Lockout tagout (LOTO) is a safety procedure that ensures that hazardous machines are properly shut down and isolated before maintenance or servicing work commences. The purpose of LOTO is to prevent the unexpected energization or release of stored energy in a machine or equipment during servicing which could result in injury or fatalities to authorized employees. An effective energy control program will help organizations comply with hazardous energy standards.

Why an ISO 45001 Lockout Tagout Procedure Is Essential?

Failure to develop a robust lockout tagout procedure can have adverse effects on people and your business.

1. Avoiding Harm to People and Organizations

The most apparent effect of failure to develop a robust lockout tagout procedure is harm to people. Unexpected machine activation or release of stored energy during servicing can cause amputation, electric shock, crushing, burns, and fatalities. Every accident that occurs has adverse effects on the injured parties, their families, colleagues, and the organization. A comprehensive lockout tagout procedure helps safeguard employees and the business against these effects.

2. Meeting Regulatory Requirements

Many governments require employers to implement robust lockout tagout procedures to meet occupational health and safety standards such as OSHA. These requirements ensure healthier working conditions and a safer workplace. Non-compliance with these requirements may result in penalties, increased insurance premiums, and poor corporate image. An ISO 45001 compliant lockout tagout procedure template can help you achieve compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

Understanding ISO 45001 Lockout Tagout Requirements

Although ISO 45001 does not explicitly mention a lockout tagout procedure, the standard requires organizations to control hazardous energy and develop a comprehensive energy control program.

Implementing ISO 45001 in Your Organization’s Lockout Tagout Program

Although ISO 45001 does not explicitly mention a lockout tagout procedure, the standard requires organizations to identify OH&S hazards and take action to control them. A comprehensive lockout tagout procedure is, therefore, critical in the implementation of an effective OH&S management system in your organization. Apart from the fact that the procedure is a component of the OH&S management system, it can also help satisfy several other ISO 45001 requirements such as:

• 6.1.2.1 Hazard Identification and Assessment of OH&S Risks and Opportunities: This requirement states that an organization must establish, implement, and maintain processes for hazard identification, OH&S risk assessment, and OH&S opportunity evaluation. In addition to identifying general OH&S hazards, you will need to identify potential energy hazards such as hazardous energy sources and their modes of release. This information will then be used to conduct a risk assessment and develop control measures.

• 6.1.2.2 Determination of Legal Requirements and Other Requirements: This requirement states that an organization must identify and determine the latest legal and other requirements that relate to the organization’s OH&S risks and apply them in managing OH&S risks and opportunities. You will need to conduct some research to identify legal requirements governing hazardous energy control and machine guarding. You must also make sure that contractors understand and follow your energy control procedure.

• 8.1 Operational Planning and Control: This requirement states that an organization must establish processes for operational planning and control to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks. A robust lockout tagout procedure will help you satisfy this requirement whenever you are carrying out servicing or maintenance activities.

• 8.1.2 Eliminating Hazards and Reducing OH&S Risks: This requirement states that an organization must consider control measures and prioritize them according to their ability to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks. Where the hierarchy of control measures cannot completely eliminate OH&S risks, you may need to apply engineering controls such as machine guarding and administrative controls such as the lockout tagout procedure.

• 8.1.4 Procurement: This requirement states that an organization must control OH&S risks throughout the lifecycle of products and services including those provided by contractors. One of the ways of controlling OH&S risks associated with contractors is by developing an energy control procedure for contractors.

• 8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response: Although this requirement does not explicitly mention lockout tagout, understanding the nature of hazard associated with hazardous energy can be critical in emergency preparedness and response planning.

• 10.2 Incident, Nonconformity and Corrective Action: Any incident or near miss that occurs must be investigated and corrective action taken to prevent recurrence. As part of the corrective action, you may need to review the lockout tagout procedure.

Key Components of an Effective ISO 45001 Lockout Tagout Procedure

1. Information About the Scope, Purpose, and Definitions

The procedure must state the scope and purpose. The scope defines what the procedure is about and the boundaries within which it operates. The purpose, on the other hand, states why you need the procedure. The procedure must also have definitions of terms that will be used throughout the document such as authorized employee, affected employee, lockout device, tagout device, and energy isolation device.

2. Responsibilities and Authorities (Authorized Versus Affected Employees)

The procedure should outline responsibilities and authorities of all personnel involved in the implementation of the procedure. In addition to the obvious roles played by authorized and affected employees, the procedure should also mention the role played by management, contractors, and supervisors.

3. Training Requirements

The procedure should outline training requirements and how you will maintain the competence of authorized and affected employees. Apart from general training on the lockout tagout procedure, you should also consider training on the following:

• Purpose of lockout tagout and hazardous energy
• Types of hazardous energy likely to be encountered
• Energy isolation devices
• Energy analysis and control
• Lockout tagout verification

4. Energy Control Steps (The LOTO Sequence)

This procedure step is arguably the most important one and should, therefore, be given due attention. Apart from the fact that this is where the implementation of the procedure happens, many organizations overlook this part. The energy control steps should be described clearly and concisely. The steps involved are as follows:

1. Preparation for shutdown
2. Notification of affected employees
3. Shutdown of the machine or equipment
4. Isolation of all energy sources using energy isolation devices
5. Lockout/tagout
6. Verification of zero energy
7. Servicing/maintenance
8. Restoration to service

5. Specific Equipment Procedures

You may also need to include specific equipment procedures. You must develop specific energy control procedures for all complex or unique machinery. This step is vital because it helps you account for all equipment with potential hazardous energy.

6. Group Lockout/Shutdown and Shift Change Procedures

You may also need to include group lockout, shift change procedures, and contractor procedures.

7. Restoration to Service Procedures

The procedure should also address restoration to service. Although this step is relatively straightforward, it is critical for the successful completion of the lockout tagout procedure.

8. Auditing and Record Keeping Procedures

The procedure should address record-keeping requirements and the need for auditing and reviewing the procedure periodically. Record-keeping requirements should include training records, procedure records, audit records, and incident records. The procedure should also mention how you will verify that an authorized employee understands the procedure.

Benefits of an ISO 45001 Lockout Tagout Procedure

Implementing an ISO 45001-compliant lockout tagout procedure can benefit you and your organization in many ways.

1. Preventing Injuries and Building Worker Confidence: Having a competent lockout tagout procedure in place is the best way of preventing injuries at the workplace. Not only does it ensure that employees are safe, but it also helps you build worker confidence and trust. Workers who know that they are safe at work are more likely to enjoy their jobs and be productive.

2. Improving Operational Efficiency: Although the main purpose of lockout tagout is to prevent injuries, the procedure can also help improve operational efficiency. For example, the procedure can help promote preventative maintenance and reduce unanticipated equipment downtime. The ISO 45001 procedure should enable you to clearly identify the steps involved in servicing your machinery and equipment. Doing so will help standardize servicing activities and, by extension, improve your operational efficiency.

3. Facilitating Risk Management: Lockout tagout procedures play a critical role in risk management. Apart from eliminating the risk of injury to employees, the procedure can help safeguard your expensive machinery and equipment. A robust lockout tagout procedure can help you manage the risk of damage to equipment due to servicing and maintenance.

4. Other Benefits: Some of the other benefits of having a robust lockout tagout procedure in place include:

• Compliance with applicable legal requirements
• Improved corporate image and sustainability
• Reduced insurance costs

How to Implement and Maintain Your Lockout Tagout Procedure

Although developing the procedure is important, it is also critical that you implement and maintain it to ensure it is fit for purpose.

1. Customizing the Procedure to Suit Your Needs

The lockout tagout procedure template that you select or design must be comprehensive and flexible enough to be applied in your organization. You do not want to use a generic procedure that is designed for another industry or organization. The procedure must be customizable according to the specific needs of your organization. Some of the factors that you should consider when designing or customizing your procedure include:

• The nature of equipment and machinery you have in place
• The hazards and energy sources likely to be present
• The employees involved in servicing and maintenance

3. Maintaining and Continuously Improving the Procedure

ISO 45001 requires organizations to continually improve their OH&S management system and lockout tagout procedure. As such, you must constantly review the procedure, identify areas of improvement, and modify it where necessary. You should also conduct regular audits to ensure that the procedure is adequate and being implemented correctly. You should also conduct regular job hazard analyses to help identify new hazards or changes in existing hazards.

4. Overcoming Common Lockout Tagout Challenges

There are several common lockout tagout challenges that you are likely to encounter when implementing the procedure. Some of the most common challenges include:

Conclusion

A Lockout Tagout procedure is an important document that demonstrates your commitment to the safety and wellbeing of your workers. By identifying hazardous energy, implementing the necessary steps to ensure safety, and continually reviewing your procedure, you can protect workers, machinery and equipment and ensure that you continue to meet ISO 45001 requirements.