Best Practice Guide to:

Lockout/Tagout

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contents

What is Lockout/Tagout?....................................................................   pg 1

Protection for Workers

Types of Hazardous Energy
Locks and Tags
Locks for Certainty
Tags for Warning
Regulations and Standards

Implementing LO/TO.................................................................................   pg 4

pg 2 Ensure reliable control over your machines and

equipment with locks and tags.
Training for Safety
LO/TO Procedures
Tools of the Trade
Auditing the Process

Solutions for Your LO/TO Needs.................................................   pg 1O

Building a LO/TO Program

Sample LO/TO Procedure.....................................................................  pg 11

Purpose
Compliance with this Program
Sequence of Lockout
Restoring Equipment to Service

pg 4 There are four simple steps in creating a

successful LO/TO program in your facility.

This document contains information derived from sources we deem reliable. Graphic Products, Inc. has made reasonable efforts to ensure correctness but
does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Graphic Products makes no warranties express or implied regarding the contained subject matter. Contents are
subject to change without notice. Graphic Products disclaims liability for injury, damage, or loss arising from reliance on the information contained herein. Users
of this information should independently consult municipal, state, or federal code and/or verify information with the appropriate regulatory agency.
What is Lockout/Tagout?
Workers have been routinely cut, crushed, shocked, and burned while working on industrial equipment. But all of these injuries
could have been prevented with a single, simple approach: turn it off first, and keep if off until maintenance is done. That’s
lockout/tagout (LO/TO) in a nutshell.

Protection for Workers Types of Hazardous Energy

LO/TO is a system for protecting workers during maintenance
or service on equipment. In a LO/TO procedure, all energy
sources for that piece of equipment are disconnected,
and those disconnections are locked or tagged to avoid
accidental re-connection. Maintenance and repairs can be
safely carried out, and when the work is done, the tags or
locks are removed to allow the equipment to be used again.
This system has been recommended by several organizations
and has been incorporated by law into American workplaces.
There are many variations on LO/TO processes, but they
all share four basic ideas that are addressed before work
begins:
Identify potentially hazardous
sources of energy
Hazardous energy comes in various forms; often, this energy
is electricity. OSHA’s regulations give more specific rules for
LO/TO when it comes to electrical power, and the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) includes a complete
section on LO/TO in their major industrial standard for safe
electrical work, NFPA 70E.
Modern equipment can use many kinds of energy, and all
possibilities need to be considered. For example, a system
might use hydraulic oil at high pressure; that pressure is
a source of potentially harmful energy. A raised piece of
equipment, such as a cutting blade, might fall under its own
weight without being securely locked in place; even gravity
can be a kind of hazardous energy. All possible sources
of hazardous energy need to be considered in the LO/TO
process.

Disconnect those energy sources

from the equipment

Apply lockout or tagout devices to

temporarily prevent re-connection

Why is
CONTROLLING
Confirm that the system is safe hazardous energy sources
IMPORTANT?
Compliance with the lockout-tagout standard
prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and
After these steps have been followed, workers can maintain
the equipment without being at risk of cuts, crushes, electric
50,000 injuries each year
OSHA Fact Sheet, Lockout/Tagout
shock, or burns.

OSHA’s regulations in 29 CFR §1910.147 discuss the

“Control of Hazardous Energy,” the core idea behind LO/TO.
It’s an important set of rules to follow: in 2015, violations of
this regulation were the fifth most common OSHA citation.
Complying with the rule doesn’t only protect you from
fines, but also protects your workers and keeps your facility
productive. OSHA has estimated that LO/TO compliance
prevents 50,000 workplace injuries and 120 fatalities every
year.

1     877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com

Locks and Tags
How can these sources of hazardous energy be reliably
controlled? Essentially, this is where the locks and tags come
in. The employee performing the work will disconnect each
source of energy, using a “disconnecting device” such as a
switch, valve, or interlock. Then, the worker will apply a lock
or tag to the disconnecting device, preventing it from being
accidentally reconnected while the worker is still in danger.
Once a disconnecting device is in its safe position, either a
lock or a tag may be used to keep it there. But there is a very
important difference between the two approaches.
Locks for Certainty
A lock provides a physical barrier that prevents the accidental
release of energy. For example, OSHA’s requirements in
§1910.147(c)(5)(C) require locks to be “substantial enough
to prevent removal without the use of excessive force or
unusual techniques, such as… bolt cutters or other metal
cutting tools.” While the lock is in place, it is not possible for
the disconnecting device to leave its safe position, and the
only worker with the key should be the worker protected by
the lock.
Using tags and locks together offers the best of both worlds: a physical barrier against accidents, and effective communication for other workers.
877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com  
What is Lockout/Tagout?
Locks used for LO/TO must also be standardized within
the facility, so that their purpose can be easily identified,
and they must also be traceable to the specific worker who
applied them. Anyone who sees a LO/TO lock should know
better than to tamper with it, but the physical obstruction
of the lock is meant to eliminate even accidental or well-
intentioned release.
Tags for Warning
A tag, on the other hand, only provides a warning for other
workers. While OSHA requires tagout devices and their
attachment systems to “prevent inadvertent or accidental
removal,” an inattentive or confused worker could still
overpower them. Equipment failure or other unforeseen
circumstances could also defeat the protection of a tag. As a
result, tags are less secure than locks.
Naturally, OSHA and other safety groups recommend that
locks be used whenever possible. However, some equipment
has no effective way for a lock to be applied. This is
especially common with older or specialized equipment. In
these cases, the equipment can only be tagged out.
 2
What is Lockout/Tagout?

Regulations and Standards The steps listed there are:

OSHA’s rules in §1910.147 generally apply whenever

equipment is serviced or maintained, and the unexpected
energization or startup of that equipment (or the release Identify all possible sources
of stored energy) could harm an employee. A few specific
1 of power to the equipment
industrial applications are left out of the rules in §1910.147.
The most important exception is for electrical work, which
has more detailed LO/TO rules in §1910.333 and in the
NFPA 70E industry standard. Use appropriate steps to shut
down the power, and then
Because the goal of LO/TO is the same in every application, 2 systematically disconnect each
the variations between different rule sets can be traced
power source from the equipment
to the unique situations those rules are tailored for. As an
example, Article 120 of NFPA 70E describes a detailed
approach to ensure that a piece of equipment is “electrically
safe,” or completely isolated from potentially harmful electric
current. Where possible, verify (visually)
3 that all disconnections are
complete

Lock or tag out the power

4 sources to prevent accidental
re-energizing

Use an adequate test instrument

to confirm that each part of the
5 equipment has been effectively
de-energized, and then verify that the
test instrument is working normally

Where voltage may be induced, or

where the de-energized parts could
6 contact other energized parts,
apply a ground connecting device
rated for the available fault current
Electrical work presents specialized hazards, but the basic ideas of
LO/TO are shared across all sources of hazardous energy.
This in-depth process boils down to the same system
used for all successful LO/TO procedures: identify the
hazards, disconnect the energy sources, apply lockout or
tagout devices, and confirm that the system is safe before
proceeding with work.

3     877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com
Implementing LO/TO
There are four simple steps to create an effective LO/TO program in your facility: train your workers, create a plan for working on
each piece of equipment, provide the tools to get the job done, and follow up with routine check-ups and revisions.

Training for Safety Additionally, employers are required to provide retraining

for authorized or affected employees whenever any of the
OSHA requires employers to provide LO/TO training in the following apply:
workplace. Workers with different responsibilities need
different kinds of training, however. There are three broad • The worker’s job assignment has changed
categories of training, based on the degree of a worker's • The facility’s equipment, machinery, or business process
involvement in the LO/TO process. has changed to present a new hazard
• Authorized employees are those who will perform • The LO/TO procedures to be followed have been revised
maintenance or service work under circumstances that • A periodic inspection has shown (or the employer
require LO/TO. These employees will need to use locks has reason to believe) that the worker does not fully
and tags to protect themselves, and must be trained to understand, or does not adequately follow, the LO/TO
recognize sources of hazardous energy, the kinds and procedures
magnitudes of energy available in the facility, and the
steps needed to isolate and control that energy safely. Once training is completed, the employer must keep a record
of the names of the trained workers and the dates of their
• Affected employees are those whose work may be training.
affected by having equipment or machinery locked out
or tagged out. While these workers will not perform the
maintenance work themselves, and will not generally need
to apply locks or tags in their own work, they may need to
adjust their normal work procedures to account for the
LO/TO process. They need to be trained on the purpose
and general use of the LO/TO procedures.
• Other employees are generally unaffected by the actual
practice of LO/TO. However, if they might work near
equipment that is locked or tagged out, even these
employees need to be aware that a LO/TO procedure is
in place, and how to recognize when it is being used. All
workers should be prohibited from attempting to restart or
re-energize equipment that is locked or tagged out.

Workers injured on the job from

machinery that was not shut off
properly lose an average of

24 work days
for recuperation
http://ohsonline.com/articles/2015/01/01/seven-steps-to-compliance.aspx

Successful LO/TO programs start with training. Graphic Products offers

training materials to help kick start your facility’s program; visit
Shop.GraphicProducts.com/PPE for more details.

877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com    4
implementing lo/to

LO/TO Procedures The written procedures need to describe:

For each piece of equipment that needs to be locked or

tagged out for maintenance, there should be a written step-
by-step procedure. Because these procedures are unique What equipment is covered, and
to each piece of equipment, a given facility may have many
1 when the procedures apply
different LO/TO procedures, and many employees may
be trained on more than one set of procedures. To avoid
confusion and encourage compliance, the LO/TO procedures
for a given piece of equipment may be posted on or near the
equipment as part of a custom label. 2 The goal of the procedures

Steps to shut down the

3 equipment and disconnect
energy sources

How to notify all affected

4 employees that LO/TO is about
to begin on the equipment
Approximately

3 million
workers service equipment and face the
Steps to place LO/TO devices
after disconnection (and which
greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout
5 employees are responsible for
is not properly implemented. those steps)
http://ohsonline.com/articles/2015/01/01/seven-steps-to-compliance.aspx

Steps to test the control measures

6 to confirm their effectiveness

Steps to remove LO/TO devices

when service is complete
7 (and which employees are
responsible for those steps)

How to notify all affected

employees that LO/TO of the
8 equipment is done, and normal
work can resume

Only trained, authorized employees should be assigned the

responsibility of applying or removing the LO/TO devices,
although other employees may be able to help in other areas.

5     877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com
implementing lo/to

Before shutting down equipment, the authorized employees
must know what kinds of energy hazards may be present,
and how to properly control them. Once that information
is available, the equipment should be safely shut down
and disconnected from energy sources. Each authorized
employee should apply his or her own LO/TO devices to
each disconnecting device, and then any stored or residual
energy that could be hazardous should be safely relieved
or disconnected. Before starting service, the authorized
employees should confirm that the equipment is completely
de-energized.
direct the removal of the LO/TO device. Employers who
take this option must have a written procedure for doing so,
and that procedure must be included in the LO/TO training
program. At a minimum, employer procedures for removing
an employee’s LO/TO device must include these three steps:
Employer verification that the
1 employee is not at the work
facility

After the maintenance or service work is complete, but

before LO/TO devices are removed and the equipment is “All reasonable efforts” to
re-energized, the area must be checked. This is to ensure contact the employee, informing
that no employees are in unsafe areas, and no tools or parts 2 him that the LO/TO device is
have been left in the wrong places. Then, the authorized being removed
employees may remove their LO/TO devices, reconnect the
energy sources, and allow ordinary work to resume.

Under normal circumstances, only the authorized employee Confirmation that the employee
who placed a LO/TO device should remove it. However, 3 is aware of the device removal
situations may arise in which that employee is not available before he/she returns to work
when the work is complete. In these cases, employers may

When workers encounter a locked-out piece of equipment, they should immediately know who applied the lock. Personal responsibility
ensures personal protection.

7     877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com

Tools of the Trade
Employers are responsible for providing the necessary
hardware for the LO/TO procedures in place. It should be
easy to tell which equipment is to be used for LO/TO, and
no other equipment should be used for LO/TO purposes.
Because lives may be on the line, this equipment must meet
important requirements.
All LO/TO equipment must be:
• Durable enough to stand up to its expected environment,
for as long as it may be exposed to that environment.
Where used, tags and tagout devices must be able to
remain legible and intact through adverse weather, wet
conditions, or extreme temperatures.
• Standardized by color, shape, and/or size, so that all
LO/TO devices in the facility can be easily identified as
LO/TO equipment.
• Substantial enough to avoid accidental removal. Tags
must be attached with nylon cable ties or a similarly tough
system, and locks may not be cut or broken open without
special equipment like bolt cutters or similar devices.
• Identifiable by name, photo, title, or other designation,
allowing a viewer to know which employee applied the
device.
Additionally, any tagout equipment should carry a legible
warning about the hazards that may result if the equipment
is removed, as well as a simple instruction, such as “Do Not
Operate.” Many facilities use a combination of pre-printed
tags with typical padlocks; these pre-printed tags feature a
basic warning and “Do Not Operate” instruction, along with
blank space for adding additional details by hand, such as
the name of the worker applying the tag.
Stop accidents before they occur with LO/TO products.
Call 877.534.5157 or visit GraphicProducts.com/LOTO.
877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com  
implementing lo/to
The most common supplies for LO/TO are color-coded
padlocks. These may be keyed or combination-style, but the
authorized employee who will use the lock should have the
key or combination. OSHA regulations permit the employer
to remove a lock under some circumstances, and so some
employers prefer to keep a copy of each lock’s key or
combination. Safety experts usually recommend against this
practice, as it can offer a temptation to “shortcut” around the
LO/TO rules.
Some equipment may require a specialty locking device. A
circuit breaker lockout, for example, is designed to fit over a
circuit breaker switch and accept a standard padlock; with
the lock in place, the switch is restricted to the “off” position.
Similarly, a valve lockout cover completely surrounds a valve
control wheel, and prevents the valve from being opened.
Where more than one worker would be at risk if a given
device was re-connected prematurely, each worker should
apply his own lock to the disconnect device. This may require
the use of a multi-lock hasp, which allows more than one
standard padlock to be applied to the same lockout point.
The hasp cannot be removed again until every padlock is
removed, ensuring that no workers are left behind.
Lockout/tagout devices like valve covers can be matched to your
equipment, providing secure protection for your workers.
 8
implementing lo/to

Auditing the Process

The regulations in §1910.147(c)(6) require employers, at
least once per year, to check each LO/TO procedure in use
in their facilities. These inspections are intended to confirm
that the procedures are effective and are actually being
followed, with the goal of correcting any problems (rather
than punishing any violators).
The inspection must be performed by an authorized
employee, but not one of those who are using the specific
procedure being inspected. As a result, the “inspector” will
always be a coworker with LO/TO training who will be able
to watch the procedure with a fresh, outside perspective.
The inspection should always include a review between the
inspector and each authorized or affected employee, covering
the employees’ responsibilities in the procedure.
When the inspections have been completed, a record of the
inspection should be made. This record must include:
• The equipment being locked out
• The employees included in the inspection
• The person performing the inspection
• The date of the inspection
Other information may also be helpful, such as a note of
any observed problems and recommendations for resolving
them.

Safety Compliance Analysis

Best practices and recommendations from a trained specialist.

Benefits of Safety Compliance Analysis:

• An expert will examine your
facility’s workspace, safety and
health program, ergonomics, and
chemical storage for compliance
and potential vulnerability

• Receive industry best practices

to ensure you’re compliant with
OSHA’s regulations and other key
standards

• Get a post-audit report with

solutions and recommendations
for corrective action

Improve safety in your workplace today!

Call 888.601.8535 or visit GraphicProducts.com/CAS

9     877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com
Solutions for Your LO/TO Needs
You can help prevent workplace injuries and fatalities with an effective LO/TO program. Instituting a new LO/TO procedure can
be a daunting task, but with a careful, step-by-step approach, you can develop a procedure that will work for your facility and
protect your workers.

Building a LO/TO Program

Take advantage of the expertise that your existing workers Four steps to a successful LO/TO program:
already have; ask for feedback on new procedures, and get
workers involved in their protection. Once you have a plan,
write it down, and make it available for review. It can be very Train your workers to
helpful to post the procedures on or near the equipment
described; in these cases, a tough, custom label or sign
1 understand and follow
LO/TO steps
may be the best approach. DuraLabel industrial label and
sign printers from Graphic Products offer an excellent way to
create these custom labels in your facility, as well as meeting
other labeling and signage needs, to minimize your total
Create a LO/TO plan for
safety expenses. 2 each piece of equipment
When it comes to the LO/TO equipment that employers must
provide, it’s important to choose a reliable product that will
do the job right. Specialty lockout tools such as multi-lock
hasps, circuit breaker lockouts, and valve lockout covers are
Provide the locks and
all available through Graphic Products. Customizable tagout
tags are also available and allow easy, one-time use.
3 tags to get the job done

LO/TO is intended to provide effective safety in the modern

industrial workplace. It saves lives by protecting workers from
hazardous energy, and it reduces downtime by streamlining
Follow up with routine
and standardizing work processes. It can even improve your
companies' profitability, as more buyers are considering their
4 check-ups and revisions
suppliers' TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) as part of
the buying process. However, none of these advantages will
appear on their own. LO/TO must be an active choice: doing
nothing will get nothing done.

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• Red candy striping with “Danger” header on one side
• Tear resistant, no grommets needed
• Attach with cable tie, chain, etc.
• Indoor & outdoor use
• Resistant to moisture, UV light, common chemicals
• Custom tags available

Contact us today for more information.

877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com

877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com     10
Sample LO/TO Procedure
These procedures are based on 29 CFR §1910.147, Appendix A, and are provided here as an example. Fill in the blanks to
create an initial LO/TO procedure for your own equipment.
Lockout Procedure for
(Name of Company for single procedure or identification
of equipment if multiple procedures are used)
Purpose
This procedure establishes the minimum requirements
for the lockout of energy-isolating devices whenever
maintenance or servicing is done on equipment. It will
be followed to ensure that the equipment is stopped,
isolated from all potentially hazardous energy sources,
and locked out before employees perform any servicing or
maintenance where the unexpected energization or start-up
of the equipment, or the release of stored energy, could
cause injury.
Compliance with this Program
All employees are required to comply with the restrictions
and limitations imposed upon them during the use of
lockout. The authorized employees are required to perform
the lockout in accordance with this procedure. No employee
shall attempt to start, energize, or use any machine or
piece of equipment which is locked out for servicing or
maintenance.
_________________________________________________
(Type of compliance enforcement to be taken for violation of the above.)
11  
Sequence of Lockout
1. Notify all affected employees that servicing or
maintenance is required on a machine or equipment, and
that the machine or equipment must be shut down and
locked out.
_________________________________________________
(Name(s)/Job Title(s) of affected employees and how to notify.)
2. Identify the type and magnitude of the energy that the
machine or equipment utilizes. The authorized employee
shall understand the hazards of the energy, and shall
know the methods to control the energy.
_________________________________________________
(Type(s) and magnitude(s) of energy, its hazards and the methods to
control the energy.)
3. Shut down the machine or equipment, if it is operating, by
the normal stopping procedure (depress the stop button,
open switch, close valve, etc.).
_________________________________________________
(Type(s) and location(s) of machine or equipment operating controls.)
4. Isolate the machine or equipment from the energy
source(s), using the energy isolating device(s).
_________________________________________________
(Type(s) and location(s) of energy isolating devices.)
5. Lock out the energy isolating device(s) with assigned
individual lock(s).
6. Dissipate or restrain any stored or residual energy
(such as that in capacitors, springs, elevated machine
members, rotating flywheels, hydraulic systems, and
air, gas, steam, or water pressure, etc.) by grounding,
repositioning, blocking, bleeding down, etc.
_________________________________________________
(Type(s) of stored energy - methods to dissipate or restrain.)
7. Confirm that the equipment is disconnected from the
energy source(s). First, check that no individuals are
exposed; then verify the isolation of the equipment by
operating the push button or other normal operating
control(s), or by testing, to make certain the equipment
will not operate.
Caution: Return operating control(s) to neutral or
off position after verifying the isolation of the equipment.
_________________________________________
(Method of verifying the isolation of the equipment.)
8. The machine or equipment is now locked out. Service or
maintenance may begin.
  877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com
 sample lo/to procedure

Restoring Equipment to Service

When the servicing or maintenance is completed and the
machine or equipment is ready to return to normal operating
condition, the following steps shall be taken.

1. Check that the equipment is operationally intact and

that all nonessential items have been cleared from the
immediate area.
2. Check the work area for other workers. All individuals
must be safely positioned or removed from the area.
3. Verify that the controls are in neutral/off.
4. Remove the lockout devices and reenergize the machine
or equipment.
Note: The removal of some forms of blocking may require
re-energization of the machine before safe removal.
5. Notify affected employees that the servicing or Visual reminders can help ensure that LO/TO procedures are not
forgotten or ignored.
maintenance is complete, and the machine or equipment
is ready for use.

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877.534.5157 | GraphicProducts.com     12