Feature Ask the Expert
often get asked how can I improve the lockout process especially to main- tain safety during team shift changes. These are critical times to maintain safety especially if locks are to be removed and replaced by the next team. To guarantee the safety of your mainte- nance teams you need to ensure the handover process is covered in detail in the lockout procedure.
A written procedure
A written lockout/tagout procedure that covers how to de-energise machinery, check for leftover energy and lock all energy sources in the ‘off-position’ during maintenance is absolutely necessary before starting to use lockout equipment on the work- floor. Absent written procedure using lockout/tagout tools is like driving a car a 100 mph in fog.
Every situation in which padlocks can be removed should be covered in your procedure. Always test your lock- out procedure and its section on shift changes to make sure it works and covers all eventualities. Once the pro- cedure is proven solid, train your maintenance workers and communi- cate any changes and the importance of constant reviews to the procedure and ongoing training.
Handover methods
A shift change is a potential safety risk in lockout/tagout when there are no clear written procedures to follow on how the transition to the next shift is managed. What if the entire team working on a single machine leaves and removes their personal locks during a shift change before the next shift has arrived? I am hoping this
Lockout/tagout during shift changes I
Can we improve our lockout/tagout procedure to cover shift changes? Brady product expert Liz Gallagher explains
would never happen as this would obviously allow anyone to re-energise the equipment when the work may not be complete, creating a life-threatening situation. At Brady we propose two ways to guarantee continued safety during a shift change.
In the direct handover method a lock from the previous shift is immedi- ately replaced by a lock from the next. This means maintenance workers have to wait on one another before leaving the workfloor. A second possibility is the supervisor handover method in which the supervisor’s lock is kept in place until the next supervisor arrives.
Mobile handover
Using a lockbox enables your mainte- nance workers to meet in any specified location in your facility for a safe lock- out/tagout handover. In this procedure a dedicated padlock is used to ensure machine de-energisation.
The key to the dedicated machine lock goes into the lockbox which in turn is locked with the personal padlocks of all maintenance workers involved. The direct handover or supervisor handover method can be applied for a safe transition to the next shift, ensuring 24/7 protection during machine maintenance!
Colour-coded padlocks
Lockout/tagout padlocks are available in various colours, enabling you to include a colour code in your lockout/ tagout procedure. Choose a colour code per team and another colour for external contractors so your employ- ees can quickly recognise who locked out an energy source. You could select a padlock with a unique colour (black)
Lock all energy sources in the off-position to increase safety during maintenance
A lockbox makes your shift change lock handover mobile
only to be used by supervisors that remains in place until a final check is completed, enabling management to make sure maintenance is carried out safely and according to procedure.
Brady
E:
asktheexpert@bradycorp.com www.brady.co.uk
Padlocks for specific contexts
Identify various teams and/or supervisors with colour coded padlocks
Factory Equipment NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
● Compact aluminium padlock: compact and lightweight, it is best used to lockout small devices and lockout ready equipment. Its aluminium casing has excellent performance in humid or outside environments. ● Long body safety padlock: ideal to lock out industrial machinery; its non- conductive and non-sparking body is twice as long as normal padlocks. It offers space for a large label to place information on or bilingual warning label. ● Safety security padlocks: nylon encased, these aluminium core and steel shackle padlocks offer excellent physical strength and electric shock isolation. They are ideal to lock out electrical applications.
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