Lockout/tagout, known as LOTO, is the concept of controlling hazardous energy, usually in order to service or perform maintenance on machinery. Planning the work, identifying all energy sources to be controlled and the means for verifying disconnection, training employees and supervisors on the procedures to follow to ensure they work safely, and providing the necessary devices and equipment—locks, tags, etc.—should be addressed in the employer’s written LOTO plan for carrying out the work.
Appendix A of OSHA’s 1910.147 lockout standard offers a simple lockout procedure that the agency says could benefit employers as they develop their procedures, so that they’ll meet the standard’s requirements.
