Safely Maintaining Power Tools: Understanding Lock Out, Tag Out Procedure
What is the 'lock out, tag out' procedure and how is it applied to power tools?
What steps are involved in the 'lock out, tag out' procedure?
Final answer:
The 'lock out, tag out' procedure is a safety protocol that involves shutting down equipment, isolating it from its power source, and applying a lock and tag to prevent accidental energization during maintenance. It is critical for the protection of workers from potential hazards and is typically required by safety regulations.
Explanation:
Understanding Lock Out, Tag Out
“Lock out, tag out” is a safety protocol used in the workplace to ensure that power tools and other equipment are properly shut off and are not started up again before the completion of maintenance or repair work. This procedure involves physically locking the power source for a piece of equipment, such as a power tool, to prevent it from being accidentally energized during service. A tag is also applied to the locked device with information indicating that the equipment is out of service and should not be operated. This process is crucial for protecting workers from potential hazards associated with the unexpected energization of equipment they might be working on or near.
The protocol broadly involves the following steps:
- Notification of all affected employees that a lockout or tagout procedure is going to be enacted.
- Shutting down the equipment following a set procedure.
- Isolating the equipment from the energy source.
- Applying the lock and tag to the energy-isolating device.
- Ensuring that the equipment is de-energized and cannot be restarted.
- Verification of the lockout.
This safety measure is applied to power tools to prevent accidental start-up when they are not in use, during maintenance, or when unsupervised, which could lead to injury or even fatalities. Proper training and adherence to lock out, tag out procedures are vital to workplace safety and are typically mandated by occupational safety and health regulations.