Lockout-Tagout Control of Hazardous Energy Program
The control of hazardous energy, commonly called a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Program, protects workers from injury or death due to the unintended start up or release of stored energy while they are performing maintenance and repair on machines, processes, and systems.
Hazardous energy, such as electricity, chemical, radiation, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical and gravitational energy sources, must be isolated and dissipated before servicing or maintaining equipment. Hazardous energy controls are generally known as Lockout/Tagout, or LOTO, and consist of locks and tags applied to energy-isolating device(s) on equipment that contains the hazardous energy source(s).
Lock Removal Procedure
Lock Application and Removal Log
Equipment specific LOTO SOP template
LOTO Process flow chart
Resources
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) – Health and Safety Programs. LOTO
- Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) – Lockout and Tagging
FAQ
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LOTO is the planned isolation, de‑energization, and verification of all hazardous energy sources on machinery, equipment, or processes, secured with an individually keyed lock and an accompanying tag.
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Uncontrolled energy can cause amputations, electrocution, crushing, or fatal release of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, or thermal energy.
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- Authorized person – a person who is qualified to engage in hazardous energy control because of knowledge, training, and experience, and has been assigned to engage in such control.
- Primary Authorized Person – an authorized individual who has been assigned to perform (assume control over) a group lockout and has authority over other authorized individuals entering into a danger zone around a hazardous machine or energy system.
- Supervisor – Supervisors are responsible for distributing LOTO hardware, ensuring machine‑specific procedures exist, and confirming that only trained employees perform lockout.
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Any time a guard is removed, a body part enters a danger zone, or maintenance, repair, adjustment, or cleaning could expose a worker to hazardous energy.
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Electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, gravitational, potential, and stored (capacitors, springs, flywheels, pressure, tension) energy sources must all be rendered zero energy before work begins.