Tagging and Lockout Responsibilities
Senior Management
Senior management shall:
- Develop a written corporate Tagging and Lockout Procedure.
- Ensure that work-specific or site-specific tagging and lockout procedures conform to requirements of the company's health and safety program.
- Provide general and system-specific tagging and lockout training.
Supervisors
The supervisor shall:
- Provide workers with tags, individual keys, padlocks and scissors.
- Consult with management and/or the owner/client if a secure lockout is not possible.
- Verify that all workers are clear of work area before re-energizing the system.
- Obtain the owner/client's authority to re-energize any system.
Workers
All workers shall:
- Comply with the corporate Tagging and Lockout Procedure and/or the owner/client's tagging and lockout procedure or risk disciplinary action.
Tagging and Lockout Procedure
Isolation Procedure:
Lockout, Tag and Testing Procedure for Electrical & Non-electrical Systems
| No. | Instruction | Position Responsible |
| 1 | General Safety Requirements | |
| A | Training/instruction: Ensure all employees have received all required training as required by (company) H&S Program | Field Supervisor |
| B | PPE requirements: Ensure all employees have all necessary PPE as required, including individually keyed locks and tags | Field Supervisor |
| 2 | Safety Planning / Hazard Assessment | |
| A |
Identify isolation requirements: The supervisor or a qualified designate (authorized journeyman) must assess the work area to determine what equipment is being worked on, and/or what nearby equipment may pose a hazard and needs to be isolated/locked and tagged out of service. This includes reviewing drawings of the entire system to be de-energized/de-activated to determine what must be isolated and confirming these requirements with client. Physical inspection of the system must also be performed: to ensure the isolation points identified are adequate; to verify isolation points; ensure drawings are accurate and; ensure all isolation components are in acceptable condition. |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate |
| B |
Maintain isolation log/records: A formal isolation log/record must be maintained for all equipment/systems that require multiple isolations (3 or more) This log must identify the equipment/system being isolated, the date of isolation, the date the isolation was removed, the lock number, the name of the person who performed the isolation, contact information (phone number) and the name of the supervisor. |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate |
| 3 | Lockout / Tag | |
|
All apparatus capable of being electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically, gravity or otherwise activated must be deenergized or de-activated by physically disconnecting, establishing barriers and otherwise rendering the apparatus inoperable. A lock and tag is used for making certain that the equipment is isolated and cannot be energized by clearly identifying that the system has been isolated for the purpose of protecting personal safety and physically securing the isolation. Switches, power sources, controls, valves, interlocks, pneumatics, hydraulics, computer controlled sources, robotics etc. must be appropriately locked and tagged personally by each worker involved in the operation. |
||
| A | Lock out: After all isolation points have been identified and the system has been isolated/de-energized by the supervisor (or designate), each worker who may be required to work on the equipment/system must be protected by placing an individually keyed safety lock (as supplied) on the isolation device. The key for the lock must be kept on their person while the lock is in place. | Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| B |
Tag: Each worker must attach to the lock a durable tag (provided) containing the information required including: name of the tag owner, date the tag was applied, and the system that has been isolated / work activities. A tag used to identify the purpose of the lock and must clearly identify that the system is not to be energized/operated or that any guards, locks, temporary ground cables , chains, tags and other safeguards are not to be removed until work is complete |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| C |
Additional lockout / tag requirements:
|
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate |
| 4 | Testing / Verifying The Isolation | |
| The system must be adequately tested to ensure it has been isolated. This may include physical verification of the isolation. | ||
| A | Testing Operational Systems: Whenever possible all isolation/de-energizations should be performed by first directly observing the operation of the equipment or system to ensure that the isolation is adequate (properly functioning). | Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| B |
Testing Non-operational Systems: In many instances it is not possible to directly observe or verify the isolation based on the operability of the equipment or system (if it is inoperable because of equipment/system failure or prior isolation such as plant shut down.. In this case additional measures to physically verify isolation must be taken. This may include disconnecting and physically verifying that all leads are disconnected, testing with a potential indicator, taking additional measures to lock out the system by isolating the primary energy source or establishing secondary barriers. |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| C |
Testing Electrical Systems: Electrical equipment must be tested with a CSA certified potential test indicator to ensure that all components are deenergized and de-activated, including interlocking or dependent systems that could feed into the system being isolated. Test voltage phase to phase and phase to ground. Test the “start up” to ensure that the equipment is off. Workers testing electrical systems must:
|
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| 5 | Authorization To Proceed/ Verification Of Completion | |
| Prior to the commencement of work the supervisor or qualified designate must verify the isolation points with all workers involved in the task by reviewing the isolation log/record and ensuring all necessary locks/tags have been supplied and/or applied. Upon completion of the work the supervisor or qualified designate must verify that the isolation has been removed. | Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate | |
| 6 | Lock / Tag Removal | |
| A |
Removal of locks/tags: After the assigned work is completed and the equipment is to be energized, the supervisor or qualified designate must be notified to receive authorization prior to removal of any locks or other lockout devices from equipment or machinery. The supervisor or designate must verify that the work is complete all isolations have been removed and the equipment is free to safely operate prior to removing the lock and tag. |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| B |
Multiple work groups: Where multiple workers may be working on the equipment or system, the supervisor must make all workers aware in advance when (company) will remove its isolation. All work must be stopped while isolation is being removed. Double shifts: Workers leaving the site must remove their locks and the workers coming on shift must immediately replace them with their own locks. |
Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate & Employees involved in task |
| 7 | Safety Zone | |
| Where nearby equipment may pose a hazard however isn’t in the immediate work area and cannot be locked out or otherwise de-energized, a “safety zone” must be established. This zone must provide a warning perimeter or physical barrier preventing accidental contact with nearby equipment or utilities. | Field Supervisor / Qualified Designate | |
| 8 | Safety Inspections | |
| On a daily basis all employees and supervisors must informally verify that the isolation is adequate by checking the locks/tags and testing the isolation. At a minimum, this inspection is performed prior to commencing work each day. Where isolation is applied (company) supervision and management is responsible for formally ensuring that all employees are following the applicable isolation safety requirements. | Management / Field Suupervisor |
Tagging and Lockout Safe Job Procedure
1. Review drawings of the system to be de-energized and de-activated to determine the switches, power sources, controls, interlocks, or other such devices necessary to isolate the system. Confirm with the client/owner where required.
2. All apparatus capable of being electrically energized or dynamically activated must be de-energized or de-activated by locking out, physically disconnecting or otherwise rendering the apparatus inoperable.
3. Test the system with a CSA-certified potential test indicator to ensure that all components are de-energized and de-activated, including interlocking or dependent systems which could feed into the system being isolated, either mechanically or electrically. Potential test indicators should not be used beyond the voltage limits for which they are rated.
4. Observe the following safeguards for locking out and tagging:
a) After the circuit has been de-energized, locked out by the person in charge, workers must be protected by personally placing their own safety lock on the disconnect switch. Each lock must have a separate key and workers must retain the key for this lock while lock is in place.
b) Where several workers or trades are working on the circuit, provision for additional locks must be made using a lockout bar. This arrangement can accommodate any number of locks by placing another lockout bar in the last hole of the previous bar.
c) In accordance with Section 190(6)3. of the current Construction Projects regulation (O. Reg. 213/91), each worker must attach to their lock a durable tag filled out with the following information:
- Reason why the equipment was disconnected
- Name of person responsible for the disconnection and his/her employer
- Date on which the equipment was disconnected.
d) The de-energized electrical system must be discharged by short circuit and phase to ground. A temporary ground cable must be attached to the system and remain in place until work is completed.
5. A record must be kept of the devices opened, locked out or otherwise rendered inoperable so that all these devices can be reactivated once work is complete.
6. Place signs on the system indicating that it is not to be energized or operated and that guards, locks, temporary ground cables, chains, tags, and other safeguards are not to be tampered with or removed until work is complete.
7. Workers testing electrical equipment must:
- Remove all watches, rings, neck chains or other current-conducting jewelry
- Wear electric shock resistant footwear
- Wear safety glasses with side shields.
Note: In-plant procedures specified by the owner or client take precedence over the procedures outlined here, providing there is no contravention of existing codes or statutes.
