Lockout Tagout Training

Copyright (c) 2012 Ted Boynton NEBOSH

Lockout Tagout is a safety procedure which helps ensure employee safety when dealing with dangerous and hazardous machines. Accidents can and do happen to employees. Serious accidents may cause permanent disability, and at least prolonged hospitalization. Even minor injuries may put employees out of work temporarily. In such cases the management is responsible for compensating.

Safety in the workplace is very vital, this is because accidents may occur in various ways. Papers may catch fire due to electrical short-circuiting, or from burning matches and cigarettes ends. Employees may slip or trip on slippery floors. Sharp edges of equipment or furniture, broken glasses and other equipments also cause accidents.

Health and safety training is very important whether one is employed or self employed. The prevention of accidents and health issues caused in a work place as a priority for anyone who is working. Many workplaces and even homes now have fire extinguishers, fire blankets and smoke detectors installed, they are simple to operate and effective in use.

In order to be safe such things like sharp objects should be kept carefully and things such as plugs and sockets should be well screwed to avoid accidents.LOTO stands for lock and tag, this is a safety measure or procedure which is commonly used in industries and research centres to ensure that harmful machines are properly put off and not switched on again in case the machines have not yet been serviced or are still been serviced.

Lockout Tagout works by putting a lock on machines that will enable them to be locked. A lockout scissor clamp is an example of a lock that is used for this kind of purpose, it usually has several lock holes to accommodate a number of padlocks. The purpose for this idea is to keep the machine locked so as to prevent anyone from using it or turning it on accidentally. This idea is good as people will need to activate the machines on their own to be able to use them, thus reducing accidents.

Training in the Lockout Tagout procedure must be given to a number of employees, at three different levels according to the nature of their work:

1.) The highest level of training is given to those employees authorised to carry out machinery shutdown and repairs. These persons must be trained to recognise hazardous energy sources, identify devices for control, and apply these devices.

2.) Employees affected by machinery shutdown and repairs must receive training about the Lockout Tagout procedure, including it's purpose and how it is carried out

3.) All other employees must receive instruction about the general nature of the procedure.

Lockout Tagout is an important procedure to train in as it must be used to control harmful energy whenever anyone is repairing or maintaining machines where unexpected or unlikely operation of the machinery could cause damage. After one has finished training they will be awarded a certificate that shows the completion of the course that they undertook. To make things easier for larger companies, large-group training sessions in Lockout Tagout are available.

United Kingdom law requires training as for a company to be efficient and cost effective. It also requires its employees to be highly competent in the way they conduct their job roles. This can only be achieved by training its people so they have and use the skills they need.Workplace safety regulations state that when one joins a company today they have an expectation that they will not only be able to develop themselves and achieve aspirations, but also to be trained to do their jobs effectively. These safety regulations are very important and are worth training employees in.


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Ted Boynton (BSc Hons. NEBOSH) is the director of Lockout Tagout Safety Ltd., a company based in industrial Teesside UK, which is a popular provider of quality lockout tagout equipment to UK and world markets. Go now to http://www.lockout-tagout.co.uk or call 01642 888002 for further news and LOTO tips including expert advice on choosing padlocks for industrial safety programmes, or to browse our full range of safety padlocks and lockout devices.



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