The 6 Steps of Lockout/Tagout

Lesson Overview: How Every Lockout Works

In this lesson you'll learn how every lockout is done, on any machine. You'll carry out the six steps in the order OSHA's lockout standard sets, from preparation to verification. You'll restore equipment to service in the right order, including when to notify affected employees. And you'll decide whose lock comes off, and when, in group work, shift changes and with contractors, and when the person who applied a lock has gone home.

A Life-Critical Sequence

Applying energy control is a precise, life-critical sequence. OSHA's lockout standard sets the order of the steps before any servicing begins on a machine. The standard says these steps shall be done in this sequence.

Notification and Preparation

Before any locks are placed, affected employees must be notified of the application. Then, the authorized employee begins Step 1: Preparation. You must have full knowledge of the energy's type and magnitude, the specific hazards present, and the exact means required to control them.

Shutdown, Isolation, and Application

Moving into the physical work, Step 2 requires an orderly shutdown to avoid increasing hazards. In Step 3, you must physically locate and operate all energy isolating devices. Finally, in Step 4, lockout or tagout devices are affixed to hold the energy isolating devices in a 'safe' or 'off' position.

Stored Energy and Verification

The sequence concludes with two checks. Step 5 requires that all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy be relieved, disconnected, restrained and otherwise rendered safe. If it could build up again to a hazardous level, verification continues until the work is done. Step 6 is verification: before work starts, the authorized employee verifies that isolation and deenergization have been accomplished. OSHA's Appendix A, a non-mandatory guideline, shows one way: check that no one is exposed, then operate the normal operating controls to make certain the equipment will not operate, and return them to neutral or 'off' afterwards.

Practice: Sequence the Steps

It is time to test your knowledge of the sequence. Drag the six steps into the correct chronological order, starting from the top. Excellent. You've mastered the mandatory OSHA sequence. This exact order is required for every lockout operation.

Restoring Equipment to Service

Restoration is just as structured as shutdown. First, inspect the work area: nonessential items removed, and the machine's components operationally intact. Second, make sure all employees are safely positioned or removed. Third, each device is removed by the employee who applied it. Finally, after the devices are removed and before the machine is started, notify the affected employees.

Special Situations

OSHA provides specific rules for complex operations. In group lockouts, every authorized employee must affix their own personal lock to the group device. Shift changes require an orderly transfer of protection between crews. When contractors are involved, both employers must inform each other of their respective procedures.

Scenario: The Abandoned Lock

Marcus has gone home, but his lock is still on the conveyor he was servicing. Supervisor Elena wants the conveyor running for the next shift. Under OSHA's lockout standard, what has to be in place, and what must the employer do, to remove Marcus's lock while he is away? Right. With a documented procedure and training in place, the employer verifies Marcus is not at the facility, makes all reasonable efforts to contact him to tell him his lock was removed, and makes sure he knows before he resumes work.

Lesson Recap

We have covered the mandatory sequence and the rules for removing locks, group work, contractors and shift changes. Remember, the six steps must occur in chronological order. Always verify isolation and deenergization before work starts. In group work, your personal lock is your protection. Each machine's own procedure turns these steps into specific actions.