Isolation and Lockout System

WHEN do you need the key to the lock..... at a time when the issuer is not present? Example... if the lock/key is in the care custody and control of the mechanic... when he, or she leaves at the end of the day will you want to remove the lock? Some lockouts are temporary (a specific task), another situation may be for days or weeks. -hope this helps >>> Google -lockout tagout.....osha

Typically, there are stringent requirements in place before you can gain access to the key in the lock box.

When giving out that key the person doing so is taking personal responsibility for workers and plant safety.

Precisely gringogreg, and a GA.

Sometimes when a machine is in operations a lock box will contain the specialized locking mechanisms and instructions used to put the machine in a safe mode to permit work on that machine. When the machine is placed into the "safe to work" on mode, all of the keys for the locks distributed around a facility to make the machine safe are now placed inside the lock box. The safety officer and operations manager on duty when they are satisfied that all needed locks have been applied to the machine and all keys are in the box then apply their lock to the box, thus controlling a large distributed system with one key. Now as each worker goes to work on the machine, their individual lock gets added to the lock box to act in the dual role of assuring the machine cannot be turned ON with a worker in harms way and to keep a tangible running tally on all workers working on the large system.

GA................. gringogreg, and red too....... quite often multiple crafts are involved in a single task. you guys pretty well covered, all the pertinent points, and in very easy to understand fashion. -hope the OP is satisfied.

Hi all:

As you know, we have here some very good training materials about the isolation and lockout. They contain all the definition, procedure, forms to effectively perform the isolation and lockout activities.

I appreciate Gringogreg's effort by explaining very detail of the isolation and lockout. Actually, I am trying to ask about the function of the "lockbox" in isolation and lockout system. What is its purpose? How it is applied and in what case? Because it seems that there are 02 types of lockbox application as in my question.

Thank you,

Hien

for the 2nd kind, I guess the locks are needed on the equipment or device when the plant is running, like some block valves located at the upstream of the psv need to be locked open in plant running case. so you can only see the keys and can't see the locks in the box.

There is only one type of a lock-box that gringogreg and I have described. A large complicated machine like RHIC and has several lock-boxes that can be effectively placed inside another box by having one of the keys from box A & B etc. placed into box C. Since you understand the use of this technique, describe a little your second lock box technique and maybe we can help you understand it.

Redfred:

You gets my point. I dont say we are having 02 kinds of "lock box". I think that he theory are there, but the application depends on the users (how they think about that and how they understand that). The lockbox we plan to use after the training course completion is that we will have one or two lock box contained both of locks and keys numbered with staff idetification on each. So, you could see that everytime we want to isolate, we just open the box, take out one or two lock set (lock and key) and perform the job.

But, I have known that there is another application of lock box. Since they will use the lock box after the equipment is isolated and locked out. So, the lock box here will contain only keys. Then they (they - meaning that there would be at least 02 people doing the job and 02 keys). Then, one of them seal the box. Fianlly, the supervisor or authorized person will lock the lock box with his master key. I dont know when we will apply this situation.

I have some jobs to do now and will be back with more details ASAP.

Regards,

Actually I don't get your point. I must first say that your English is far better than my Vietnamese, but I do not understand what you mean by a second application lock box.

A lock box safety system is used when many people have to be accounted for before powering a possibly dangerous machine. When a lock box is locked, inside that lock box is only keys and sometimes paperwork identifying those keys and who applied them. The keys inside the locked box are the unique keys that fit the locks applied to this complicated machine. These strategically placed locks are what actually prevent the machine from becoming dangerous. Back to the locked box, there are two types of locks locking the box an administrator/safety officer who was the first to lock the box and will be the last to unlock this box. When they lock the box, their job is to make sure that all of the correct keys are placed in the box by people who know that that part of the machine has been made safe. Then every individual that will be entering the made safe areas of the machine add their lock to the lock box.

Now depending on how many individuals must work on a machine and how complicated the machine is, you might have many lock boxes.

Redfred:

Thank you for your compliment. Because your English is much more popular than my Vietnamese so it is a common sense that my English is better than your Vietnamese. But is my English understandable?

It is like what Knowznia1's description. it is so-called multiple isolation. I have the same your idea. It means that the lock box will contain only keys?

Of course, I agree with you and I want to make sure that is it a wrong application if I use the lock box just to place the "lock sets"?

Thank you,

Hien

Often for convenience, when a lock box is unlocked the locks used to make the machine safe are stored in the lock box. So it is important to keep in mind that there are two critical modes for a lock box, locked and unlocked. (Let's ignore for now the two technically unlocked modes of becoming locked and becoming unlocked.)

Oh and yes your English is understandable. Cám ơn

Klearzen, thanks to your post, I came back here to give Gringogreg and Refred 02 GAs. I think they have made the most of it.

Thank you,

Typical lockout devices that attach to circuit breakers, valves, etc., can accommodate only a small number of individual persons' locks. If many people are working on an item, you can then put a single lock directly on the item and keep the key in a lockbox that can accommodate any number of personal keys, all of which must be removed or accounted for in order to restart the equipment.

You can also add multiple scissors.

1) Designate a person as the group locker, someone who knows the system and can lock out all designated isolation points on the project (machine or system being over hauled).

2) He goes around with another pair of eyes/mind to lock out all isolation points.

3) Places the keys in the group lock box and places his blue lock and fills out the corresponding group lock out form.

4) As each tradesman comes over, he places his tag/lock on the lock box.

5) At the end of the job, assuming all trades are done. The only lock remaining will be the blue lock on the lock box.

6) Supervisor verifies completion, and that all work/trades man are done. Removes the blue lock, takes all the lock keys and removes all isolation lock tags that were installed in step 2.

7) The end, hope the step by step works. This is the process they use for site specific at Vale . The second largest nickle producer in the world, sniff sniff, my employee :)

Knowznia:

Great. I am asking about this and here we say it is multiple isolation. But I see that they will fill the form after lockout each piece of equipment.

The lock box is built to avoid the case that there will be too many locks and keys in the plant. Problem is, it is difficult to know which is the key inside the lock box used for the machine since we will have many keys inside the lock box. How you deal with this?

So, why they don't call this key box instead of lock box?

What is your company product and where is it?

The only way one should know which keys are in the lock box is paper work. Often there is two sets of paperwork with a listing of all keys in a locked lock box. One set inside the box and a copy outside. This list of which keys should reside inside the locked box is generated in an earlier safety meeting to get all parties to agree what has to be done to make the machine safe to work.

Multi hasps & individual locks for each person involved in a task was the way I was taught. No duplicate or master keys.

From starting my apprenticeship I have tried to stick to that rule in different companies I have worked for. On leaving my first company I took my personal locks with me, they have been in constant use ever since.

TonyS:

Yes, I am living in Vietnam but my boss is from Liverpool. He requests me not support MU if I want to work with him.

I understand your reply. But what if he or she has to lock 03 location (like electrical, valve, and pneumatic source)? He or she must have 03 locks? Possibly, I also will have one personal lock during my time here and I dont want to make my pocket heavier by having 02 more locks.

Regards,

Hien

Yes, you must now have three separate locks. One for each hazardous source; electrical, valve and pneumatic must be applied to make it safe. Now the key of each of these locks goes into the lock box and the worker only needs to apply his personal safety lock to the lock box. If the worker was going to work on only one of the three sources and the other two sources could not affect him then the worker could apply his one lock to that one source. Lock boxes are used when many energy sources must be controlled for safety.

OK the disadvantage is carrying many locks, but to me my personal safety is worth the inconvenience. I've always worked on plants where product flow could be from a number of sources. I'll give an example of one of them, a coal mill. A regular task would be to enter the mill to change bearing thermocouples. The following isolations were required.

1/ main drive

2/ barring gear

3/ No.1 bearing air purge fan

4/ No.2 bearing air purge fan

5/ bearing oil feed

6/ exhauster fan

7/ nitrogen purge system

8/ CO2 fire system

9/ No.1 infeed valve

10/ No.2 infeed valve

11/ No.1 infeed air cannon

12/ No.2 infeed air cannon

Believe it or not to change a thermocouple was a 3 man job so that's 36 locks! It's not a problem to keep 12 small keys in your pocket.

I have used both the system GringoGreg & the system TonyS outlined. The system where each technician is solely responsible for their own lock outs & hasps is far easier for the supervisor.

When a technician goes home, with out transferring custody of the locked out equipment, only the supervisor may authorize the lock [or preferably the hasp] be cut off.

When a technician "loses" a lockout, he has to purchase replacements himself.... personal responsibility reduces the "mistakes"

Depending on the equipment & facility, each technician needs to have 3-5 locks & hasps. The employer should provide the accessories to lock out breakers, cord ends & air lines.

a program to install locking disconnects [as close to the motors as possible] locking doors on breaker panels & airlines will increase the compliance by operators [don't forget the operators] & technicians. Compliance must be mandatory & repercussions for non compliance serious & universal, no exceptions [including management]

You might also find the following link instuctive.

http://osha.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergy/index.html

Purchase a Lockout/Tagout training program to include video and reading material. All will be explained.