Other Uses of Lockout/Tagout

DOE-STD-1030-96

equipment from all sources of potentially hazardous energy, then apply locks and

tags to prevent accidental or inadvertent operation.

In some facilities an alternative system is used for equipment protection. In this

system, the equipment is not physically isolated from all energy sources but

rather is tagged to indicate the specific conditions under which operation may be

permitted. This system uses caution tags, which are discussed in Section 4.11.

The use of caution tags is not permitted as a lockout/tagout to protect personnel

from energy or hazardous material sources.

4.1.3

Other Uses of Lockout/Tagout

In some situations, it may be necessary to prevent inadvertent operation of a

functional system. The following example illustrates this:

Fresh nuclear fuel for a particular reactor must be kept dry (free from water)

until it is ready to be loaded into the reactor. This is necessary to prevent the

possibility of an inadvertent criticality. When fuel is received in the facility,

it must be transported through an area where a fire-protection sprinkler

system is installed. During the time nuclear fuel is present in the area, it

may be appropriate to isolate, lock, and tag the fire-protection sprinkler

system to prevent its operation.

In this case, the lockout/tagout is not related to any maintenance activity, but the

situation requires that the system be inoperable for safety reasons. Locking out

valves on storage tanks to prevent environmental impact during maintenance may

also be an appropriate use of lockout/tagout.

4.1.4

Exceptions to Lockout/Tagout Requirements

OSHA does not require lockout/tagout for activities that are performed as part of

normal operations, such as minor tool changes and adjustments, as long as

effective alternate protective measures are used. Lockout/tagout is also not

applicable to hot tap operations involving work on pressurized transmission and

distribution pipelines for gas, steam, water, or petroleum products; however hot

taps should be used only when continuity of service is essential, and procedures

and equipment that provide proven effective protection for personnel are used.