Installation of Lockout/Tagout

DOE-STD-1030-96

know, through training and qualification, the type and magnitude of hazards

involved in work on the equipment or system. They should understand what

methods will be used to control those hazards, and they should know how to

verify that the protection is adequate.

The machine or equipment should be shut down using normal operating

procedures. This produces an orderly shutdown and avoids the possibility of

added hazards or equipment damage that might result from simply

disconnecting the power or using some other unusual shutdown method.

Equipment isolation devices must be physically located and operated in such

a way as to isolate the equipment from the energy source.

Protection should not be based upon the presumed remote actuation of a

circuit breaker or valve. As an additional protection, it may be possible

to rack out a circuit breaker or remove a component (such as a fuse or a

piping spool piece) to isolate the equipment from an energy source.

If a component is already tagged (from another lockout/tagout) it must

NOT be operated or removed. Its position should be verified by all

other appropriate means, e.g., observation of system parameters, valve

position indicators, etc.

Personnel should verify the expected physical results of positioning each

component. If undesirable conditions are encountered, e.g., inability to

depressurize a piping system because of leakage through an isolation

valve, the responsible supervisor or manager should be contacted for

resolution.

Tags and locks should be attached to all isolation devices to clearly indicate

that operation is prohibited. In some large centrally controlled facilities,

including most commercial power plants, tags alone have been found to be

sufficient for protection. This is because of the training that all persons

receive and the strict procedures that govern operation of equipment in these

facilities.

If tags are used as the sole protection, the facility must demonstrate that

the tagout procedures afford the same protection as lockout.