Preparing to Assess Lockouts and Tagouts

DOE-EM-STD-5505-96

lockouts and tagouts are an integral part of equipment control. This combined approach of

assessing Lockouts and Tagouts with Control of Equipment and System Status is presented in

that section. Since it may be necessary to assess Lockouts and Tagouts separately, the following

sections discuss how to assess this area of conduct of operations only.

6.9.2 Preparing to Assess Lockouts and Tagouts. To develop an assessment plan for

Lockouts and Tagouts, assessors should first review the activity-specific graded-approach

document for conduct of operations and determine which guidelines are applicable at the activity.

This will allow them to determine the scope of the assessment and which applicable activity

policies and procedures to review when developing the assessment plan. Sections 5.4 and 5.8

provide a detailed explanation of assessment planning and the use of assessment techniques.

6.9.3 Observation. Operations of activities available for assessment can be identified via

review of the activity's plan of the day or plan of the week. These documents should list the

routine operations, maintenance, and special activities that will take place during the assessment.

The following situations are good candidates for observation:

Periodic and corrective maintenance of equipment and systems

System testing

Returning a system to operation

Periodic lockout and tagout reviews and inspections

Use of group lockouts and tagouts

Work performed by outside contractors or other outside service personnel

There are several aspects of the program that can be assessed during these operations. For

instance, while observing periodic and corrective maintenance, the following items can normally

be observed:

Identification of energy sources