In industrial environments, safety is paramount. One of the key components of ensuring a safe working atmosphere, particularly during maintenance or repair activities, is the use of equipment lockout tags. These simple yet powerful tools play a critical role in preventing accidents by controlling hazardous energy sources, reducing the risk of injury, and ensuring that workers are not exposed to unnecessary dangers while servicing machines and equipment.
What Are Equipment Lockout Tags? Equipment lockout tags are safety devices used to indicate that a piece of machinery or equipment is not to be operated. They are typically used as part of the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedure, a standard practice in workplaces where machinery is powered by electricity, gas, steam, or other potentially hazardous energy sources. When an employee needs to maintain or repair equipment, lockout tags, along with physical locking mechanisms, are applied to machinery to ensure that it cannot be turned on while someone is working on it. The lockout tags are usually attached to energy-isolating devices, such as power switches, circuit breakers, or valve handles. The tags clearly communicate that the equipment is out of service and should not be operated until all necessary repairs or maintenance are completed and it is safe to use again.