Joanna Yeates

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Lockout Tags: OSHA v Safety Signs & Signals Regs

I have read that The Health & Safety (Safety Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996 stipulates the guidelines for design, layout and colour of safety signs. These regulations apply to signs and tags used for lockout tagout applications. Users will have noticed a consistent and easy to follow standard, for example a red circle with a diagonal line through it has a generic meaning Danger/Alarm. This might include a message such as ‘Do Not Operate’.

In the United States, tags are produced in accordance with OSHA regulations and do not follow the same colour coding and symbol convention. An equivalent OSHA tag does not have the same symbol or colour coding.

On that note, for discussion, would an OSHA compliant tag be valid for use in a UK site? In the event of an accident on equipment bearing OSHA compliant tags, would the tag be considered to be a contributing factor to the accident?

www.totallockout.com

Weather conditions

The south east of England has suffered a deluge of snow in the past 24 hours. Fortunately this wont affect our customers being able to do business with us.

One of the advantages of working so close to home, is you can always make it to work. We will be open for business right up until 4:30pm on Christmas Eve. We will also be working during the period between Christmas and New Year so if you have an urgent requirement for lockout tagout equipment, give us a call or drop an e-mail. We'll do our best to help you out.

www.totallockout.com

Asset Tagging - LOLER 1998 Regulations

Following yesterdays' visit to a car sear manufacturer, we have learned that their requirement for asset tagging arises from a health and safety inspection.

The company need to mark their lifting equipment with information related to its operational function, safe working load and maintenance schedule.

Reference to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), in particular Regulation 7 provides further guidance. Follow link.

We will now take advice from experts in this area before advising the client, in addition to updating their lockout tagout systems.

www.totallockout.com

Asset Tagging

Off to visit a car seat manufacturer for one of the Japanese majors today. They have a requirement for tagging equipment whereby the tag will provide them with information about maintenance and servicing.

The spec' is a little unclear at the moment but we can potentially solve this application with bar code or RFID tags which update maintenance software providing full audit trail.

Hopefully we can identify some lockout tagout requirements as well.

www.totallockout.com

Choosing the right circuit breaker lockout

Whether it's a low voltage single pole breaker on a domestic consumer unit or a high voltage disconnector in an electrical sub-station, choosing the right lockout device is an important task.

Electrical circuit breakers are often the primary isolation point for a lockout tagout procedure.

Choosing the wrong device can result in an ill-fitted lockout that fails to serve the purpose it was designed for and may lead to the lockout procedure being overridden with potentially serious consenquences.

With so many makes, models and brand of circuit breakers, we have produced a useful guide to help narrow down the selection of the right lockout device. Contact us via our website and request a copy of our circuit breaker lockout selection guide.

Total Lockout (Safety) Ltd

https://www.totallockout.com/online-store/electrical-lockout/circuit-breaker-lockouts/

Choosing the right valve locking device.

From time to time valves need to be locked. The reasons can be varied. It might be necessary to isolate and vent pressure before maintenance engineers enter a vessel for cleaning. In another example, some valves need to be indefinitely locked off in order to provide continuity of process operations. Or perhaps operation of a number of valves must be carried out in a specific, predetermined sequence. Whatever the reasons, choosing the right valve lock that is appropriate for the application is not a complex task, but one that often holds uncertainty for those not experienced in this product selection.

Some valves are supplied with a built in padlock facility which makes the task of locking it quite straight forward. However, sometimes a padlock is not sufficient protection for the application.

Valves come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Choosing the right locking device can seem a challenging task. But it doesn't have to be. It’s possible to filter out the right product by answering a few basic questions. No special knowledge about the specification or performance of the valve is needed.

Whether you have ball valves, gate valves, plug valves, globe valves or butterfly valves, there are two factors which determine what type of locking device is needed. These are the method of operation followed by the size of the valve.

Many valves are manually operated via a hand wheel, lever (wrench) or sometimes the valve might be power actuated e.g. electric motor, hydraulic or pneumatic actuator. Regardless of the method of operation, all valves can be locked out in some way.

Manual valves

For manual, wheel operated valves you can used a wheel lockout device, similar to those manufactured by Master Lock or Brady. They are designed to encapsulate the wheel of the valve thereby blocking access to the wheel and preventing operation. They come in a range of five sizes; the largest can cover a wheel of 350mm (14”) diameter. The wheel cover is secured in place using a safety padlock. Users can choose between four different colours to denote the process medium or perhaps the valve positional status.

If the valve wheel you need to lock is larger than 350mm, you can consider a cable lockout or padlock and chain. These work by threading the cable or chain around the rim of the valve and through the bonnet or perhaps a piece of adjacent pipe work or steel work.

Locking a lever operated valve can be slightly more challenging. The problem with lever operated valves (ball valve, plug valve, butterfly valve) is that they vary greatly from one manufacturer to another. The topworks design of the valve is rarely the same and this means that the locking device may not engage securely on the valve. To resolve this, Master Lock has developed an innovative lockout known as the Seal Tight™ valve lockout. It works by removing the valve lever and locking it away in a pouch which is wrapped around the body of the valve. Some valve locking devices can only lock the valve in a single position, usually the closed position.

Other valve lever lockouts work by attaching to the lever and physically blocking the turning movement of the valve.

Actuated valves.

If your valve is actuated, locking it off can actually be quite straight forward. For an electrical actuator, the device will have an on/off switch on board. The switch often has a padlock facility which can be used to secure the switch in the ‘off’ position.

For pneumatic or hydraulic actuated valves, blocking the flow of air or oil to the actuator will disable it. This can be done with a small diameter ball valve in the flow line. This valve can then be locked out with one of the lever locking devices described above.

On a note of caution, changing the operational function of actuated valves in this way should only be done in consultation with qualified process engineers.

Locking device integrity

At the start of this article we stated that there are two factors that determine which type of locking device is needed. However, you might like to also consider a third factor. That is the degree of protection against inadvertent operation. Let’s expand on this point.

Inadvertent operation could be regarded as accidental operation, deliberate procedural violation or vandalism.

If the location of the valve makes it a target for vandalism, this must be taken into consideration. In this scenario, a risk assessment should be undertaken. If the consequences present a risk of injury or death, then a high integrity locking device is needed. Equally, if the consequences of operation could result in a high cost loss, these circumstances may also lead you to consider a high integrity locking device.

So what is meant by a high-integrity locking device? This type of device, (normally referred to as an interlock) is very difficult to remove from the valve in as much as specialist tools would probably be needed. It would also be highly tolerant to abuse and attempts to defeat or override.

The device can be locked in both open and closed positions with a separate key corresponding to each locked position. Valve interlocks are often used in a set of multiple valve locks whereby the sequence of operation of a number of valves can be pre-determined through the coding of the keys.

So whether you are simply locking off a valve during a maintenance procedure or implementing sequential control over a number of valves, there is suitable device available.

Total Lockout (Safety) Ltd have produced a useful valve locking device selection guide to help you produce the right solution.

Ends…

Total Lockout (Safety) Ltd is a distribution and supply company specialising in lockout tagout systems. The company was formed in 2010 by Tim Hughes who has over 20 years’ experience in specifying industrial and process safety locking systems.

http://www.totallockout.com/Valve-Lockouts

Win an iPod Nano

In a shameless attempt to boost sales during a traditionally quiet period, we've launched a competition to win an iPod Nano. 

All you need to do is place an order on our website valued over £100 excluding shipping and VAT and your details will be entered into the free draw which will be held on 17th December.

Good Luck

www.totallockout.com

Effective Lockout of Hydraulic Systems

Introduction:

A lockout procedure is a sequence of safety precautions taken in advance of access to potentially dangerous machinery or equipment. It is used where there is a risk of the release of energy which could cause injury to persons carrying out the work, or indeed other individuals working in the neighbourhood of the equipment being maintained.

It involves isolating the energy sources and locking them such they can only be restored by the person carrying out the work, when the work is finished.

The procedure includes safety padlocks, safety tags/signs and also specialist lockout devices.

Stored (residual) energy:

In the case of hydraulically powered systems, the act of switching off the pump which generates the hydraulic power is insufficient to make the system safe. Hydraulic energy can stay in the system indefinitely after it has been switched off. A sudden and unexpected release of this energy can put the life of the worker in danger.

To that end, it is essential that the lockout procedure incorporates steps to dissipate this stored energy.

Preparation:

Whether preparing a formal procedural document that could be incorporated in the Permit to Work (PtW), or simply getting ready to shut down the machine, preparation should include the following:

1.       Risk assessment (i.e. job safety analysis, isolation method, isolation list).

2.       Notification (inform anyone affected by the planned shutdown of the machinery).

3.       Identify and gather any equipment needed to perform the lockout.

Shutdown:

Switch off the machine following normal isolating procedure. In the case of hydraulic systems this is likely to include mains isolation switch, hydraulic supply valve, drain valve.

Dissipate any stored energy via drain valves.

Hydraulic supply valves can be locked in the closed position to prevent oil entering the system. Drain valves should be locked in the open position whereby hydraulic oil drains to the oil reservoir.

Lockout:

Apply locking devices to electrical isolators and hydraulic system drain valves. Secure these in place with safety isolation padlocks. Padlock keys should be retained by the person who applied them or retained in a Group Lock Box[1].

Tagout:

Apply signs or tags which provide the following information as a minimum.

1.       Name of person carrying out the work.

2.       Nature of work being undertaken.

3.       Date tag applied.

Signs and tags should be compliant with the signs and signals standards relevant to your location of work.

Blockout:

As a final precaution, measures should be taken to prevent hydraulically powered components moving under their own weight. Locking pins may be provided as part of the machinery design. Where possible, these should be locked in place. In absence of this, blocks and chocks can be placed strategically to prevent parts from moving.

Restoration of system:

Restoring the equipment or machinery to its normal operating condition is usually the reverse of the isolation procedure. Reference to the equipment or machinery hand books will advise on the correct sequence.

http://www.totallockout.com/Lockout-Systems/Hydraulic-Equipment-Lockout

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[1] Lockout procedures as part of a group of multiple workers is covered in a separate technical article.