The car seal cable length is too long. Can you supply me a shorter length?

We get asked this a lot. The short answer is, yes we can supply car seals for locking valves in any length. However, as they’re made to order, you can often wait 4-6 weeks and, naturally the price increases because often the quantity required is much less.

But there is another way. It’s easy enough to shorten the cable length but it’s important that you do this after the cable has been applied to the valve. This is because when you cut the cable, the ends fray out, making it impossible to thread the end through the hole in the car seal body. See photo.

Or if you prefer not to cut the cable, simple tie the surplus cable in loose knot loops, like in the photo.

Car Seals are widely used in process industries to lock (seal) valves in the open or closed position. They are a low cost means to effectively prevent inadvertent or accidental operation of critical process valves. When used as part of a car seal program you can record the status of valves throughout your plant. When it’s time to operate the valve, just cut the cable and discard the seal. The materials of construction are fully recyclable.

Visit www.car-seal.com to view our full range of Car Seals. 

Car Seals versus Lockout Tagout - what's the difference?

Car Seals and Lockout Tagout shouldn’t be considered as alternatives to perform the same task.

Occasionally process and operations personnel tell us they’re intending to use car seals for locking valves instead of Lockout Tagout (LOTO) systems as part of a cost reduction program. Such practices are fraught with danger when cost is a driving factor in managing procedural and operational safety.

This is fundamentally wrong and a violation of OSHA (CFR) Part 1910.147 guidelines on The Control of Hazardous Energy.

Car Seals and Lockout Tagout are not competing technologies and therefore shouldn’t be considered as alternatives to perform the same task. This critical feature can be hard to communicate when, on a practical functional level they do indeed perform the same task. They both lock a valve to prevent its operation.

Instead, the two systems should be viewed in the context of procedural control rather than pieces of hardware.

Because the Car Seal has to be destroyed to remove it, it tends to be used for locking off valves on long-term isolations. Nothing wrong with this. But compare this to the core reason for using a Lockout Tagout process. To protect workers engaged in maintenance activities and safeguard them against the unexpected release of hazardous energy. A car seal simply cannot perform this task.

The LOTO hardware (padlock and tag) performs the role not only of a mechanical lock but also a communication system. The process will use a colour coded padlock as the first stage communication. The colour of the padlock can indicate, for example, the engineering discipline of the worker e.g. Electrical, mechanical etc. Or maybe the type of stored energy prevailing e.g. High voltage, steam, gas etc. The tag will add a further layer of communication integrity for example, who is carrying out the task, the nature of the task, when the task commenced and when it’s likely to be completed.

And most importantly, because of the integrity of the padlocks in use, only the person who placed the padlock can remove it. This requirement is referenced in sub-section (e)(3) of the OSHA 1910.147 standard wherein it states “Each lockout or tagout device shall be removed from each energy isolating device by the employee who applied the device.” This requirement cannot be met with a car seal.

Having said that, the Car Seal system can include some of these features by using colored seals and tags, but unlike a LOTO system which uses keyed padlocks, car seals can be easily removed with cable cutters. And this small point of detail is at the core of the safety integrity which cannot be achieved by car seals alone.

All this paints a bleak picture for the humble car seal. But we must not totally diminish the role of the car seal in process safety. It certainly has its place in the work place and can provide a layer of safety integrity, traceability and audit. When used to the fullest extent of its intended purpose the car seal will protect safety critical valves against inadvertent or accidental operation. When used as part of a car seal program it can provide a full inventory of valves in service, indicate the safe operational status of the valve and provide safe guidance when the time comes to remove the seal to operate the valve.

The OSHA Directive CPL 03-00-004 “Petroleum Refinery Process Safety Management National Emphasis Program” gives guidance on the use of car seals on the upstream and downstream isolating block valves of a safety relief valve, but stresses the importance of having control measures and safeguards in place to guide workers on there us.

In summary, a lockout and car seal perform the same mechanical use (locking a valve), but the procedures and control measures in which they are used are very different. Making the wrong product selection can put lives at risk.

Other reading:

Car Seal Programs and how they operate.

Car Seal Program and Relief Valves.

For further guidance on the use of car seals and lockout tagout programs, visit our website www.car-seal.com or contact Total Lockout today.

Car seals for locking valves. What are the options?

A car seal is a disposable device used to lock or seal a valve to prevent tampering or inadvertent operation.

This basic functionality doesn’t require too many options in the specification. In its most simplistic form, the seal needs to be long enough to reach around the valve wheel or lever and the valve body, and should provide a sealing function.  In other words, once it's deployed you must cut (and destroy) the seal.

But in the years since we've been supplying car seals our discerning customers have sought other features.

In this specification summary we discuss these features and their relevance.

Cable Length:

To optimise our inventory we stock car seals with a longer cable (1000mm). But customers often request a shorter car seal because their valves are much smaller. In this event we point out that the unwanted cable can be cut off. But it’s important to ensure that this is done AFTER the cable has been threaded through the seal head. The reason for this is because the end of the cable can fray after cutting making it almost impossible to thread through the hole in the car seal head.

The question arises of cost. A shorter seal should be lower cost than a longer seal. Theoretically that’s true but the saving is so small, the additional cost of increasing our inventory offsets any saving.

Cable Diameter.

Our standard car seals have 2.5mm (3/32”) diameter, and this perfectly adequate for the application. The breaking strain if over 500kg (1102lbs). The cable is a multi-strand galvanised steel.

Colour:

There are no standards which stipulate the use of coloured car seals. But here at Total Lockout we took a practical view at the use of colour coding. Given that car seals are used to seal valves in the open and closed positions it seems obvious to use a green car seal to lock a valve open and a red car seal to lock the valve closed.

Thereafter, to offer further choice, we also stock blue, yellow and black car seals.

Material:

We offer two choices of material for our car seals. Aluminium body with anodized colouring. These car seals have a galvanised steel cable. We also offer a stainless steel option which offers excellent resistance to corrosion in a marine environment. The car seal head is made from Zinc, while the cable is 302 stainless steel.

We also offer a limited range of plastic valve ties which can be used for car sealing valves. Similar to steel cable car seals, these have a unique identification serial number. The seal length is 300mm (12”).

Marking & Identification:

By default, every car seal we supply has a unique serial number. Each time a new customer orders car seals we record the serial numbers supplied. By doing this we can unsure that duplicate numbered seals are never supplied.

Car seals can also be etched with bespoke markings, specific to your requirements. There is a minimum order quantity of 100 pieces for bespoke marking. Prices on application.

Function:

There are two styles of car seal functionality. These are self-locking and breakaway key. As the name suggests, a self-locking seal becomes sealed (locked) as soon the cable enters the body. The cable can be pulled tight but cannot be released.

The other style has a breakaway key to seal the device. When the cable enters the body, it can still be removed. To create a seal, the cable must be pulled tight, then the breakaway key is manually turned until it snaps off. The tip of the key jams into the cable locking it in place.

Optional Extras:

Tags:

To improve identification, we offer car seal tags which can be used in conjunction with the seal. This is a small red or green tag which can be threaded through the seal when fitting to the valve. The tags are available in red and green and designate the valve as being ‘car seal closed’ or ‘car seal open’.

Wire cutters:

The car seal cables can be tough to cut. Ask us about specialist cutting tools to make this task easy.

Customisation:

The speciality of Total Lockout is to match a customer’s requirements wherever possible. And if this means customising your car seals, we can usually do it. So if you have any bespoke requirements for your car seals, contact us today and tell us what you need.


Contact Total Lockout (Safety)

UK & EMEA

Unit 10 Warner Drive
Springwood Industrial Estate
Braintree, Essex, CM7 2YW, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1376 325506

USA & Canada
4500 140th Ave N, Suite 101
Clearwater, FL, 33762

Tel: (727) 608 4325

E-mail: sales@totallockout.com
www.car-seal.com

Electric Cable Bags used for identifying live cable ends

Electrical cabling, maintenance and repair companies are using this new electrical cable bag for identifying loose cable ends which are waiting to be re-wired.

The end of the cable is placed in to the bag; the neck of the bag is then secured in place using self adhesive tape.

This is an ideal way to highlight low, medium and high voltage cable ends where wiring work needs to be completed.

Available today from Total Lockout (Safety) Ltd

Contact Total Lockout (Safety)

UK & EMEA

Unit 10 Warner Drive
Springwood Industrial Estate
Braintree, Essex, CM7 2YW, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1376 325506

USA & Canada
4500 140th Ave N, Suite 101
Clearwater, FL, 33762

Tel: (727) 608 4325

E-mail: sales@totallockout.com

How do you lockout an Allen Bradley 140M Circuit Breaker?

We were recently set this challenge by a customer in Abu Dhabi. They are using a number of AB 140M C2E circuit breakers and need a viable way of locking the switch. There's no smooth surface on the breaker to fix a conventional button lockout device.

In the end, we found the answer through Twitter! The manufacturer (Rockwell) guided us a an accessory they make which replaces the existing twist knob with a lockable version. Simple when you know how!

We are pleased to offer this device through our online shop.

Motion sensing interlock, and other uses for a solenoid key interlock

A solenoid controlled, key release interlock is an important inclusion in the SecuMS range of key interlock devices.


The simplest interlock systems for machine guarding and access control involve the isolation of power, releasing of a key which is then used to unlock and open some form of access gate, door or hatch. Importantly, when the hatch (door or gate) is opened, the unlocking key becomes trapped and is held captive until the door is closed.


These basic steps protect workers entering potentially dangerous guarded areas where machinery operates or live electricity can kill.

But how can you improve protection when, for example there is inertia in the moving parts, or the presence of a pressurized environment, or extremes of temperature?

This is done with a solenoid controlled key release interlock. Depending upon the nature of the hazard, the key interlock will not immediately release the key when turning off power.

Instead it works in conjunction with a relay or control switch, perhaps a pressure or temperature sensor. The system will be designed in such a way that the solenoid which traps the key will only draw back when safe working parameters are satisfied.

Click on the link or contact us to learn more about solenoid key release interlocks.

The full range of SecuMS trapped key interlocks is available now from Total Lockout (Safety) Ltd.

Contact:

UK & Rest of World

Unit 10 Warner Drive, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2YW: Tel: +44 (0)1376 325506

North America & Canada

4500 140th Avenue North, Suite 101, Clearwater, FL, 33762: Tel: (727) 608-4325

What is a breakaway car seal?

Most types of (valve) car seals are self locking. They operate in just the same way as a cable tie wrap. After threading the cable of the car seal around the valve wheel or lever and the valve body, then the cable end is passed into the head of the seal it locks straight away. You cannot pull the cable back out again. The only way to remove it is to cut the cable.

However, there is a different type of seal available called the breakaway car seal. These seals have a locking key. With the cable end passed in to the seal head, it can still be slid out again. To lock the cable in place it is necessary to tighten the locking key until the handle breaks off. Once the key handle snaps off, the cable cannot be removed. As with the self-locking seal, it’s necessary to cut the cable to remove the seal.

Some people mistakenly believe this type of breakaway car seal is re-useable. This is not the case. But this type of seal can be temporarily deployed by lightly turning the key handle until it grips the cable.

Remember, the purpose of the car seal is to seal the valve in the open or closed position. If the seal is removable, then it’s not fulfilling its function.

At Total Lockout we only stock self locking car seals. But if you require breakaway car seals, please get in touch because we can get them specially made. 

Delivery time is 2 – 4 weeks depending on quantity required.

Contact us at sales@totallockout.com

North America & Canada

Tel: (727) 608 4325

UK & Rest of World

Tel: +44 (0)1376 325506