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Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO)

Control of Hazardous Energy

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard all personnel exposed to any MIT associated LOTO activity (including, MIT employees, visitors, staff, researchers, students, and contractors) from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.  If you need further assistance, please contact safety@mit.edu.

Overview

MIT is required to adhere to the OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 70E which requires the control of hazardous electrical energy sources is also applicable.

As outlined in the OSHA Standard, LOTO requirements apply to any servicing or maintaining of equipment where the authorized person:

  • Removes or bypasses a guard or other safety device.
  • Places any part of their bodies in or near a machine’s point of operation, or
  • Places any part of their bodies in a danger zone associated with machine operations (i.e. nip points).

To assist DLCs with meeting the minimum requirements of the OSHA Standard, MIT EHS has developed a Model Energy Control (LOTO) Program that outlines LOTO requirements including roles and responsibilities, written energy control procedures (ECPs), periodic inspection requirements, and staff training.

Energy Control Procedures

Although a written energy control procedure (ECP) for all equipment (other than cord and plug) with hazardous energy sources is best practice, an ECP is only required for equipment that has more than one energy source that needs to be locked and tagged out. This procedure shall detail and document specific information that an authorized person must know to bring machinery or equipment to the zero-energy state.

At a minimum the ECP must contain the following:

  • A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;
  • Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machinery or equipment to control hazardous energy;
  • Procedure for notifying affected personnel and documenting shutdowns
  • Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, transfer of LOTO devices, and assigned responsibility; and
  • Specific requirements for testing a machine or piece of equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of LOTO devices, and other energy control measures.

Energy control procedures must be maintained in a way that is readily accessible when needed for maintenance or servicing.

EHS has developed a Fillable ECP Template to assist with your energy control procedure development.

Use the flowchart to help determine if a written energy control procedure (ECP) is required for your equipment. An accessible document for the flow chart is available: MIT EHS LOTO Determination Flowchart Document

flowchart to help determine if a written energy control procedure (ECP) is required for your equipment.

Periodic Inspection

DLCs are expected to conduct periodic (at least annual) inspections of their written energy control procedures (ECPs); authorized personnel competency; availability of LOTO equipment and any locked-out equipment (if present), to ensure compliance with this program.

Each ECP must be verified for its accuracy, completeness and effectiveness in energy control. If it is apparent that there are deviations from, or inadequacies in, the authorized person’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures, retraining will be required.

The Inspection Form Template can be used when conducting authorized personnel and/or energy control procedure annual reviews.

Using the Annual Summary Report Template should help you organize all of your DLC LOTO metrics in one place, which can easily be provided for spot audit inquiries.

Training

If you will conduct maintenance, servicing or other procedures on equipment or tools that could expose yourself or others to potentially hazardous energies. (electrical, pressure, hydraulic, stored kinetic, etc.), you are required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course (certificate required). This course can be found in the ATLAS Learning Center Course Catalog or by selecting this activity in the Training Needs Identification Checklist.

NOTE: Trained personnel are only allowed to perform maintenance or servicing on specific equipment with which they are familiar. Only use LOTO on equipment you are authorized to work on.

If you are the operator of equipment or tools and not conducting the maintenance or servicing yourself, you are not required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course but should take the LOTO Awareness/Affected Training course (certificate required).

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Contact safety@mit.edu if you need assistance with any of the items identified below.

  • Technical assistance to determine if equipment needs to be included in the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy program.
  • Assistance with the development of DLC equipment energy control procedures (ECPs)
  • Field audits of lockout/tagout methods and procedures,
  • Assistance with the Local implementation of the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy Program.
  • Energy control devices and locks available to borrow for periodic/infrequent LOTO operations.
  • Assistance in selecting the appropriate LOTO devices.

Documents

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard all personnel exposed to any MIT associated LOTO activity (including, MIT employees, visitors, staff, researchers, students, and contractors) from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.  If you need further assistance, please contact safety@mit.edu.

Overview

MIT is required to adhere to the OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 70E which requires the control of hazardous electrical energy sources is also applicable.

As outlined in the OSHA Standard, LOTO requirements apply to any servicing or maintaining of equipment where the authorized person:

  • Removes or bypasses a guard or other safety device.
  • Places any part of their bodies in or near a machine’s point of operation, or
  • Places any part of their bodies in a danger zone associated with machine operations (i.e. nip points).

To assist DLCs with meeting the minimum requirements of the OSHA Standard, MIT EHS has developed a Model Energy Control (LOTO) Program that outlines LOTO requirements including roles and responsibilities, written energy control procedures (ECPs), periodic inspection requirements, and staff training.

Energy Control Procedures

Although a written energy control procedure (ECP) for all equipment (other than cord and plug) with hazardous energy sources is best practice, an ECP is only required for equipment that has more than one energy source that needs to be locked and tagged out. This procedure shall detail and document specific information that an authorized person must know to bring machinery or equipment to the zero-energy state.

At a minimum the ECP must contain the following:

  • A specific statement of the intended use of the procedure;
  • Specific procedural steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machinery or equipment to control hazardous energy;
  • Procedure for notifying affected personnel and documenting shutdowns
  • Specific procedural steps for the placement, removal, transfer of LOTO devices, and assigned responsibility; and
  • Specific requirements for testing a machine or piece of equipment to determine and verify the effectiveness of LOTO devices, and other energy control measures.

Energy control procedures must be maintained in a way that is readily accessible when needed for maintenance or servicing.

EHS has developed a Fillable ECP Template to assist with your energy control procedure development.

Use the flowchart to help determine if a written energy control procedure (ECP) is required for your equipment. An accessible document for the flow chart is available: MIT EHS LOTO Determination Flowchart Document

flowchart to help determine if a written energy control procedure (ECP) is required for your equipment.

Periodic Inspection

DLCs are expected to conduct periodic (at least annual) inspections of their written energy control procedures (ECPs); authorized personnel competency; availability of LOTO equipment and any locked-out equipment (if present), to ensure compliance with this program.

Each ECP must be verified for its accuracy, completeness and effectiveness in energy control. If it is apparent that there are deviations from, or inadequacies in, the authorized person’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures, retraining will be required.

The Inspection Form Template can be used when conducting authorized personnel and/or energy control procedure annual reviews.

Using the Annual Summary Report Template should help you organize all of your DLC LOTO metrics in one place, which can easily be provided for spot audit inquiries.

Training

If you will conduct maintenance, servicing or other procedures on equipment or tools that could expose yourself or others to potentially hazardous energies. (electrical, pressure, hydraulic, stored kinetic, etc.), you are required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course (certificate required). This course can be found in the ATLAS Learning Center Course Catalog or by selecting this activity in the Training Needs Identification Checklist.

NOTE: Trained personnel are only allowed to perform maintenance or servicing on specific equipment with which they are familiar. Only use LOTO on equipment you are authorized to work on.

If you are the operator of equipment or tools and not conducting the maintenance or servicing yourself, you are not required to take the LOTO Authorized Training course but should take the LOTO Awareness/Affected Training course (certificate required).

LOTO Services Available from EHS

Contact safety@mit.edu if you need assistance with any of the items identified below.

  • Technical assistance to determine if equipment needs to be included in the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy program.
  • Assistance with the development of DLC equipment energy control procedures (ECPs)
  • Field audits of lockout/tagout methods and procedures,
  • Assistance with the Local implementation of the Institute’s Control of Hazardous Energy Program.
  • Energy control devices and locks available to borrow for periodic/infrequent LOTO operations.
  • Assistance in selecting the appropriate LOTO devices.

Documents