Visual Factory – Group LOTO Stations

Lockout Tag-out (LOTO) refers to policies and procedures developed to protect workers from contact with hazardous energy.
The general concept of LOTO is that workers de-energize the equipment they will be working on and put on a personal lock/tag to ensure nobody else can re-energize the equipment while still working on it.

Group Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) stations are a method of controlling access to equipment or machinery that is being serviced or maintained. They are used to ensure multiple workers can lock out or tag out a piece of equipment simultaneously, preventing it from being turned on or activated while maintenance is performed.

A Group LOTO station typically consists of a central location where multiple lockout or tag-out devices can be stored. This central location is usually near the equipment being serviced or maintained. Each worker who needs to perform maintenance on the equipment is given a key or a lock corresponding to a specific lock or tag stored at the group LOTO station.

The main advantage of group LOTO stations is that they make it easier for multiple workers to lock out or tag out a piece of equipment at the same time. This can be particularly useful in situations where multiple workers are performing maintenance on the same piece of equipment simultaneously or where multiple workers need to perform maintenance on the same piece of equipment in succession.

Group LOTO stations also make it easier to track who has locked out or tagged out a piece of equipment and when. This can help ensure that equipment is only activated when it is safe and that all workers are aware of when equipment is locked out or tagged out.

It is important to note that the use of Group LOTO stations should be part of a comprehensive lockout/tag-out program that includes proper training, procedures and regular inspections to ensure that the equipment is being locked out or tagged out safely and that the workers performing the maintenance are trained and aware of the hazards and safety procedures.

Whenever a group of employees performs servicing and/or maintenance, all employees must apply a lock and tag to each energy source to establish isolation and communication. This is where Group LOTO stations will help to simplify the process.

A single authorized employee must assume the overall responsibility to:

• Implement Zero State Procedure
• Communicate the purpose of the operation
• Coordinate the operation
• Ensure procedural steps have been properly completed

Safety is not something we do; it is how we do things.