Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is the set of practices used to control hazardous energy while a machine or piece of equipment is being serviced or maintained, so it cannot start up unexpectedly or release stored energy and injure a worker. ^{[1] [2]} In the United States it is governed by OSHA's Control of Hazardous Energy standard, 29 CFR 1910.147. ^[1] The hazardous energy involved can take many forms: electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and gravitational. ^{[2] [3]} The core of LOTO is the energy-isolating device, which OSHA defines as 'a mechanical device that physically prevents the transmission or release of energy,' such as a circuit breaker, disconnect switch, or line valve. ^[1] A lockout device holds that isolating device in a safe position using a positive means like a key or combination lock, while a tagout device is a prominent warning tag attached to it. ^[1] OSHA requires employers to establish an energy-control program built from three parts: documented energy-control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections. ^[1] A critical and often skipped step is verification: before work starts, 'the authorized employee shall verify that isolation and deenergization of the machine or equipment have been accomplished.' ^[1] LOTO also distinguishes two roles. An authorized employee is the person who applies the locks and tags and performs the servicing; an affected employee operates the machine or works in the area and must be notified, but does not perform the lockout. ^{[1] [4]}

Key characteristics

• Controls hazardous energy in many forms: electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and gravitational. ^{[2] [3]}
• Requires a documented, machine-specific energy-control procedure as part of a wider program of procedures, training, and periodic inspection. ^[1]
• Centers on the energy-isolating device, held in a safe position by a lockout device and labeled by a tagout device. ^[1]
• Mandates verification of a zero-energy state before work begins, not just after the locks go on. ^[1]
• Separates the authorized employee (applies the locks and does the work) from the affected employee (operates the machine and must be notified). ^{[1] [4]}
• Treats lockout as the primary method, with tagout used as a labeling step or where a lock cannot be applied. ^{[3] [4]}

How SOPX handles this

OSHA requires the energy-control procedure for each machine to be documented, and it is the document operators actually have to follow at the equipment, under time pressure, that decides whether isolation is done right. SOPX documents that machine-specific LOTO procedure as a visual step-by-step SOP: a maintenance lead films the isolation sequence or imports the existing PDF, and the AI structures it into clear steps with a short clip or annotated image per step, so each disconnect, valve, and stored-energy release is shown rather than buried in text. The latest approved version is reachable by QR code at the machine in 50+ languages, which matters on a mixed-language manufacturing or wood production floor where a mistranslated step is a real hazard. Every change is versioned with an owner and date, and Run mode captures a per-step sign-off, giving you a record that each isolation step was carried out. SOPX documents and distributes the procedure; it is not LOTO hardware and it does not audit your compliance, so the locks, tags, and energy-control program still belong to you.

Frequently asked questions