Form for Industrial Machine Blockage

[gustavosilvano]

Hello there!

My name is Gustavo and I work at a steel mill plant here in Brazil. Here we use a form to register the blockage of our machines. These blockage are done to prevent unintentional activation of the machine during an intervention, such as maintenance, cleaning, adjusting, etc.

I want to know if out there is common to fill forms when you're going to block the machine. These form have an area for the operator, for the electrician, and for any transference that may happen due to end of shift.

How is the practice of you guys?

Best regards.

Gustavo

 

[berkshire]

In the USA it is called Tag out, Lock out, but it is the same idea. A tag (form) is attached to a bar with padlocks on the machine, all of the people working on the machine put their padlocks on the bar and their names on the tag. The machine cannot be started again until all of the workers and supervisors have removed their padlocks from the bar, it cannot be removed until the last padlock is taken off.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[itsmoked]

As berkshire said we call it "Lock-out-Tag-out".

The most typical style seen is this:

But there are a whole bunch of ways including even bagging disconnects. (weird)

Google images page of Lock outs and tags

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[gustavosilvano]

Ok, got it.
But is there any kind of form to be filled to register a lock-out?

 

[itsmoked]

Yes, a log book of some sort is often employed. It's usually got the name of the lock-out'er and their phone number. But a log is not required.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[jraef]

I think you are looking for some sort of standardized form, in which case that answer would be NO. We (USA industrial people) are a notoriously independent bunch, so uniform procedures that apply to everyone are frowned upon. The result is, everyone has their own way of doing it. We have rules that say it MUST be done, but not HOW to do it. The simple string tag shown in the above photo is one way used quite often, but at the other end of the spectrum I have been to aerospace chemical facilities where it is a 6 page form, each page signed by a different level of management (that's the worst one I have seen). Just this week we have been trying to commission a large pump drive at an oil refinery and the pump is frozen (locked rotor). It has so far taken 4 trips of proving that the VFD cannot make the shaft turn in order to get approval to lock out the motor and de-couple the pump. The reason everything takes so long is because of all of the necessary signatures it takes to lock, then unlock, the equipment for each test and each approval process then triggers another level of management wanting a test to justify the need for more testing! There is still no written form (that I have seen anyway), it's all just procedural BS.


" We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." -- W. H. Auden

 

[BrianE22]

We just got hit by this with OSHA on our machine tools. They had stuff online for the items that need to be on the lockout form (at least for machine tools). Do a search for "OSHA lockout tagout".

 

[EdStainless]

We have a disconnect on our bus that is locked out, and the guy retired about 12 years ago.
There is no paperwork in our system beyond a simple log that each lock owner keeps of when their lock was used (equip ID, time and date on, time and date off).

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[rpbies]

The term "Lockout-Tagout" refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard workers from the unexpected energizing or start-up of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities. Lockout-Tagout explains the importance of lockout-tagout in protecting the health and safety of workers.

Sequence of Lockout Procedure
1. Notify all affected employees that a lockout is required and the reason therefore.
2. If the equipment is operating, shut it down by the normal stopping procedure (such as: depress stop button, open toggle switch).
3. Operate the switch, valve, or other energy isolating devices so that the energy source(s) (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, other) is disconnected or isolated from the equipment. Stored energy, such as that in capacitors, springs, elevated machine members, rotating fly wheels, hydraulic systems, and air, gas, steam or water pressure, must also be dissipated or restained by methods such as grounding, repositioning, blocking, bleeding down.
4. Lockout energy isolating devices with an assigned individual lock.
5. After ensuring that no personnel are exposed and as a check on having disconnected the energy sources, operate the push button or other normal operating controls to make certain the equipment will not operate. CAUTION: Return operating controls to neutral position after the test.
6. The equipment is now locked out.

https://bulldogheating.com/