Sourcing Breakable / Crackable padlocks 1

[pch1]

I am based in the UK and a client has specified that all valve handwheels on a project are to have breakable padlocks with a common key. The environment is high humidity, saliferous.

Unfortunately I have tried many suppliers in the UK but they are not familiar with breakable padlocks.

Could anyone point me to a supplier who could help me.

Thanks
Paul Hearn

 

[ScottyUK]

That seems a peculiar request. What does the client say about it? I see no shame in asking where they procure such things from, if they actually exist. We have a fairly typical permit and safety system and none of us have ever come across such a lock.

Playing devil's advocate, you could almost certainly argue that from a contractual perspective any padlock is breakable and technically meets the spec. It's just the method of breaking it which is open to question: hammer, crowbar, mell, angle grinder, shaped charge...

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Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[dtn6770]

A strange request indeed.

I can understand for lock-out-tag-out (LOTO) purposes requiring valves that can be "locked." I'm accustomed to using lengths of chain fed through handwheels and around the pipe the valve is installed in then secured by a padlock. There are all sorts of strategies that can be applied to the padlocks as far a there being a master key or individual keys but at the end of the day there's nothing unique about the valve other than the handwheel's ability to take a chain. I've drilled holes in handles on small, quarter turn valves to run small diamerer cable through for similar locking-out purposes.

I agree, go back to your client for clarification. Even asking you, as an engineer, to provide chain, cable, or padlocks would be a bit of a stretch.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[unclesyd]

Here is one form of a breakaway padlock. We use these on all safety gates where we have turnstyles for egress. We also use keyed alike breakaway locks for all chained operational controls in each specific area of the plant.

This site has all types of tag and lockout components.

http://www.emedco.com/prodGroupBT1.asp?dept_id=1610&CC=N

 

[chinavalves]

That is quite the answer, It is the first time I see this kind of padlock, honestly speaking, you can find a fake quality padlock to do this job, since they can be easily break by hammer or something

 

[pch1]

Unclesyd

Thanks, that's what I was after, I will offer it to our client and hopefully he will accept.
Here in the UK we tend to use car seals, that's why we are not familiar with the term breakable padlocks.

Many Thanks
Paul Hearn

 

[unclesyd]

You can find these locks in bronze/brass. Our emergency gates have bronze/brass breakaway locks due to our site being near a large bay.
I'll try to get someone to see if there is a name on one of the locks.

I've also seen that lock at a much lower price.

 

[JLSeagull]

I have some cheap bolt cutters. They cut cheap padlocks.

 

[pch1]

Unclesyd

Did you manage to get the name of the supplier for the brass breakable padlocks?

Regards
Paul Hearn

 

[unclesyd]

Another senior moment.

The boys didn't call me back and it slipped my mind. I'll give them a call today but doubt that I'll get an answer as it's 27F with a stiff wind.

 

[unclesyd]

I got a call this afternoon saying that all the locks have been changed to the Master Locks. I call plant security to see if anyone knew where the old locks went, no dice.


The old locks look like the disk lock in the picture except it was Brass.

http://www.fbisecurity.com/catalog/catalog/FBI 2007 Catalog body 208.htm

This is the Master Lock

http://www.securityhouselock.com/catalog/maslock/products/ma15.htm

This is another breakable Brass lock. It looks like it has a Ni plated shackle

http://www.brooksequipment.com/scripts/brooks/WebEngine.asp?id=64616

These are all Brass and SS locks you might contact them to see if they make a breakable shackle

http://www.padlocks.com/