Collection: Stations

Stations

Keeping lockout tagout devices consistently organized and in one place can help improve workplace safety and ensure compliance with OSHA standards. Lockout tagout stations can provide a reliable and highly visible place to store and organize any and all lockout devices and supplies.

TRADESAFE understands the need for organization and the establishment of routine procedures in lockout tagout programs. These lockout stations can help employees easily and intuitively execute procedures because all the devices involved can reliably be found in one place.

You can also strategically place LOTO stations in visible and convenient spots near machine switches or in central areas. All our lockout tagout stations come with a variety of devices and supplies. Not only are these stations highly useful, but they’re also a great bargain.

FAQ

What is a lockout tagout station?

A lockout tagout station is a place or a spot where employees can store various lockout tagout devices. With a station like this, employees will be able to easily organize the devices they use regularly. The devices will also be easier to find and will have less of a chance of being misplaced.

Typically, a lockout tagout station should be highly visible and designed to make organizing different devices easy and straightforward. It can come with compartments, hooks, and protective lids.

A LOTO station should itself be made of durable materials that can withstand industrial environments. The board or case and its lid should be impact-resistant so it won’t break easily in case it accidentally falls or gets hit.

The station should also be placed in a strategic spot, either in a central high-traffic area or in a spot close to a machine. Not only does a LOTO station help organize devices, but it also helps employees maintain strict adherence to LOTO procedures.

What comes in a LOTO station?

It’s best to choose LOTO stations that already include even basic lockout tagout devices. This includes devices like padlocks, hasps, tags, and zip ties. These devices can facilitate various lockout tagout procedures and work in combination with other lockout tagout devices like circuit breaker locks.

Padlocks will be able to ensure that various switches are securely locked, while hasps can allow teams of multiple people to work on a single machine or piece of equipment. The tags, meanwhile, can offer important information on the work currently being done on the machine.

What are machine-specific lockout tagout procedures?

Machine-specific lockout tagout procedures are made for particular machines and are different from other procedures used in the same facility. Typically, machines have different power sources and should therefore have specific lockout tagout procedures. Each specific procedure is made to handle a particular machine’s power source and how it should be properly shut off.

In general, lockout tagout procedures aim to effectively isolate hazardous power and prevent accidental or unintended machine startup. While this is the gist of all LOTO procedures, each machine should have a separate set of procedures tailored specifically to its characteristics and aspects.

Another benefit to having machine-specific lockout tagout procedures is that they allow you to work more efficiently. If a facility institutes a blanket LOTO procedure for all machines, employees can end up locking and tagging machines that are not dangerous to work on. Employees thus end up wasting time, energy, and resources on a machine that does not need to be locked and tagged.

At the same time, machine-specific lockout tagout procedures ensure that employees don’t overlook any hazards, plugs, switches, and more.

Keeping a LOTO station near machines in a facility can help with the implementation and execution of machine-specific LOTO procedures. Employees won’t have to go in and out of the area to retrieve the devices they need, and organizing the devices will be far easier.

What is the purpose of a lockout tagout procedure?

An effective lockout tagout procedure aims to keep employees safe and unharmed when repairing or doing maintenance work on dangerous machines that can cause a wide range of injuries. LOTO procedures help ensure that there are no dangerous oversights and mistakes that can cause grave injury or even death.

According to OSHA, lockout tagout procedures prevent around 120 workplace deaths and 50,000 more workplace injuries each year. These procedures may sometimes seem like they’re too much, but even the smallest mistakes or mishaps can get someone hurt. Thus, overall, lockout tagout procedures are ultimately beneficial to employers and employees.

Having essential lockout tagout devices nearby and in a consistent, organized spot can help employees adhere better to LOTO procedures. This is why lockout tagout stations aren’t just a simple storage place for devices.

What is the purpose of a lockout tagout checklist?

A lockout tagout checklist is meant to help employees make sure that all power sources are properly locked and tagged and all machines are properly disabled. The checklist itself is comprised of several tasks, such as checking if all machines have been deactivated, all employees involved in lockout tagout have their personal safety locks, and the like.

A checklist helps employees dot their i’s and cross their t’s. It can ensure that employees cover all bases and ensure that nothing has been overlooked and no one has made a mistake. Having a LOTO station in a strategic location will help employees tick items off their checklists more easily.

Where does a loto station go?

The placement of a lockout tagout station can either be in a central location or a spot right next to a machine or near its power source. LOTO stations have to have strategic locations because even just the placement of the stations can have an impact on the way that LOTO procedures are carried out.

Because LOTO stations contain important locks and devices such as padlocks and hasps, they’ll be able to help streamline the execution of LOTO procedures. Employees will be able to implement procedures right away and are far less likely to overlook or forget anything if the devices they need can consistently be found in one specific place.

How does a LOTO station aid in lockout tagout procedures?

Lockout Tagout station primarily serves as a designated storage space for common lock out tag out devices such as padlocks, hasps, tags, breaker locks, and valve lockouts. These LOTO devices are needed to conduct proper lockout tagout procedure. Having a safe, visible, and fix location to find these devices allows workers to quickly respond to emergency situations.

How to choose a lockout tagout station?

There is no fixed formula to select a LOTO station. It primarily depends on factors such as the type of machineries and equipment in the workplace, the nature of the industry, and the number of workers. Usually, lock out tag out stations come with the most basic types of lockouts such as padlocks, tags, hasps, and breaker locks. Industries can customize their lockout tagout station to accommodate the LOTO devices often used in their workplace.

How many LOTO devices can TRADESAFE Lockout Tagout Cabinet Station accommodate?

TRADESAFE lockout tagout cabinet station can be purchased with or without LOTO devices included. The stocked LOTO station cabinet comes with a variety of lockout tag out devices, namely padlocks, tags, zip ties, breaker locks, cinch bag, cable lockout, plug lock, and hasps. The cabinet storage is designed to be flexible with movable shelves that can be adjusted for bigger-sized devices. However, it cannot be always determined as to how many lock out tag out products each cabinet can accommodate. After all, different industries have different LOTO needs.

People Also Ask

How do you use a lockout station?

Lockout Tagout Stations function as a centralized and organized storage area for your lockout tagout devices. It can be mounted on a wall with screws so you can securely install it in a single spot, usually right next to the power source, or in a central location that is convenient for everyone to access. By having one particular location to retrieve critical lockout devices, employees are able to develop a habitual, systematic, and structured approach to lockout/tagout safety.

How do you get training for lockout tagout?

OSHA 1910.147(c)(7)(i) requires employers to provide training to all authorized and concerned employees. OSHA has a FREE online Lockout-Tagout Interactive Training Program that offers relevant information about the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standard, which includes revised preamble/ standard, compliance directive, selected letters of interpretation and case law.

Other LOTO training courses are readily available online and may be performed remotely. These paid courses cover topics such as labeling systems, control processes, lockout regulations, as well as the different types of hazardous energy sources. Certificates of completion are provided once the course is completed. On the other hand, companies can also hire lockout/tagout training specialists to provide in-person training to all employees.

Does lockout tagout training expire?

The certification of training does not expire on a schedule, but OSHA has specifically established the requirements for retraining. Section 1910.147(c)(7)(iii) of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 Standard sets standards for employee retraining:

1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(A): Retraining shall be provided for all authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job assignments, a change in machines, equipment or processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in the energy control procedures.

1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(B): Additional retraining shall also be conducted whenever a periodic inspection under paragraph (c)(6) of this section reveals, or whenever the employer has reason to believe that there are deviations from or inadequacies in the employee’s knowledge or use of the energy control procedures.

What is a minor servicing exception?

Minor servicing refers to maintenance or servicing procedures that take place during normal production operations but do not necessitate a complete lockout tagout procedure. As a result, minor servicing is exempted from OSHA's lockout tagout standard and must be handled in a different approach.

Some examples of minor servicing exceptions include repetitive machine tasks like clearing a jam or a minor tool change that may need alternate precautions to safeguard personnel but do not require power sources to be entirely switched off as in lockout tagout.

 

To determine if you need minor servicing procedures, you must assess if the activity is:

Routine – performed as part of a regular, basic course of procedure;

Repetitive – repeated regularly as part of the production process or cycle; and

Integral – inherent to, and be performed as part of, the production process.

 The exception applies only if the employer provides effective alternative protection from hazardous energy.

How do lockout tagout stations and kits differ from one another?

A lockout tagout station and a lockout tagout kit can be used together or separately. A lockout tagout station provides a fixed and dependable location to store safety devices. On the other hand, a lockout tagout kit is essentially a collection of several lockout tagout devices that perform distinctive functions.

 However, the LOTO devices in a kit can also replace the devices usually found in lockout tagout stations. In case any device is lost, damaged, or otherwise unusable, the devices in a lockout tagout kit can take their place.