Lockout/Tagout

RIT employees, students, visitors and/or contractors can be injured as a result of the failure to identify and isolate energy sources prior to servicing/maintaining equipment or machinery. An example of this would be if someone unexpectedly started a machine that was not properly locked/tagged out while another person was performing service or maintenance on it.

RIT’s Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) program outlines practices and procedures to be used by authorized employees (those that affix the appropriate types of locks and tags to disable machinery/equipment prior to maintenance or service work). Each and every potentially hazardous energy source must be identified for each piece of equipment. Written procedures provide a step by step process for locking and/or tagging out each energy source prior to performing any service or maintenance on the equipment. A final verification step ensures that all energy sources have been isolated and accidental startup cannot occur. Employees who use the affected equipment must be notified: 1) prior to maintenance work beginning and 2) upon completion of this work when the equipment is ready for use. NOTE: Cord and plug equipment is exempt from requiring a written procedure when the plug is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee conducting the maintenance work.

Applicable Regulation

29 CFR1910.147

• All energy sources that need to be de-energized must be identified.
• A uniquely keyed lock designated for lockout/tagout and no other function must be provided by each RIT department for use by the department’s authorized employees. (FMS LOTO locks are orange. All other RIT LOTO locks will be red. Combination padlocks cannot be used.)
• Locks are to be removed only by the authorized employee who applied the device. Occasionally, under emergency or unusual conditions, it is necessary to remove a lockout device in the absence of the employee who applied it. A supervisor must verify that the authorized employee who applied the device is not on campus. This process needs be documented using the “LOTO Absent Employee Lock Removal” form.
• Use the “Energized Equipment Lockout Tagout Procedure” form to document LOTO procedures for equipment/machines. Department supervisors shall ensure that employees under their supervision receive appropriate training in the contents of this program and the specific procedures for the equipment/machinery in their departments.
• Contractors must be made aware that they must consult with the RIT departments they are doing work for prior to performing servicing/maintenance activities that require LOTO. The individual departments will work with the contractors to complete the "LOTO Contractor Notification" form. Copies of the completed forms are to be sent to RIT EH&S.

• General LOTO training needs to be taken by authorized/affected employees and “other” employees, based on their level of exposure to LOTO procedures. “Other” employees include those employees who work in or may enter an area when LOTO procedures are utilized. Links to the two different types of training are found at the bottom of this webpage.

Training shall be provided to each authorized/affected employee:

• before the employee is first assigned duties;
• before there is a change in assigned duties;
• whenever new equipment and/or processes requiring LOTO are brought into an area;
• regarding the limitations of tagout only processes; and
• whenever there are deficiencies or deviations from the established procedures including those noted during the annual department review.

Department specific training shall be provided to all authorized/affected employees:

• Affected departments need to review the location and use of their department specific LOTO procedures. This training needs to be documented.
• Send completed LOTO Department Specific Training Sign-in forms electronically to ppvehs@rit.edu or inter-departmental mail to EH&S Department, Building 99.

Contact the RIT Environmental Health and Safety Department with any questions at (585) 475-7092.