What Does
Lockout Kit Mean?
A lockout kit is a set of equipment used for performing lockout procedures on hazardous equipment. Lockout refers to the act of placing locks on a piece of equipment to render it inoperable or to isolate it from other equipment.
A lockout kit typically comes with multiple different types of locks, as well as identification tags that provide workers with a method of referencing information about the hazards associated with the locked-out equipment.
Safeopedia Explains Lockout Kit
Safety retailers sell both general-purpose lockout kits and lockout kits designed to facilitate the locking out of a specific piece of equipment. Lockout kits are designed to be portable. In situations where the number of locks is very large, a lockout cabinet may be used instead.
The lockout of a potential hazard, be it electrical equipment, industrial machinery, a vehicle, or a valve that controls the movement of hazardous material, is a major part of many occupational safety practices. For instance, OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147 for The Control of Hazardous Energy is entirely devoted to providing rules for the mandatory lockout and tagout of electrical equipment.
Lockout kits contain both lockout and tagout equipment, and the two concepts are often referred to by the collective acronym LOTO. Tagout refers to placing a tag on a piece of equipment that indicates that the equipment should not be used until the tag is removed. Both lockout and tagout involve the use of tags to identify the item and reference the hazards associated with it. Tagout-only practices are used when a device is not capable of being locked out.
A lockout kit may contain a variety of different locks, depending on what it is used for. Common industrial locks include circuit-breaker lockouts, ball-valve and gate-valve lockouts, gas-cylinder lockouts, and cable lockouts, as well as various sizes of padlock. Task-specific lockout kits, such as a forklift lockout kit, will provide all locks and tags necessary to properly lock out that particular system.
The identification functions of lockout systems are one of their primary purposes. A workplace with a number of locked or tagged-out devices will often keep a reference log that provides information regarding where each lock is, what equipment it's attached to, and what hazards are related to that equipment.