Lockout/Tagout

UMD’s Control of Hazardous Energy, or Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program directs you to create procedures used to ensure that hazardous energy sources are properly controlled during maintenance, cleaning, or other activities. The program was developed to conform to the existing UMD College Park Policy on Control of Hazardous Energy During Maintenance of Equipment. Here are some key points to know about the LOTO program:

1. Purpose: LOTO is a safety measure to prevent injury or death to employees and students (UMD personnel) who may be exposed to hazardous energy sources while performing maintenance, cleaning, or other activities.
2. Hazardous Energy Sources: These include electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, chemical, and other forms of energy that can cause harm to UMD personnel.
3. LOTO Procedures: LOTO procedures typically include isolating the hazardous energy source, applying locks or tags to physically control access to the source, and verifying that the source is isolated and locked/tagged before beginning work. LOTO procedures include:
   • preparing by recognizing and evaluating the hazards
   • communicating the process with all affected employees and maintaining those clear lines of communication
   • shutting down the equipment or machine, ensuring that all sources of deactivation are turned off
   • isolating the machine or equipment, which entails using devices, such as a circuit breaker to prevent the release of the hazardous energy
   • applying the lock/tag to all energy sources to prevent startup while the maintenance or service is being done
   • releasing any stored energy
   • restoring the machine or equipment safely
4. Key Players: The supervisor is responsible for providing LOTO procedures. The authorized and affected UMD personnel are responsible for following the procedures and using the locks or tags to control access to hazardous energy sources. The operating unit LOTO Coordinator is responsible to ensure the annual inspection of the procedures is completed.
5. Training: UMD personnel must be trained on the LOTO procedures, the types of energy sources present in the workplace, and how to recognize and control these sources.
6. Compliance: LOTO procedures must comply with the requirements established by UMD’s program which complies with OSHA's Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard (29 CFR 1910.147).
7. Inspections: Required annual inspections of the Control of Hazardous Energy (LOTO) procedures must be completed, including a review of the authorized and affected UMD personnel’s knowledge of the program.
8. Documentation: LOTO procedures must be documented and updated as necessary, and records of LOTO procedures and training must be retained for five years.

Remember, LOTO is an important safety measure to prevent injury and death to UMD personnel. Proper implementation and compliance with the program, and your LOTO procedures can save lives. Please contact ESSR’s Occupational Safety and Health Unit at (301) 405-3960 for any questions regarding this important safety measure.