Lockout Tagout : how to (really) involve all stakeholders?

In the industrial field, Lockout Tagout, also known as LOTO , is a key process to ensure safety during maintenance or cleaning operations of equipment. Despite its importance, it is often misunderstood and undervalued. At CAPIOTEC, we assist companies in redefining their LOTO procedures, so it becomes a key element in their safety and efficiency culture within their entities. In order to do so, it is necessary to involve all stakeholders. How? Who? Why? 
We will explain everything in this article.

The importance of LOTO and how is it perceived in the industry 

Lockout Tagout does not consist of putting padlocks on circuit breakers or on sluice gates. It goes far beyond that. A good LOTO procedure requires a clear and simple organisation, suitable for the specific features of each company to ensure both safety and operational efficiency. ​ However, it is often seen as an obstacle, a time-consuming task which slows down the activity. This negative perception is accentuated by the application of standardised procedures, unsuitable for real situations in the field. 

Who the Lockout Tagout applies to ?

Usually, maintenance technicians rely on already existing material and organisation within the company which are not always the most adapted to their real needs or to the specific risks of their work environment. In order to create a suitable, custom and field-proven organisational process, it is necessary to involve all the stakeholders concerned directly or indirectly by Lockout Tagout. 

• Management plays a crucial part in this process, its support in the setting up of the process is a crucial part of success. Its exemplariness and its tenacity, even in situations where it will be easier to compromise on safety for faster solutions, represent the foundation on which the all organisation chart will rely on to turn this change into a collective success. 
• Maintenance teams are at the heart of the process. As the direct users of the LOTO process, their experience and feedback are essential. The people in charge of LOTO know the difficulties and limits of the existing process, therefore they are well placed to suggest practical and efficient improvements. Their involvement in redefining the procedures guarantees that the new methods will not only be safe but also practical and realistic in the daily context of their work.
• Production teams, second in line in the Lockout Tagout, also play an important role. Often perceived as an obstacle to productivity, LOTO must be presented to the production personnel as a key measure for their own safety and their colleagues' safety. It is therefore important to understand their specific concerns and also to make them aware of the risks present on the equipment even when it is stationary, in order to develop with their support an organisation which minimises the impact on the productivity while maximising safety. 
  
  Production teams are also regularly brought to keep themselves safe on equipment for operations such as unjamming or changing ranges. It should be noted that in more and more industries, production teams are also brought to carry out the lockouk tagout following instructions or lockout tagout operating procedures. These operating procedures should therefore be perfectly detailed so there is no room for misinterpretation. 

To maintain this structure and make it solid, it is necessary to divide up roles and responsibilities both in the application of the process and in its maintenance (supervisors for training, monitoring equipment, auditing, improvement, etc. ) which represent, taken individually, small, yet essential tasks.

Supervisors, safety managers, internal and independent service providers, method an new work technicians, human resources managers, sales managers... Do not neglect anyone!  

Ultimately, a global and collaborative approach is necessary to identify and involve all stakeholders in the LOTO process. It enables the development of procedures that are not only conform to safety standards, but also suitable to the specific realities of the company and the personnel.

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Why and how to involve all stakeholders?

The involvement of all stakeholders in redefining the LOTO process is a essential pillar to ensure a smooth transition and to get everyone's support.
When every stakeholder is involved, elaborate procedures are not only better adapted to real needs, but also benefit from a better support by the all personnel.
This collaborative approach ensure that the changes made resonate with the daily reality of those who are directly affected by these processes.

Safety issues are at the heart of this involvement, especially in the industrial world where risks are omnipresent. An efficient Lockout Tagout stands as a defence against accidents, protecting employees and equipment.

The continuity of the production is another key aspect. By optimising the LOTO process, we minimise the interruptions, which results in a significant improvement of productivity.
Well-managed LOTO and maintenance helps reduce downtime, contributing to greater operational efficiency. Production teams, in particular, could directly benefit from these improvements, seeing their work interrupted less often by extend or poorly managed maintenance procedures.

Not only maintenance procedures become more efficient, but they also ensure the operators' safety, a factor which has direct economic impact by reducing accidents and resulting medical leaves. 

The active involvement of the different stakeholders makes the adoption of new practices easier and reinforce everyone's commitment to the company's safety culture. 
This includes an inclusive planning from the start and throughout the whole roadmap, to build procedures which really meet everyone's needs and expectations. An efficient communication is also essential to keep a complete transparency, with efficient meetings and material suitable to each audience. By taking every stakeholders' opinion and needs into consideration, the decisions made are more relevant, accepted, and eventually, more efficient. 

At CAPIOTEC, our approach aims to assist companies in this transformation, by providing our technical expertise on Lockout Tagout and our understanding of human dynamics. We help clients to  elaborate a LOTO process  which is not only efficient but also respectful of realities on the ground, therefore contributing to a solid and lasting safety culture. Our goal is clear: to make LOTO an asset for the company, not a burden.

You would like to be assisted in (re)defining your Lockout Tagout procedures? Contact us!