I think it’s so you can create “and” conditions for unlocking. IE: If you’ve got two locks, each with their own key, both person 1 AND person 2 need to unlock it. So you can have multiple people and/or multiple crews working on the machine across different aspects. Maybe one crew is doing electric, the other some kind of plumbing, and they’re working at different times. When one crew finishes their work, they can release their lockout without making it unsafe for the other crew.
Exactly this. Everyone working on that machine slaps their lock on it, and every last lock needs to be removed before the tag can come off. The welders might finish in half a day, but the electrical or water or hydraulic guys might need a whole weekend to get done, so this makes sure someone doesn’t say “oh the lock is gone” and make mincemeat out of some dude’s head.
Thought so. I work around this stuff but my end of it usually low voltage/low pressure/ low risk. We should observe it more but usually we just have someone that LOTOs anything going to us.
But yeah, and for anyone else, repairs can wind up being more complicated than anticipated, parts arrive late, etc. It’s not uncommon for these to be in place for weeks sometimes when say, electrical starts something, but then plumbing needs to finish whatever before the pump motor hookup can be complete. Before you know it it’s 2 weeks later, electrical had a bunch of other jobs. The LOTO makes sure they come and inspect before unlocking rather than go “yeahhhh I’m pretty sure we left that ready to turn on, go for it” plus making sure no other work got screwed up (like a wire conduit getting drilled into by plumbing).
To be sure, handing off the keys does happen, but if and when it happens there’s the weight of “by handing this off you’re personally taking responsibility”.
You’re entitled, usually required, to add your personal lock onto this when you start working on a locked out job, that way you can be confident they’ll come looking for the last guy to lock off the job before they can get running again, it may save your fingers/arm/life or job. Usually there’s a permit involved and you should know the conditions of the permit, or have your own permit to join a job.
