What is LOTO?

LOTO, also referred to as "Lock-Out Tag-Out", is a safety procedure used in industry to ensure that hazardous machinery/situations is properly locked before starting maintenance.

LOTO stands for Lock-Out Tag-Out. It is a method in which a situation is made safe by locking area’s or turning off switches etc. in such a way that other persons cannot undo this protection. Usually special padlocks are used for this. At the same time, where necessary, labels (Tag) are applied, showing that for instance, the machine is under maintenance, but also showing who is working on it. An important aspect of LOTO is that all employees involved become aware and remain aware of the necessity to work according to the safe (LOTO) method.

In some cases it is also referred to as LOTOTO. This stands for Lock-Out Tag-Out Try-Out and is a more extensive version of LOTO.

Permit to Work and LOTO

WPS has a fully equipped LOTO and/or LOTOTO system that can run on its own or in combination with the work permit system. This way, when using LOTO in combination with work permits, safety levels rise because the WPS system first demands all the necessary lock-outs before providing/releasing the work permit.