LOTO must be used whenever employees are performing servicing or maintenance on equipment where they could be injured by unexpected startup or release of stored energy. True or false?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Sometimes
• D. Never

Answer: (B)

Lockout/Tagout is about preventing injury from unexpected startup or release of stored energy during servicing or maintenance. It must be used whenever workers are performing servicing or maintenance on equipment where such energy could cause harm. Stored energy can come from electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, or thermal sources, and even when the equipment is shut off, it may still hold energy in springs, capacitors, or compressed air that could release suddenly. The LOTO process uses lockout devices to physically hold energy sources in the safe position and tags to warn that work is in progress and energy must not be restored. After confirming all energy sources are isolated and zero energy is verified, maintenance can proceed. Once work is finished, the lock and tag are removed only by the person who applied them, and the equipment is reenergized only after ensuring it is safe. Because of this protective purpose, the statement is true.