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Safety & OSHAaka: LOTOaka: lockout tagoutaka: energy control

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)

In Plain English

A required safety procedure that physically locks equipment off so it cannot be turned on while workers are servicing it.

Definition

Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is an energy control procedure that requires de-energizing, isolating, and physically locking out all hazardous energy sources (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, thermal, gravity) before performing maintenance or servicing on equipment. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 mandates LOTO programs with written procedures, authorized employee training, periodic inspections, and personal padlocks for each worker.

Why It Matters in Bidding

LOTO compliance is both a safety obligation and a cost driver that estimators and project managers must account for in labor and general conditions, since proper energy control adds time to maintenance, demolition, and tie-in tasks. Citations for LOTO violations are among OSHA's most frequently cited, so a contractor's documented program affects insurance, prequalification, and the ability to win safety-conscious owners' work.

Example

Before a crew cuts into an existing electrical feeder during a renovation tie-in, the foreman applies each worker's personal padlock to the de-energized panel and completes the LOTO log, time the PM has built into the labor estimate.

Related Terms

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Site Safety PlanOSHACompetent Person

Related Tools & Templates

Lockout Tagout Procedure

Frequently Asked Questions

LOTO is required whenever workers service or maintain equipment and the unexpected release of stored or live energy could cause injury. This covers electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, and gravity sources during tie-ins, demolition, and equipment work. It does not replace separate construction-specific energy control rules for some site activities.
Only authorized employees trained in the written energy-control procedure may apply and remove locks, and each worker uses a personal padlock that only they control. Affected employees who operate the equipment must be trained to recognize LOTO but do not perform the procedure themselves. Periodic inspections verify the program stays effective.
Proper energy control adds labor time to isolate, verify zero energy, and document each lockout, and may require sequencing around live systems in occupied buildings. Estimators should reflect this in crew hours and general conditions, since shortcutting it risks citations, stop-work orders, and far costlier incidents.

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