"E-Stop Lockout?"
I was at a customer the other day and I saw something that surprised me. I saw an e-stop with a key in it. The customer was using it to lock-out the machine. I have never seen that in over 45 years of doing this. It was on a large paper compactor. I was taught a long time ago that e-stops are not an acceptable energy isolating device. I did a little research just to refresh my memory as I am 70 and I learned about e-stops a long time ago!
https://www.google.com/search?q=My+E-Stops+be+used+as+a+form+of+Lockout+&sca_esv=92c07aa8f2297d22&authuser=0&sxsrf=ADLYWIJub4V8EJBrACdylICY5kg0d6eCrQ%3A1718746709972&source=hp&ei=Vf5xZp-OOPTO0PEPuuSruAY&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZnIMZZUvR3YevkyBwJiBdhrvWDeKFH56&ved=0ahUKEwjfjOq4juaGAxV0JzQIHTryCmcQ4dUDCBc&uact=5&oq=My+E-Stops+be+used+as+a+form+of+Lockout+&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz
Good new is I am not as old as I thought!
On the control panel there is a tag that says, “Built According to Z245.5.” At first, I thought I took it for, “Z244 Alternate Lockout Methods”. Only later did I realize Z245 concerned trash compactors. I looked at some old versions of Z245 and I do not see anything about using an “e-stop” as a form of lockout. I have not downloaded the most current version, I think 2013. This compactor is older than 2013. I did note all the access doors had interlocks (which is talked about in Z245).
For the life of me, I do not understand why the manufacturer did not put an electrical disconnect “capable” of being locked on the machine! That is the proper way to lockout!
What would you recommend? I will tell you below what I will recommend to the customer, tomorrow. I am still thinking about it and doing research.
Comments (9)
Keep in mind that a lot (not all) of ANSI Z244.1 is not compliant with OSHA 1910.147 (especially their "alternate methods").
With that being said, will the disconnect handle in the top right picture open up a slot to place a lock on when it's turned to the "OFF" position? If not, there's more than likely a breaker, main disconnect, or something upstream they can shut off and lockout. LOTO typically isn't an emergency issue, so isolation points don't have to be right at the equipment - the electrical lockouts may be a disconnect switch on a wall nearby, or maybe even a bucket on an MCC in an adjacent room. Even if it's a standard panelboard (like the electrical panel you have in your house), there's still lockout devices for circuit breakers that can be applied.
At the end of the day, it would be easy to have an isolation point on the machine itself, but it's not required. While many do, there's many equipment manufacturers that don't put isolation points on the equipment itself because they know the customer will often wire it up to a nearby main disconnect that's often rated for more voltage and has higher protection factors built in.
The lockout/isolation points don't have/need to be right at the point of operation. Considering they have a label with a picture of a padlock on it, I'd say there's an electrical isolation point somewhere else in the facility that's not shown in your pics.
Overall, the e-stop may be part of the LOTO process, but, as you said, it wouldn't be considered an "isolation point". If they were performing electrical work, they would need to lockout the actual CB, bucket, disconnect switch, etc. that actually isolates the electrical energy.
I’ve never seen the lockout as pictures with the key in the molded plastic. No tag 🏷️ for warning others. The control arm puzzles me as well. I haven’t seen a device that could be clipped the top and draped over. All I can think of is 2 bar clamps, one on each side of the arm. Can’t just drill on something. Might be time to upgrade the cabinet otherwise. In my all knowing opinion of course.