Safely isolating plant and machinery for repairs and maintenance is a routine part of the job for workers at water utilities. Motors, pumps, valves and switchboards can’t simply be switched off before work begins.
Yet even with robust lockout tagout (LOTO) procedures in place, workers don’t always have access to the right isolation devices for the assets in front of them. A missing or incompatible device can make an everyday task more difficult and potentially more hazardous. The risk dials up when workers are travelling to remote sites such as pump stations. If a worker arrives at a site and realises they left an essential lockout device behind, they may have to delay the job and face the cost and time of a long return trip.
Older infrastructure presents another challenge. Legacy assets were not designed for modern LOTO procedures, meaning that even if the correct equipment is available, it still might not work as intended. For example, lockouts bought from a catalogue for modern miniature circuit breakers likely won’t fit the bigger, bulkier switches used in the past. The impacts of these scenarios on safety, compliance, productivity and the bottom line can spiral.
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Mayo Hardware can audit sites and build a range of custom LOTO kits to suit mechanical trades, electricians and maintenance crews, and the specific assets they look after.
Paul McGregor, Senior National Account Manager at Mayo Hardware, says workers need equipment that fits their reality, not the industry reality. Standard kits out of a catalogue might come with 12 products for example, but five aren’t compatible, ultimately wasting money and time.
“So we do site surveys, look at what their maintenance program is about and who does what, whether it’s a plumber, electrician or a fitter and turner, whatever trades they have. Then we customise kits to suit those trades and to suit what they need to isolate,” he says. “At the remote sites, we come up with a solution that stays permanently at that site. Even if a worker drives all the way out and then discovers that they've only got half the gear in the back of the truck, it’s all hanging on the wall ready.”
Paul says a major benefit of the audits is advice on the right equipment for specific assets, factoring in age and type.
“There's not many things that we can't isolate or make recommendations to modify to be able to isolate.”
The audits start with the Mayo Hardware team understanding current LOTO procedures. They check isolation requirements and prepare a report with suggested LOTO equipment. The report even includes instructional videos for specific pieces of plant and machinery. If sites don’t have robust LOTO procedures, Mayo Hardware can also put operators in touch with experts who can help.
Once custom kits are created and rolled out, it’s important to regularly check they are up to date and nothing is broken or missing. Each kit comes with a specification sheet that simplifies the process, detailing what should be there and enabling components to be quickly re-ordered.
As Australia’s leading supplier of industrial solutions, Blackwoods has everything you need to keep your operations running smoothly. Talk to your Blackwoods Technical Safety Specialist about the free SafeSite audit program and the right LOTO equipment to find efficiencies, help ensure safety and reduce downtime.
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