OT... Lock-off... removing someone elses!

[vaughant]

Back to the Lock-Off; as said, the awkward bit is crossing shifts but a simple solution is the shift eng techs use their own registered locks (not keyed-alike) whilst they're on shift. If they go off shift they remove their locks and fit 'transfer' locks that they 'book out' from the day engineer's office. With it being in said office the day engineer has to police the system by ensuring he knows where and why that lock is in use. If the shift eng tech has locked it off and is handing over the job, the oncoming shift eng tech should fit his lock in place.

Shift eng techs should not leave their locks on else called back or thrashed if the lock has to be forcibly removed.

Does that sound reasonable (or reasonably simple)?

Or just use the collection of locks placed in the day engineer's office and he polices the system properly?


We use a similar system to this where I work,but the day/shift manager does not control it,basically if you leave a job unfinished,you remove your lock and replace it with one booked out from a supplementary lockbox,if you fail to remove your lock,you get phoned in,if you cant get in,it gets cut off and you get a written/verbal warning.

The next tech should put his lock on,but only if he`s working on it,that occurs on any job,you always put a lock on,hence the use of hasps etc.

You wouldn`t automatically work on the locked off job left for you from the previous shift`s tech,something more important may come up,hence you transport your lock with YOU wherever YOU go in the factory,but you can`t leave that job unlocked,hence you get a lock from the supplementary box,then remove your lock and the job`s safe.

You have to state a reason why the lock is on in a book,only the shift electrician has a key on his big bunch to open this box to retrieve the supplementary key,again,closing the loop as to who can get access.

I don`t like the idea that only a day manager can hand out locks,after all he`s not much good at 3am really is he,plus I`d say the system in force at my workplace seems a bit more robust,it`s keeping the loop a bit tighter.

I personally find it pretty easy to work with.

We also borrow a lot from the HV side,removing fuses and locking them off in a safebox away from the location,permits etc.

It`s not something I ever did in Ford,although I`m told it`s in place there now as well.

 

[Knobhead]

One of the craziest situations I’ve come across was an old electrician (Albert) who would not lock off but insisted removing fuses was the correct way for isolation. Nothing would convince him. The engineering management were all mechanical and backed Albert as he was the most experienced electrician on the plant. It took a visit from the HSE to get things moving in the right direction. I got lumbered with the problem, as I was the only electrician from outside the company. The first scheme was rejected out of hand when I wanted to order 200 locks. After nearly 2 years we had a system the management were happy with (cheap) but no one else was, especially me. I constantly ran up against we’ve always done it this way, what do you know about our systems, you weren’t trained here.

It’s a wonder I didn’t get death threats over one isolation procedure. Years before a Castell key system had been partly disabled making it possible to close a manual earth switch on to a live 2.6MVA 660V system under certain circumstances. It wasn’t until I stood the works manager in front of the switch (which had a glass front so you could see the earth was on) and asked him to close it. “No problem, I’ve been with you guys many times when you’ve done this”. “Not like this you haven’t, it’s still live!” All I’d done was put a blown fuse in the 11KV 30V tripping supply. No I didn’t let him close it, but I started to get things back on track after that. Isolations had to be done as originally designed. The electricians moaned continually about having to wind the OCB in and out of service, the fact they were safe cut no ice!

 

[mogga]

The Lock of systems should be listed as a PERMIT to work system regulated by "appointed persons " and signed locks and register of hasps ect
Iv had to do this at a place with no set procedure and had the HnS manager call me into his office asking WHY a roller door was locked shut and their engineers didnt need it locked off I then guided him through WHY lock offs were used and the possible consequences of not carrying system out They now have a System in place and in more importantly in USE by every contractor who comes on site its grown from just electrical to involve everything and seemed to be working well arguments of "it takes time!" are now met with WE pay you by the hour so time isnt an issue
As for OP given situation id look for Either conformation from Lock "Owner" that job and tested complete before Id let ANYONE even the MD cut lock off or retest and confirm