Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the process of shutting a machine down and cutting off every source of energy that powers it. You then lock those energy sources in the off position so the equipment cannot start back up while someone is working on it. The “lockout” is the physical lock. The “tagout” is the tag that names who applied it and why. Together they keep a machine from turning on, or releasing stored pressure, heat, or motion, while a person has hands inside it.
If you have just been handed responsibility for safety at a California facility, this is one of the first programs you will run into. It applies any time someone cleans, repairs, services, sets up, or adjusts powered equipment. In California, lockout/tagout is required under Cal/OSHA Title 8, Section 3314, the standard for controlling hazardous energy.
This guide explains what LOTO is, the energy it controls, the steps a lockout follows, and who has to be trained. For the full picture of how a program is built and delivered for your specific machines, see our lockout/tagout program services overview.
What “Lockout” and “Tagout” Actually Mean
The two words describe two different things that usually happen together.
Lockout is applying a physical device, almost always a padlock, to an energy-isolating control so it cannot be moved out of the safe position. A breaker is locked off. A valve is locked closed. The worker doing the maintenance holds the only key.
Tagout is attaching a tag to that same control. The tag warns others not to operate the device and identifies who locked it out. A tag communicates. It does not physically stop anything on its own.
In California, where a machine’s controls can accept a lock, the lock is required. A tag by itself is not enough for equipment that can be locked out. This is one of the places where California goes further than the federal standard, and it is a common gap we find in older programs.
The Six Types of Hazardous Energy
People tend to think of LOTO as an electrical issue. Electricity is one source, but it is rarely the only one on a given machine. Cal/OSHA expects every energy source to be controlled, and there are six to account for:
- Electrical: CNC machines, plating and electroplating tanks, conveyor motors, control panels.
- Mechanical: flywheels, gears, belt and chain drives, springs under tension.
- Hydraulic: presses, lifts, injection molding machines, anything that moves under pressurized fluid.
- Pneumatic: compressed air systems, spray booths, clean-in-place (CIP) systems in food and beverage plants.
- Thermal: ovens, furnaces, boilers, autoclaves, heat-treatment equipment.
- Gravitational: elevated dies, suspended loads, raised lift tables, anything held up that could fall.
A single machine often has more than one. A boiler carries thermal and electrical energy. A spray line carries electrical and pneumatic. When our consultants document a machine, the first thing we map is every energy source feeding it, because missing one is what gets people hurt.
For a deeper look at how each type gets isolated and locked out, see our guide to the types of energy sources in lockout/tagout.
The Six Steps of a Lockout
A proper lockout follows a set sequence. The order matters: skip a step or run them out of order, and the machine may still hold live energy when someone reaches in.
- Prepare for shutdown. Identify every energy source on the machine and the device that isolates each one. Know what you are about to turn off before you touch anything.
- Shut down the equipment. Stop the machine using its normal operating controls.
- Isolate the energy sources. Open the breaker, close the valve, disconnect the line. Move each isolating device to the off or closed position.
- Apply the locks and tags. Each authorized worker places their own lock and tag on each isolating device.
- Release stored energy. Bleed off trapped air or hydraulic pressure, discharge capacitors, block or lower suspended parts, let hot surfaces cool. Energy stored in the system has to be brought to zero.
- Verify isolation. Try to start the machine using its normal controls (then return them to off). Test that the equipment is truly dead before any work begins.
That last step is the one workers are most tempted to skip, and it is the one that confirms the other five worked.
Just been handed responsibility for your facility’s lockout/tagout program? Call (925) 551-7300 or request a consultation. We will walk your site, build your equipment list, and tell you what a Cal/OSHA-compliant program actually requires for your machines.
Who Performs Lockout/Tagout
Cal/OSHA sorts your workforce into categories, and each one needs a different level of training.
- Authorized employees perform the lockout. They shut down equipment, apply the locks and tags, and do the servicing. They need hands-on training on the procedures and devices.
- Affected employees operate or work near the equipment that gets locked out, but do not perform the lockout themselves. They need to know what a lockout means and that they must never try to restart a locked-out machine.
- Other employees work in areas where lockout happens. They need basic awareness so they recognize the locks and tags and stay clear.
Getting these categories right determines who needs which training and how often. We cover the details in our LOTO training requirements guide.
When LOTO Is Required, and When It Isn’t
LOTO applies whenever a worker could be hurt by the unexpected startup of equipment or the release of stored energy during cleaning, repairing, servicing, setting up, or adjusting. In California, Section 3314(a) also explicitly includes unjamming a machine, an activity many federal-only programs leave out.
There is a narrow exception. Minor tool changes and minor servicing that happen during normal production are not covered by Section 3314 if they are routine, repetitive, integral to running the equipment, and done using alternative measures that protect the worker. That exception is narrower than people assume. When we walk a facility, we often find tasks being treated as “minor servicing” that actually require a full lockout.
If a machine has a control that can accept a lock, the safe assumption is that LOTO applies. For a complete breakdown of the California-specific rules, see our Cal/OSHA lockout/tagout requirements guide.
How California Changes the Picture
Federal OSHA’s hazardous energy standard (29 CFR 1910.147) is the national baseline. Most programs we review were written to that federal standard alone. The problem is that a California facility is inspected against Cal/OSHA Section 3314, which goes further in several places:
- Unjamming is named in the scope (Section 3314(a)).
- Written hazardous energy control procedures are required (Section 3314(g)).
- An annual periodic inspection of the procedures is required (Section 3314(j)).
- LOTO training documentation should align with your Injury and Illness Prevention Program recordkeeping under Section 3203, per §3314(l)(4).
When we walk a facility for the first time, the single most common finding is a program written only to federal OSHA, with no machine-specific procedures behind it. It often reads fine on paper and still fails a Cal/OSHA inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does LOTO stand for?
LOTO stands for lockout/tagout. “Lockout” is the physical lock placed on an energy-isolating device. “Tagout” is the warning tag attached alongside it that identifies who applied the lock and why.
What are the basic steps of lockout/tagout?
Six steps: prepare for shutdown, shut down the equipment, isolate every energy source, apply locks and tags, release any stored energy, and verify the machine is fully de-energized before work begins.
Who is allowed to perform lockout/tagout?
Only authorized employees who have been trained on the specific procedures and devices. Affected employees and other workers receive awareness training but do not apply the locks.
Is a tag enough, or do I need an actual lock?
In California, if the equipment’s controls can accept a lock, a lock is required. A tag alone is not sufficient for lockable equipment. The tag supports the lock; it does not replace it.
When does a lockout/tagout device need to be replaced?
Locks and tags should be standardized, durable, and legible. Replace any lock or tag that is damaged, faded, or no longer readable. Cal/OSHA requires tag attachments to be non-reusable, attachable by hand, self-locking, and able to withstand at least 50 pounds of pull without releasing, so a worn or substandard tag should be swapped out immediately.
Does my facility need written LOTO procedures?
Yes. California requires written hazardous energy control procedures, and for most equipment that means a machine-specific procedure, not a single generic document. A program built only on a general policy usually does not meet Section 3314.
Talk to CDMS About Your Lockout/Tagout Program
Ready to put a real lockout/tagout program in place? Call (925) 551-7300 or request a consultation. Tell us roughly how many machines you run and whether you have any existing procedures, and we will outline what it takes to get your facility compliant with Cal/OSHA Section 3314.
