Decomission Equipment That Stays On Site

We have some equipment that we will not be running for log time if ever at all again and management wants to shut it down.

I have made good backups of everything and we want to lockoput panels and associated MCC buckets,steam valves,water,etc.

How should this be tagged? Should we use a different color lockout lock or just a standard padlock?

Is there any need to put heaters in the panels as they sit idle? Plant is always pretty hot in these sections even in the winter so I don't see condensation being a issue.

My main concern is the lockouts. I am thinking of using a diffeent color just for clarity but if I use safety locks that will be a ot of keys to keep track of or I can do keyed alike padlcoks since it is just equipment maybe?

Maybe keyed alike pad locks with the key stored in a LOTO box locked with a LOTO lock. tag each pad lock with a discriptive tag with as much info on it as possible and a LOTO plan.

If it will be a long time then go get several cheap locks. Loose the keys, they'll probably get lost anyways and just end up as clutter. Chances are that whoever powers it back up will end up just cutting the locks off anyways rather than hunt down keys. Make it easy on them and get skinny hasp locks.

Just tag it "Equipment removed from service" with equipment name and date it.

Make it easy on them and get skinny hasp locks.

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or maybe bread ties and postit notes? lol

I think the IMPORTANT part is to have a WRITTEN LOTO plan!! and stick to it!

bce123 said:

I think the IMPORTANT part is to have a WRITTEN LOTO plan!! and stick to it!

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We have a good documented LOTO plan but not for long term equipment shutdowns / out of service like this.

I did not want to use our standard LOTO lock which are red and have techs clock # and picture. I could use our red locks minuse the clock # and picture but I did not want it to be confusing.

I wouldn't go quite that far.
But 1/4" hasps on an inexpensive lock will lock out the equipment just as well as a 3/8" hardened bolt cutter resistant Master lock. The difference comes several years down the road when the keys are lost.

The Plc Kid said:

We have a good documented LOTO plan but not for long term equipment shutdowns / out of service like this.

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That I agree with. You should also have energy control diagrams posted with your machinery.

One thing you should consider is documenting the procedure to re-energize the machinery, esp. if it is more involved than just a disconnect, covering air, steam, water, etc. You'll be surprised what you'll forget about, or you'll make someone else grateful after you are gone.

Good idea I am going to use 1/4 hasps but the lost keys thing is not a issue. We have a key management system that takes care of that. You have to swipe your badge before you get a physical Key and we try to limit physial keys to things like this. Most everthing is swipe /prox access from your badge.

The facility has been shutdown and LOTO per your normal documented procedure? (This implies you already have the standard Plant LOTO locks installed.) Next I would do a Risk Assessment of is there anything that can go bad to the machine's integrity with it just sitting there and what will need to be done/ checked when it's restarted, think fluids going bad, corrision, batteries dying, etc.

I would use the standard plant locks that are specifically for a facility lockout. Use of standard locks will help if OSHA inspects your plant and you then have to explain why there are special locks for this lock out. Many of my facilities I have a facility lock boxes with 6 or 12 same keyed locks that stay at the facility or in a central location until they are needed. This lock box is locked with a single lock by the person that did the lock out.

On each lock's tag note it's a long term shutdown and see procedure XXX prior to restart. This procedure will include info you came up with from the Risk Assessment step. Put a copy of this procedure in the lock box.

We have some equipment that we will not be running for long time if ever at all again and management wants to shut it down.

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I have worked on recommissioning old Army ammunition plants that have been shut down for 20 years. The safety program 20 years in the future might have entirely different procedures. For safety, consider removing and insulating the incoming wire ends on the main breaker. Then it does not create a safety problem if some unauthorized person in the future tries to reenergize the equipment.

I would definitley disconnect something - either incoming 3phase, or de-fuse a control power transformer - make sure that no one could re-start this without *really* trying.

I'm seeing a 1 page writeup- print out a copy (laminate it ?) and leave it in the cabinet itself - all of this is for the guy after you who needs to know what happened.

-why it was shut down/removed from service.
-Equipment that would need looked at or replaced prior to re-start
-re-startup precautions.
Whatever other documentation you have (LOTO plan, re-start procedure, 1 page writeup of why it was shut down, the current date/time when this was written)

Better answer ? engraved (phenolic) tags on everything that says "Removed from service"

food for thought only.
-John