Recently, we had the never-ending debate about locking out valves being used as energy isolation devices. Somewhere/Sometime ago, a vicious rumor/practice found some legs, and we began seeing the practice during our audits. The unsafe and non-OSHA-compliant practice of disconnecting the power source from a Fail-Safe Closed valve and locking out the valve’s power source as a means to “lock out” the valve.
As we have discussed here many times, the Lockout Device must secure the energy-isolating device (e.g., the valve), not the power source to the Fail-Safe Closed valve. Several years ago, OSHA finally settled this debate via a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) titled:
Energy Isolation Device Requirements
Not all automated valves are “lockable”, but there are some brands that offer an automated valve with a built-in means to LOCK the valve in its CLOSED position. The video below is NOT an endorsement of this brand/valve, but it does explain how this valve is capable of being a Lockable Energy Isolation Device.