PISTA BLOG #24 (Oct 2023) : LOTO FOR THE DIFFERENT HAZARDOUS ENERGIES IN OFFSHORE O&G INDUSTRY

 LOTO: AN IMPORTANT SAFETY PROTOCOL INOFFSHORE O&G INDUSTRY

        Offshore Oil & Gas processes like drilling, construction and production process involve working with various types of HAZARDOUS ENERGY. Following the LOCKOUT TAG-OUT PROTOCOLS is one of the most effective ways to protect individuals working on machinery in an offshore oil and gas facility .Those working in a dangerous area are expected to manually turn off the electricity to the nearby machinery and lock the power supply.

Unfortunately, mistakes are still made, which can result in very serious injuries and even fatalities.

As a protocol Offshore workers are required to lock the door and attach a tag notifying nearby workers that this has been done on purpose and that electricity will be restored after the work is finished. The purpose of this is to prevent unintentionally reenergizing while the worker or workers are in a hazardous location. The risk of electrocution or other injury associated with the machine operating can be all but eliminated when this safety process is carried out correctly.

Most people only consider electricity when they think of harmful energy. While electrical energy is particularly hazardous and is the main reason why the lockout tagout technique is utilized most frequently, there are a number of other energy sources that need be taken into consideration on a platform. Finding the locations in a facility where the lockout tagout system has to be deployed requires an understanding of each hazardous energy source. Those Hazardous energy sources include:

      •         ELECTRICAL ENERGY
•         MECHANICAL ENERGY
•         HYDRAULIC ENERGY
•         PNEUMATIC ENERGY
•         CHEMICAL ENERGY
•         THERMAL ENERGY

ELECTRICAL ENERGY : When establishing lockout tagout procedures for electrical energy, it is critical to understand the potential sources. The electrical energy for the majority of devices and machinery passes through a type of circuit breaker. To prevent electrical energy from entering the machine, this is where the lock can be installed.	LOTO PROCEDURES: At times, applying the lock at the machine's location after unplugging it works. However, because of the size of the electrical lines, this is frequently difficult or impossible for heavy machines. Determine each potential electrical energy source first, and then determine exactly where and how the energy may be drawn out and secured.
MECHANICAL ENERGY: When working on machinery, mechanical energy is frequently disregarded but it can be very dangerous. The movement of an object generates this kind of energy. When using a lockout tagout system, mechanical energy may be a problem if a worker impacts a moving element, causing it to gain momentum and become hazardous.	LOTO PROCEDURES:  A good approach to lessen any risk from mechanical energy is to lock robot arms, movable saw blades, crush sections, and anything else that moves. It's crucial to make sure nothing moves unexpectedly and to stop any unintentional mechanical energy release from a bump or other incident
HYDRAULIC ENERGY:  Hydraulic energy is frequently used by machines since it is very efficient for heavy machinery. When working on a machine, if the hydraulic oils are under pressure, there is a chance that they could release and trigger the machine. Sometimes electrical brakes are used to maintain pressure on hydraulic oil; however, these brakes will disengage if the power is withdrawn.	LOTO PROCEDURES:  If a machine uses any kind of hydraulic energy, part of the LOTO process should involve making sure the energy has been released before working on the machine. Even if the energy is not likely to be released, it is still unacceptable to enter a location that could be hazardous.
PNEUMATIC ENERGY: This is entirely different kind of energy to be mindful of. It is somewhat similar to hydraulic energy, except it is formed using pressurized air. Some machines use pressure tanks to build up energy in the machine before it is needed. If a machine utilizes pneumatic energy for any purpose, a lockout tagout procedure should always include the discharging of pneumatic energy before beginning a job.	LOTO PROCEDURES:  A maintenance worker may test a pneumatically powered machine by trying to operate it after it has been locked out; this should only be done after making sure everyone involved in the maintenance is far away from the area before the test occurs; and upon a successful test, the gauges should indicate zero pressure.
CHEMICAL ENERGY:  Chemical processes can store and release this energy. It is a problem whether this happens as a result of mixing two or more chemicals, changing the temperature of the chemicals, changing the pressure, or any other number of circumstances.	LOTO PROCEDURES:  One of the most common examples of chemical energy is the burning of gasoline in internal combustion engines. When dealing with lockout tagout systems, there may be a diesel generator providing backup power that would need to be removed and locked out. A good lockout tagout program must identify all potential chemical energy sources in a machine and remove or secure them.
THERMAL ENERGY : Thermal energy is energy in the form of heat. This might be heat from the sun, heat from something burning, or a variety of other things. Although this kind of energy isn't frequently used directly by modern equipment, it is still a good idea to be aware of it. Before any work may start, any machine that could activate from thermal energy must also be removed and secured	LOTO PROCEDURES:  Checking to see if the equipment gets hot when it's powered on is one of the best ways to shield workers from this kind of dangerous energy.

STEPS TO AN EFFICIENT LOCKOUT/TAGOUT PROCEDURE

When creating a lockout tagout procedure for any machine or process, it is important to include the following items. Variations may be adopted situation to situation, but the general concepts listed here are always addressed in every lockout tagout procedure:

•  NOTIFICATION - All employees who work with or around a machine should be notified of any scheduled                                         maintenance.

•  VISUAL COMMUNICATION - Put up signs, cones, safety tape, or other forms of visual communication to let people know that a machine is being worked on.

• ENERGY IDENTIFICATION - All sources of energy should be identified before creating a lockout tagout procedure. The procedure should account for every possible energy source.

• HOW ENERGY IS REMOVED - Determine exactly how the energy should be removed from the machine. This could be simply unplugging it or tripping the circuit breaker. Choose the safest option and use that in the procedure.

• DISSIPATE ENERGY - After energy sources have been removed, there will be some amount left in the machine in most cases. "Bleeding off" any remaining energy by attempting to engage the machine is a good practice.

• SECURE MOVABLE PARTS - Any parts of the machine that can move and result in injury should be secured in place. This can be done through built-in locking mechanisms or finding alternative ways to secure the parts.

• TAG/LOCKOUT - All employees who will be working on the machine must individually apply a tag or lock to the energy sources. Whether it is just one person or many, it is essential to have one tag for each person working in a potentially dangerous area.

• ENGAGEMENT PROCEDURES - Once the work has been completed, procedures should be in place to confirm all employees are in a safe location and that any locks or safety equipment have been removed before powering the machine up.

 THE IMPORTANCE OF LOTO JUST CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED

The Industry goers are already very well aware that the chances of  accidents that cause injuries and fatalities related to hazardous energy and stored power on board Offshore Oil and gas installations and platforms inevitably occur far too often. Offshore employees often work in areas that are otherwise forbidden due to their high level of danger. While the lockout tagout process may seem excessive at first, people quickly realize how important it is.

While at work finding shortcuts is practically instinctual, and this is frequently a good thing. But this is never okay when it comes to safety protocols. And hence, the lockout tagout process—as well as all other safety processes—must always be strictly adhered to during training and enforcement. And an offshore worker should always remember that when working with dangerous machines, even a small mistake or oversight can mean the difference between life and death.

The above content has been compiled by the Marketing team of  PISTA, India.

PISTA has been involved in delivering Safety Training to Offshore Workers since 2018 as per OPITO-approved standards and is a pioneer in the Southern India Region for O&G Certification training with a 100% SAFETY RECORD.

 

More details about the WORLD CLASS SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE at Pondicherry can be got at www.pistaoffshore.com