Define Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) and explain its key steps in a maintenance task.

• A. Lockout-Tagout; isolate energy sources, apply locks/tags, verify zero energy, perform task, remove devices, and re-energize.
• B. Lockout-Tagout; identify personnel, document task, and release energy after completion.
• C. Lockout-Tagout; install temporary shields, run test cycles, and return energy to normal.
• D. Lockout-Tagout; de-energize only, no verification required.

Answer: (B)

Lockout-Tagout is a safety process that prevents unexpected energization or startup of equipment during maintenance by controlling all energy sources. The key steps involve planning and notifying affected workers, shutting down the equipment, and isolating every energy source. Then you apply lockout devices to the energy-control points and attach tags to communicate that the equipment must not be energized. Verification is essential: you check that there is zero energy in the system, including stored or residual energy, before any work begins. Only after this clearance do you perform the maintenance. When the task is finished, you ensure the work area is clear, remove the lockout devices, and re-energize the equipment, testing to confirm normal operation.

The option that focuses only on identifying personnel and documenting the task, or that talks about shields and test cycles without the full energy-control sequence, misses essential steps. Likewise, the one that de-energizes but requires no verification fails to guarantee that all energy sources are truly isolated. The best description captures the full sequence: isolate, lockout/tagout, verify zero energy, perform the task, and then restore energy.