A machine-specific energy control procedure in Word. It lists every energy source with its isolation point and how to verify it is at zero, then gives the shutdown, lockout, verification and release steps in order, with sections for group lockout, shift changes and the annual periodic inspection record.
Tip: Put a photo of each isolation point next to its row in the energy source table, and label the device on the machine with the same ID. People find the right valve faster from a picture than from a description.
Equipment and scope
Machine ID, location, the servicing tasks covered, and any tasks that need a different procedure
People
Authorized employees, affected employees, and who to notify before and after lockout
Energy sources
Each source with its ID, type, magnitude, isolation device and location, lockout method and verification
Lockout sequence
Prepare, notify, shut down, isolate, apply locks and tags, release stored energy, verify zero energy
Release from lockout
Inspect the area, account for people, notify, remove locks, restart
Group lockout, shift change and inspection
Lockbox method, handover between shifts, and the annual periodic inspection record
Example Energy control procedure for hydraulic press HP-01 at Example Fabrication Co., a fictional metal fabricator. The machine, energy sources, values and crew are invented for illustration; write yours from a walk-down of your own machine and its manufacturer’s manual.
| Machine | HP-01 hydraulic press, press bay |
|---|---|
| Tasks covered | Die change, ram guide adjustment, hydraulic hose replacement |
| Authorized employees | Maintenance Techs trained on this procedure |
| Affected employees | Press operators and setup lead in the press bay |
| ID | Energy | Isolation point | Method | Verify zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Electrical, 480 VAC main | Disconnect DS-HP01 on the east wall | Switch OFF, lock and tag | Press start; qualified person tests for absence of voltage |
| E-2 | Electrical, 120 VAC oil heater | Breaker 14, panel LP-2 | Breaker OFF, breaker lockout, tag | Heater indicator off; test for absence of voltage |
| H-1 | Hydraulic, stored pressure in accumulator | Dump valve HV-3 | Open valve, lock open with valve cover, tag | Gauge PG-1 reads 0 |
| G-1 | Gravity, ram weight | Ram lowered onto the die safety blocks | Insert both blocks before lowering the ram onto them | Try to jog: no movement |
| Lockable points | 3 (E-1, E-2, H-1); G-1 is blocked, not locked |
|---|---|
| Method | Lead tech applies one department lock at each point and puts the keys in the group lockbox |
| Personal locks | Each of the 3 techs locks the lockbox and removes only their own lock |
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Machine and scope | One machine, or a set of identical machines, per procedure. List the servicing tasks it covers so people know when it applies. | HP-01; die change, ram guide adjustment, hose replacement |
| Authorized / affected employees | Authorized employees apply locks and do the work. Affected employees operate or work near the machine and must be told before and after. | Authorized: trained Maintenance Techs |
| Energy source ID | A short ID that matches a label on the machine at the isolation point. | H-1 |
| Type and magnitude | The kind of energy and how much, so people judge the hazard and choose the right test equipment. | Electrical, 480 VAC |
| Isolation device and location | The device that physically blocks the energy, such as a disconnect, breaker or valve, and exactly where to find it. A stop button or control circuit is not an isolation device. | Disconnect DS-HP01, east wall |
| Lockout method | How the device is put in the safe position and locked, including any lockout hardware needed. | Breaker OFF, breaker lockout, tag |
| Stored energy | How to release, block or restrain energy that stays after isolation: pressure, springs, raised parts, capacitors, heat. | Open dump valve; lower ram onto safety blocks |
| Verification | How you prove each source is at zero before work starts, such as trying the start control, reading a gauge or testing for voltage. | Gauge PG-1 reads 0 |
| Release steps | Remove tools, reinstall guards, account for every person, notify affected employees, remove locks, then restart. | Headcount against the lockbox before removing locks |
| Periodic inspection | At least once a year an authorized employee who does not use this procedure checks it is followed, and the inspection is recorded. | 2026-03-10, Maintenance Supervisor, no deviations |
In US general industry, servicing and maintenance where unexpected start-up or release of stored energy could cause injury is covered by OSHA’s control of hazardous energy standard, 29 CFR 1910.147. Electrical work has further requirements in 1910.333. Other countries have their own rules, so check the ones that apply to your site.
Generally yes. The standard allows an exception only when a machine meets every one of a short list of conditions, such as having a single energy source that is easy to isolate and lock. Most production machines do not meet all of them.
Lockout puts a lock on the isolating device so it cannot be operated. Tagout attaches a warning tag but does not physically stop anyone. The OSHA standard expects lockout when the device can be locked, and allows tagout alone only when a tagout program gives protection equal to lockout.
The person who applied it. The standard allows an exception only when that person is not at the facility, under a documented procedure that includes verifying they have left, making all reasonable efforts to reach them, and telling them before they return to work.
At least once a year for each energy control procedure, by an authorized employee who is not using it, with a certification that records the machine, the date, the people involved and who did the inspection.
Use it as a structure. Every energy source, isolation point and verification step must come from a walk-down of your machine and its manual, and be reviewed by someone competent in your site’s energy control program.
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