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Lockout/tagout: what it means for the CHST

Toe Board editorial teamSources checked 3 min read

Lockout/tagout, often shortened to LOTO, is the practice of shutting off and isolating a machine's or circuit's energy sources, then putting a lock, a tag or both on the isolating device so nobody can turn it back on while work is under way. A lock physically prevents re-energizing. A tag only warns.

A disconnect switch in the off position with a padlock through its handle and a tag hanging below it reading do not operate, beside a dashed line to the machine it feeds
The lock stops the switch moving. The tag tells people why.

The usual steps

  1. Prepare. Know every energy source the equipment has: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, gravity, springs, heat, chemicals.
  2. Notify the people who use or work near the equipment.
  3. Shut down using the normal stop.
  4. Isolate each source at its disconnect, valve or block.
  5. Apply locks and tags. Each worker puts on their own lock, so nobody can remove protection for someone else.
  6. Release or restrain stored energy. Bleed pressure, block raised parts, discharge capacitors, let hot parts cool.
  7. Verify. Try the start control, and test circuits for absence of voltage, before touching anything.

Removal runs in reverse: check the area, account for every worker, then each person removes their own lock.

Try one question

Question 1 of the free 10-question check on CHST. No signup.

Question 1 of 10 · free checkUntimed

Emergency Preparedness, Incident Investigation, and Response

On a building under construction, what is the longest allowed travel distance from any point of the protected area to the nearest fire extinguisher?

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Which rules apply in construction

The general industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.147, is the detailed LOTO standard, with written procedures, periodic inspections and training. Construction does not have a full counterpart. The construction electrical rule at 1926.417 covers lockout and tagging of circuits: controls are de-energized and tagged, and circuits are made safe before work. Other construction rules carry their own isolation duties, for example isolating hazards before permit space entry under Subpart AA. A contractor may adopt a written LOTO program modelled on 1910.147, because the hazards are the same.

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Every answer comes with a full explanation.

Lock vs tag

A lock is the stronger control. A tag alone is acceptable in some cases under the rules when a lock cannot be fitted, and then extra measures are expected to give equal protection.

Common mix-ups

  • Off is not isolated. A stop button can be bypassed or fail. Isolation is at the energy source.
  • Forgetting stored energy. A raised bucket or a charged line can move after the switch is off.
  • Skipping the verify step. The test is what proves the lockout worked.
  • One lock for the crew. Each worker needs their own, or a group lockout method that gives the same protection.

On the CHST exam

Electrical hazards and controls are named in the hazard and risk domain, 36.6%. LOTO pairs naturally with GFCI vs assured grounding on temporary power, and with isolation before permit-required confined space entry.

Practice it

The electrical guide maps Subpart K section by section. Every term in this set is in the CHST terms glossary.

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Sources

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Facts checked 26 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.

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