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Lockout/tagout in a CMMS: tying energy isolation to work orders
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the procedure that keeps a machine from starting up, or releasing stored energy, while someone is servicing it.
By Upvantix team
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the procedure that keeps a machine from starting up, or releasing stored energy, while someone is servicing it. The machine is shut down and isolated from every energy source. A lock (and tag) is applied to each isolating device, stored energy is released or restrained, and the isolation is verified before work starts. The same person removes the locks only after the area is clear.
LOTO isn't the same as a permit-to-work. A permit authorises a specific job under agreed precautions. LOTO is one of those precautions: the physical energy isolation. In a CMMS, the work order says what job is done on which asset. The asset's isolation points say what must be locked. The LOTO record shows who locked what, when it was verified and when it was released.
In India, no statute is titled "lockout/tagout". The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, in force since 21 November 2025, requires employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risk to health. Its Second Schedule lists the matters for safety standards, including "work on or near machinery in motion" and "striking gear and devices for cutting off power". The most detailed and widely cited LOTO rule is the US OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147, and ISO 14118:2017 covers preventing unexpected start-up in machinery design. Many plants in India, the UAE and the USA build their procedures on these.
LOTO vs permit-to-work: who does what
In India, IS 17893:2023 (Work Permit System — Code of Practice) already expects isolation to be recorded on the permit. LOTO is how that isolation is done and proven. See our permit-to-work guide.
| Criterion | Permit-to-work | Lockout/tagout |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Authorises a specific job, place and time under agreed precautions | Physically isolates energy so equipment can't start or release energy |
| Typical owner | Issuer and acceptor (area in-charge, executing team) | Each authorised person who applies their own lock |
| Record | Permit with sign-offs, gas tests and isolations listed | Isolation points locked, verification, lock removal |
| Link in the CMMS | Permit ↔ work order | Isolation list per asset ↔ work order ↔ permit |
The LOTO sequence (the widely used method)
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 (US) sets out the sequence most procedures follow:
To release: inspect the work area, check everyone is clear, notify affected people, and have the person who applied each lock remove it. The standard also covers testing or positioning during work, contractors, group lockout and shift changes.
- preparation: know the energy type, magnitude and hazards
- shutdown
- isolation
- applying the locks or tags
- releasing or restraining stored energy
- verifying isolation before work starts
What the law says in India
- The OSH Code, 2020 came into force on 21 November 2025 and repealed the Factories Act, 1948, among other laws. Section 6 requires employers to keep the workplace free from hazards likely to cause injury. For factories, it requires plant and systems of work that are safe and without risk to health, along with the information, instruction, training and supervision needed.
- Section 18 lets the Central Government declare occupational safety and health standards. The Second Schedule lists the matters they cover, including fencing of machinery, work on or near machinery in motion, striking gear and devices for cutting off power, and safety of buildings and machinery.
- The repealed Factories Act, 1948 was the closest thing to a lockout rule: section 24(3) required that any power cut-off device that could inadvertently shift from "off" to "on" be lockable in the safe position, to prevent accidental starting. "Striking gear and devices for cutting off power" is now a Second Schedule matter under the OSH Code.
- Rules made under the old Factories Act stay in force to the extent they don't conflict with the Code, until replaced (s.143(3)). For factories, the state government is the appropriate government, so check your state's rules.
- We found no Indian statute or BIS standard dedicated to LOTO that we could verify. Plants commonly use OSHA 1910.147, ANSI/ASSP Z244.1 and ISO 14118 as method references, alongside IS 17893 for permits. Check what your state rules, licence conditions, sector regulator, group standard and insurer require.
Elsewhere: USA and UAE
In the USA, 29 CFR 1910.147 is a binding OSHA rule for general industry, and ANSI/ASSP Z244.1-2024 is the voluntary consensus standard. In the UAE, Abu Dhabi has a dedicated code: ADOSH-SF Code of Practice 24.0, Lock-out / Tag-out (Isolation) (version 4.1, February 2026). It applies to all employers in the emirate, requires training records, and requires LOTO procedures to be inspected annually with a record kept. Other emirates and free zones set their own OSH rules, so check your local authority. The CMMS record pattern below works the same everywhere.
LOTO step → CMMS record → evidence
Rules of thumb: one isolation list per asset, kept with the asset. No work tasks before the verification step. Every lock is tied to a named person. Missing or overridden steps show up in a weekly review.
| Criterion | What to hold in the CMMS | Evidence on the work order |
|---|---|---|
| Written energy-control procedure per machine | Asset record with an attached, machine-specific procedure listing every energy source and isolation point (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, steam, gravity, spring, chemical) | Procedure version and approval date |
| Preparation | Work order linked to the asset, the procedure and the permit, if one is needed | Planner checks the procedure is current |
| Notify affected people | Checklist item on the work order | Who was notified, and when |
| Shutdown and isolation | Isolation-point checklist generated from the asset's list | Each point ticked, with timestamp and name |
| Locks and tags applied | Lock number or tag ID per isolation point and per person, including group lockbox | Lock IDs; photo of locks at the isolation points |
| Stored energy released | Checklist line per stored-energy source | Method used (bleed, block, discharge) |
| Verify isolation (try-out / test for dead) | Mandatory checklist step before work tasks can be started | Result and the verifier's name |
| Shift change or handover | Handover entry on the work order | Off-going and on-coming names; lock transfer |
| Testing or positioning mid-job | Separate step that records locks removed and re-applied | Times and names |
| Release | Area inspected, people clear, affected people notified; each person removes their own lock | Release time and names; any exception approved under your procedure |
| Periodic inspection | Recurring inspection task per procedure (OSHA: at least annually, by an authorised person not using that procedure) | Inspection record: equipment, date, people, inspector |
| Training | Training records linked to people who may lock out | Training date per person |
Rolling out digital LOTO records
- List the machines that need servicing where unexpected start-up or stored energy could hurt someone.
- For each one, walk down and record every energy source and isolation point, with photos and tag numbers.
- Write or update machine-specific procedures, and have EHS and maintenance approve them.
- Attach the procedures and isolation lists to the asset records in the CMMS.
- Decide which work-order types require LOTO, and which also require a permit under IS 17893 or your site rules.
- Issue personal locks to authorised people and set up group lockboxes. Record the lock IDs.
- Train authorised and affected people and record it. Brief your contractors on the site procedure.
- Pilot on one line for a month and review the missed or skipped steps.
- Set a recurring periodic inspection of each procedure (at least annually is the OSHA benchmark).
- Review the procedure after any machine change, incident or near miss.
Where Upvantix fits
Upvantix CMMS is designed to organise the asset register, work requests and work orders, preventive maintenance, inspections, procedures and checklists, and completion records with photos, notes and measurements, with QR access to the asset at the point of work. It's designed for deployment in your AWS environment. If you're planning how isolation lists, permits and work orders should connect in your plant, talk to us.
This guide is general information as of 13 October 2026. It's not legal advice or a safety procedure for your equipment. Write machine-specific energy-control procedures with your EHS team and competent persons, and confirm the legal requirements with your state authorities and advisers. US OSHA rules apply in the USA; elsewhere they're used as a reference.
Common questions about lockout/tagout in a CMMS
What is lockout/tagout (LOTO)?
A procedure that isolates machines from their energy sources, locks and tags the isolating devices, releases stored energy and verifies isolation, so equipment can't start up or release energy during servicing.
Is LOTO the same as a permit-to-work?
No. A permit authorises a job under agreed precautions. LOTO is the physical energy isolation, which is often one of those precautions. Many plants link both to the same work order.
Is lockout/tagout mandatory in India?
No Indian statute is titled LOTO. The OSH Code, 2020 requires safe plant and systems of work, and its Second Schedule covers work near machinery in motion and devices for cutting off power. The repealed Factories Act (s.24(3)) required power cut-off devices that could shift to "on" to be lockable in the safe position. Check your state's rules and any sector or licence conditions.
Does the Factories Act still apply?
The Factories Act, 1948 was repealed when the OSH Code came into force on 21 November 2025. Rules made under it stay in force to the extent they don't conflict with the Code, until replaced.
What is OSHA 1910.147?
The US federal standard for controlling hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance in general industry. It's widely used as a reference outside the USA too.
What should a CMMS record for LOTO?
The machine-specific procedure, each isolation point, who applied which lock, the stored-energy release, the verification result, shift handovers, release, and periodic inspections and training.
How often should LOTO procedures be inspected?
OSHA requires a periodic inspection of each energy-control procedure at least annually, by an authorised person not using that procedure. Many plants in other countries adopt the same benchmark.