What to consider when buying lockout storage

If your organisation has a potentially dangerous piece of machinery or electrical equipment that you need to isolate, you should be looking to buy a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) device. In order not to breach health and safety regulations, it’s vital for organisations to use a LOTO device – for example - when an engineer is performing maintenance on a machine, when a worker could be injured by faulty equipment, or where there is the risk of an employee being hurt by moving machinery.

Lockout storage provides an excellent tailor-made space for LOTO devices such as tags and padlocks. But what qualities should you consider when buying lockout storage? We will look to explore a few of these considerations below.

Large or small?

The size of a lockout station in any given company likely depends on the size of the organisation. If your business is a large company or one with a large amount of potentially hazardous equipment, you likely need a lockout station with a large capacity of lockout storage, so the engineer for your department can have access to the right LOTO equipment. For this, it’s possible to purchase a lockout station with up to 100 padlocks. If you’re a smaller organisation, then a more compact lockout station which only holds one or two padlocks may suffice.

Cover or no cover?

If your potentially dangerous machinery is housed in a dirty, wet or corrosive environment you should make sure that all your LOTO equipment is kept as safely as possible from degradation over time. If safety padlocks are allowed to get dirty, this could compromise their safeguarding qualities and thereby the safety of fellow employees. A lockout station with a cover helps protect safety padlocks from dirt, water and grime, allowing you to keep them in the best condition possible.

Portable or fixed?

Depending on your organisation’s needs, you may benefit from purchasing a portable lockout storage box to make sure that only the authorised engineer can access it, preventing unauthorised removal of LOTO devices. Some portable lockout storage boxes contain clear impact-resistant windows allowing the engineer to look inside and check that padlocks are still secure. Obviously, there are benefits to a fixed lockout station – fixed lockout stations are handy if you wish to encourage more open access to your LOTO equipment, such as if you have a range of personnel authorised to use it.

Contact us!

Here at Work Safety Solutions, we can provide lockout storage to suit your specific requirements whatever they may be. The range of equipment we offer varies from compact lockout centres to lockout stations for 100 padlocks with all padlocks included. 

We offer a quick response to enquiries and have a qualified health and safety adviser on hand to give you the best possible guidance. If you have any questions about how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact form or give us a call on 01494 445774. We’d be delighted to answer any queries you may have about our services.