Lock It, Tag It, Save Lives: The Case for Stronger Machinery Safety

Too often, we see the same story repeat itself: a machine restarts unexpectedly, and someone gets hurt. Sometimes the injuries are minor. Sometimes, as was the case in a 2024 prosecution involving a well-known sandwich bread manufacturer, they’re life-altering. A worker lost a finger because Lockout/Tagout procedures designed to prevent exactly this kind of incident weren’t followed.

Lockout/Tagout (often abbreviated to LOTO) is a system used to isolate machinery during maintenance, servicing, or repair. It involves turning off the equipment, locking it so it can’t be switched back on, and tagging it with information about who’s working on it and why. It’s not a new concept. It’s widely used in countries like the US. But in the UK, while it’s considered best practice under PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations), it’s not always consistently applied especially in busy production environments.

The bread manufacturer in question had LOTO procedures in place. But crucially, engineers hadn’t been clearly instructed on when and how to apply them. There was confusion, gaps in communication, and inadequate training. The result? An employee was seriously injured.

At Ranmoor, we believe LOTO should be non-negotiable. Here’s why:

It’s a proven system. When done properly, it prevents machines from starting unexpectedly while someone is working on them.

It protects your team particularly engineers, technicians and maintenance staff who are often exposed to risks others are not.

It builds a culture of care and control, rather than one of shortcuts and assumptions.

So why do things go wrong?

In our experience, businesses run into trouble with LOTO for a few key reasons:

• Inconsistent application policies exist but aren’t enforced uniformly.

• Poor training staff don’t fully understand when to use LOTO or the consequences of not doing so.

• Production pressure in fast-paced environments, it’s tempting to skip steps to keep things moving.

• None of these are excuses. But they are realities and they must be addressed with practical solutions.

That means clear procedures, written down and embedded into your safety management system. It means investing in training not just one-off sessions, but ongoing refreshers and toolbox talks that reinforce the importance of isolation and verification. And it means leadership setting the tone: safety before speed, always.

It’s also worth using real case studies,like the one above, as discussion points with your team. They’re powerful reminders that these procedures are not about bureaucracy. They’re about people. Real people, with families and futures, who deserve to come home in one piece.

If you don’t currently have a lockout/tagout procedure in place or if you’re unsure whether your existing system would stand up to scrutiny now is the time to act. We can help you put the right safeguards in place before something goes wrong.

Because once someone is hurt, you can’t rewind the clock. But you can prevent the next incident.