Innovation is key to improving the Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) Process

September 17, 2018
Lois Riddell
Control of Work

Cresent, Control of Work specialists, has invested time and effort in producing a range of isolation consumables which solve the common problems faced by the global energy industries when performing isolations.

The current process involves either printing or hand-writing coloured tags which have a specific role within the isolation process. Experience and feedback from our clients about the issues they face on a daily basis has taught us that the current process for isolating isn’t always the most effective or practical.

There are some common problems or challenges, which include;

The regular method of attaching isolation tags with string or tie loops – known as the “threading the needle” practice, often results in tags breaking off and becoming lost
Often the material these tags are produced from is not durable enough to withstand the elements including prolonged sun exposure or stormy weather conditions
Isolation tags can only be used once and often for only short periods of time – but are often costly.

Cresent took the opportunity to look at the issues companies were facing, the environments they work in, and the resources that were available to them and created a range of innovative and different isolation consumables.

WorkSafe® Isolation Tags

Combatting most of these issues, Cresent created WorkSafe^® Isolation Tags, constructed from a robust thermoplastic polymer that has been rigorously tested to ensure it is tear-proof and fade-resistant and has been designed to withstand a multitude of weather and worksite conditions.

The majority of isolations tags are made from Tyvek material – the paper material used to make wristbands at events, or a tough polypropylene material. Neither are suitable solutions because the integrity of both is compromised once a hole is created to attach the tags, or they simply cannot endure extreme weather conditions. Tyvek fades quickly when exposed to the sun, and tears easily under the stormy conditions of an offshore environment. Polypropylene is thick and tough, but prolonged exposure to adverse weather causes the material to weaken and snap.

The high-quality and durable thermoplastic polymer material of WorkSafe^® Isolation Tags ensures that they are better protected against the elements and this reduces the risk of the tags breaking. Through further research we have eliminated the need for eyelets to reinforce the material, reducing the number of tags lost due to tears or creating weak points in the structure of the tag.

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WorkSafe® Tag Out Grips (TOGs)

How did we manage to remove the need for eyelets? WorkSafe^® Tag Out Grips (TOGs), are an innovative and unique solution to an incredibly common problem. WorkSafe^® TOGs grip the isolation tag firmly using a large surface area with no sharp corners, which can stress the isolation tag and cause it to break. TOGs can be applied and removed very quickly and are compatible with any safety tag, providing a safer and more reliable means of securing isolation tags than the traditional “threading a needle” method.

WorkSafe® Isolation Wallets

While WorkSafe^® Isolation Tags and WorkSafe^® TOGs solve these problems, research and testing took us one step further. Not only were we looking to improve isolation tags, but we were looking for ways to provide our customers with something special that would improve their business overall.

With consideration of the common issues with isolation tags, Cresent continued to work at creating innovative solutions to ensure that poor material does not continue to hinder the Lock Out/Tag Out (LOTO) process. This led to the development of our WorkSafe^® Isolation Wallets.

This solution involves the use of plain white tags combined with up to eight types of long-lasting coloured tag wallets. The wallets are used in conjunction with white isolation tags, which can be either hand-written or printed and are inserted into the wallets and secured to the isolation point using TOGs.

The use of Isolation Wallets is a significant improvement on the traditional method of using coloured isolation tags because after the initial investment in wallets, the ongoing cost of generic white isolation tags will be considerably less than purchasing coloured tags.

Does does this solution help customers save money?

While there is an upfront cost or investment, the long-term use of isolation wallets presents significant cost-saving benefits to customers. Companies using WorkSafe^® Isolation Wallets will benefit from the following savings:

Generic white tags are less expensive to produce since they do not require colour and will be protected in these high-quality and robust colour-coded isolation wallets.
There is no need to worry about the stock levels of each type of tag because the wallets display the type of isolation and so the generic white tags can be used for all isolations
Larger order quantities of a generic white isolation tag will reduce the overall cost per unit

Research in the current market suggests an average saving of around 55-65% with an isolation Wallet solution. The first year requires an investment in purchasing the reusable wallets and the generic white tags. However, this is quickly recouped due to the lower cost of the white isolation tags. Overall, we believe this solution is significantly less costly than purchasing reels of individual isolation tags each year.

At Cresent, we focus on solving the real-life problems faced by our customers with innovative solutions.

If you have any queries about our Isolation Consumables, please get in touch with the team at enquiries@cresent.co.uk or give us a call on (+44) 01224 636870.

Innovation is key to improving the Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) Process

WorkSafe® Isolation Tags

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WorkSafe® Tag Out Grips (TOGs)

WorkSafe® Isolation Wallets

Does does this solution help customers save money?

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