April Maintenance Tip of the Month: Safeguard Workers by Following Lock-Out/Tag-Out Procedures in Your Filter Press Operations

During the routine maintenance of your Filter Press, Lock-Out/Tag-Out is important since the filter press has moving parts, pinch points, and the possibility of stored/hazardous energy.  Electricity, hydraulic forces, and pneumatic forces may be present and if your press is not safely de-energized prior to commencing maintenance work on the machine, Filter Presses have the potential to cause bodily injury including crushing, ripping, or tearing body parts.

There are 6 major steps for a proper Lock-Out/Tag-Out procedure to ensure the safety of your personnel and your machinery: Preparation, Shut-down, Isolation, Lock-out/Tag-out, Stored Energy Check, and Isolation Verification. We will detail each step.

!WARNING!

Before performing any installation, maintenance, or adjustments, always Lock-Out and Tag-Out equipment per OSHA and your facility’s regulations. The hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, process piping, and mechanical systems incorporated into this equipment and the equipment in the general area are capable of storing hazardous energy. BEFORE performing any maintenance or adjustments, ALL sources of potential energy must be identified and released or secured in order to prevent an unexpected release of energy while servicing.

1. Preparation

The authorized employee (i.e., the person performing the service/maintenance) must investigate and have a complete understanding of all types of hazardous energy that must be controlled on a machine or piece of equipment. It is important that the individual identifies the specific hazards and knows how to control the energy or energies.

2. Equipment Shutdown

Power down the machine or equipment. Inform employees that will be affected by the shutdown of the equipment. This should be done at the main power supply disconnect.

3. Isolation

Make sure all sources of energy have been isolated. Turn off the power, close valves, block moving parts, or disengage and block lines, etc.

4. Lock-Out / Tag-Out

The authorized employee will attach locks and tags to all energy-isolating devices in such a way that they are in an off or closed position and cannot be moved or switched on to an unsafe position. Adding a tag to the Lock-Out device with the authorized person’s name and contact information will give affected employees further information should they have questions about why the equipment is locked.

Lock-Out / Tag-Out Kits

5. Stored Energy Check

Even after the energy source has been disconnected and the machine has been Locked-Out, it does not entirely guarantee there are no hazardous energies still stored within the machine or that it is safe to perform filter press maintenance. It is important to double-check and look for any energy that has been “stored” or any “residual” energies. During this phase of the procedure, these stored or residual energies must be relieved, disconnected, restrained, or made non-hazardous is some other way.

6. Isolation Verification

This last step is about “making sure.” You have shut down the machine, isolated it from its power source, locked-out all start-up components, and checked for “stored” or “residual” energies. You have assured yourself that you have correctly followed all procedures and are confident the machine/equipment is now safe to work on.

Site-specific Lock-out/Tag-out procedures will vary from company to company and site to site. Please consult your company’s local policies and procedures for specific guidance.

For ensuring the safety of your personnel prior to performing maintenance on your Micronics Filter Press, the following steps, at a minimum, should be conducted. Contact Us to learn more.

1. De-energize the Electrical.  Most Micronics Filter Presses can be de-energized by turning off the main power supply to the 3 Phase Power Panel. Micronics Power Panels are supplied with a lockable on/off switch. However, it is recommended to Lock-Out the main power disconnect, supplying power to the filter press.
2. De-energize the Pneumatics.  Depending on your plant’s plumbing, air lines should be turned off.  End-users are responsible for supplying shut-off valves for Micronics Pneumatic Filter Presses. Valve locks should be installed for pneumatic valves.
3. Verify that stored energy has been relieved.  Hydraulic hoses and pneumatic hoses have the potential to store energy even after the Filter Press has been Locked-Out/Tagged-Out.  Micronics Filter Presses have the potential to store up to 5000 psi of hydraulic pressure in hoses and cylinders.

Micronics recommends Routine Filter Press Preventative Maintenance for achieving the best dewatering performance and minimizing press downtime.

Lock-Out/Tag-Out Systems are important in workplaces with Filter Press Equipment. LOTO is a very serious safety practice that will help to protect employees and equipment. As covered in this blog, Lock-Out Tag-Out is critically important for preventing equipment from being energized during routine press repairs or maintenance.

Contact Us to assist with proper LOTO practices and procedures for safeguarding workers from hazardous energy releases. Our Service professionals are the best in the filtration industry, and we are always happy to help our clients ensure the best, safest processes & procedures.