Lockout-tagout in Germany: isolating machinery safely for maintenance

What does lockout-tagout mean?

Lockout-tagout is a procedure for making machinery energy-free and securing it against being switched back on before maintenance, repair, cleaning or troubleshooting. “Lockout” refers to locking the isolation points with a padlock, “tagout” to the tag showing who locked it and why.

The term comes from the USA, where OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147 “The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)” governs the procedure. Germany has no regulation by that name – the duties derive from the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, the Technical Rule TRBS 1112 “Maintenance” (Instandhaltung) and, for electrical installations, the five safety rules.

Legal basis in Germany

• Section 10(2) BetrSichV

  ContentMaintenance based on a risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung), taking the manufacturer's instructions into account, only by competent, appointed and instructed employees

• Section 10(3) BetrSichV

  ContentDefine responsibilities, communication between operating and maintenance staff, secure the work area, avoid hazardous energy, dissipate stored energy, use permit systems

• Section 10(4) BetrSichV

  ContentIf guards are disabled or work has to be done with energy present, other suitable measures are required

• Section 8(5) BetrSichV

  ContentWork equipment must be capable of being permanently and safely isolated from every energy source; stored energy must be dissipated

• TRBS 1112

  ContentSpecifies Section 10: preparation, risk assessment, protective measures, execution and trial run of maintenance work

• DGUV Regulation 3, DIN VDE 0105-100

  ContentDe-energised state according to the five safety rules for work on electrical installations

A practical aid is DGUV Information 209-015 “Maintenance of machinery and installations” (Instandhaltung an Maschinen und Anlagen), whose June 2026 edition covers residual energy, contractors and work permits, among other topics.

Identify every type of energy

The most common gap: the main switch is locked, but a pressure accumulator, a tensioned spring or a raised tool can still move. For every machine, record all types of energy and their isolation points:

• Electrical

  ExamplesMain drive, control and external voltage, capacitors

  Typical safeguardSwitch off and lock the main switch, verify absence of voltage

• Pneumatic

  ExamplesCompressed air supply, reservoirs, cylinders

  Typical safeguardClose and lock the shut-off valve, release pressure

• Hydraulic

  ExamplesPump, accumulators, cylinders under load

  Typical safeguardSwitch off the pump, discharge accumulators, pressure gauge at zero

• Mechanical

  ExamplesTensioned springs, flywheels still running

  Typical safeguardRelease springs, wait for standstill, block

• Gravity

  ExamplesPress rams, lifting tables, raised loads

  Typical safeguardLower or support mechanically

• Thermal

  ExamplesHot surfaces, steam, refrigerants

  Typical safeguardAllow to cool, measure temperature, shut off lines

• Chemical

  ExamplesPipelines carrying hazardous substances, gases, coolants

  Typical safeguardShut off, drain, flush, secure against re-entry

Annex 2 of TRBS 1112 lists, among other things, depressurising and emptying systems before work starts and securing them, verifying that they are pressure-free and eliminating residual energy from spring tension or dead weight.

Lockout-tagout in eight steps

1. 1

   Prepare

   Identify energy sources and isolation points from the instructions and circuit diagrams and record them in a machine-specific isolation procedure.

2. 2

   Inform

   Tell operators and the shift supervisor about the shutdown, the reason and the expected duration.

3. 3

   Shut down

   Stop the machine with the normal stop, not with the emergency stop.

4. 4

   Isolate

   Isolate every energy source at its isolation point – main switch, shut-off valve, gate valve.

5. 5

   Lock and tag

   Secure every isolation point with a lock and mark it with a tag: name, date, reason, contact details.

6. 6

   Dissipate residual energy

   Release pressure, release springs, lower or support parts, wait for standstill, allow hot parts to cool.

7. 7

   Verify zero energy

   Attempt a start at the control panel, have an electrically skilled person (Elektrofachkraft) verify absence of voltage, check pressure gauges – then return all controls to off.

8. 8

   Approve the work

   Only once all measures are in place does the responsible person approve the work, ideally with a written permit (Freigabeschein).

Personal lock, group lockout and tags

• Personal lock: every person working in the danger zone attaches their own lock, to which only they have a key. Spare keys are kept inaccessible to others.
• Multi-lock hasp: a hasp holds several locks at one isolation point – the machine stays locked until the last lock is removed.
• Group lockout: where there are many isolation points, the responsible person secures them all with group locks and places the keys in a lock box, to which every person involved attaches their personal lock.
• Tag: it shows who locked out and why. A tag alone does not prevent switching on and does not replace a lock.
• Shift change: the incoming shift attaches its locks before the outgoing shift removes theirs – so the machine is never unsecured.

Restarting

After the trial run, the work equipment must be back in a safe and functional condition and tools and aids must be removed (TRBS 1112 no. 5.2). Before switching on:

• Tools, materials and aids removed from the machine and the danger zone
• Guards refitted and effective, blocks and supports removed
• Everyone outside the danger zone, operators informed
• Every personal lock removed by its owner, tags taken off
• Energy restored in the defined sequence, safety functions tested

If the repair was a change requiring inspection, a person qualified to carry out inspections must inspect the work equipment before it is next used (Section 14(3) BetrSichV).

Contractors, operating instructions and safety briefings

Maintenance is often carried out by contractors. The employers must cooperate (Section 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, ArbSchG). Under Section 13 BetrSichV, the client only uses competent contractors and informs them of the hazards of its work equipment; where there is an increased hazard, a coordinator must be appointed in writing. TRBS 1112 recommends a split: the operator arranges the safeguards on the work equipment, the contractor's employer the protective measures for the work itself.

The isolation rules belong in the machine's operating instructions (Betriebsanweisung, Section 12(2) BetrSichV). Employees are instructed before they start and at least once a year thereafter; the date and names of those instructed must be recorded in writing (Section 12(1) BetrSichV).

Checklist: lockout-tagout in your company

• All types of energy and isolation points identified for every machine
• Isolation points lockable and labelled
• Personal locks with individual keys, hasps and tags provided
• Machine-specific isolation procedures drawn up
• Approval procedure with a written permit introduced
• Rules for shift changes and removing other people's locks defined
• Contractors briefed, coordination arranged
• Employees instructed, instruction documented

Free templates for this guide

As PDF and Excel, free – to use in your own company.

• Operating instructions

  Operating instructions for machinery template (PDF) under Section 12 BetrSichV

  PDFFree download
• Work permits

  Lockout-tagout permit template (PDF) for maintenance work

  PDFFree download
• Work permits

  Confined space entry permit template (PDF) for tanks, silos and shafts

  PDFFree download
• Risk assessment

  Machinery risk assessment template (PDF & Excel)

  PDF + ExcelFree download

Frequently asked questions