Section 57 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2007 requires transmission machinery to have “efficient devices” for prompt disconnection of power — for electrical panels and plugs specifically, that means a physical lockout device fitted over the breaker, switch or plug itself, not just a padlock hung nearby. SHL stocks nine electrical lockout devices covering the breaker types, plugs and distribution-board formats found on Kenyan sites.
Circuit breaker and MCB/MCCB lockout
The core of the range is breaker isolation: a Universal Circuit Breaker Lockout Device (SKU 1506-UNI) and MCB & MCCB Lockout Device (SKU 1506-CBL) for standard breakers, a Push Button Type MCB Lockout Device (SKU 1506-PB, available in PIN-IN, PIN-OUT and PIN-OUT-WIDE versions) for the push-button breakers common on many distribution boards, and an MCCB Lock — Knob Tightening (SKU 1506-KT) for knob-style MCCBs. For a site that doesn’t know in advance which breaker types it will need to isolate, the MCB & MCCB Lockout Device Five Pc Set (SKU 1506-CBL 5SET) bundles five different devices, enough to lock out “almost any type of MCB, MCCB or ELCB” per SHL’s own product description.
Section takeaway
- Breaker lockout devices are matched to the physical breaker mechanism, not a generic “one size” part — a push-button MCB needs a different device than a knob-tightening MCCB, which is why the 5-piece set exists for mixed distribution boards.
Multipole breakers and tie-bar isolation
Larger installations often use multipole breakers, where a single lockout point needs to isolate several poles at once. The Universal Multipole Breaker Lockout (SKU 1506-UMPBL) and Tie Bar MCCB Lockout Device (SKU 1506-TB) are built for exactly this — the tie bar spans and locks multiple poles of an MCCB together rather than isolating a single pole.
Isolating plugs, not just panels
Two devices cover the plug end of the circuit rather than the panel: the Electric Plug Lockout (SKU 1506-LRPM, durable polypropylene, for heavy-duty operations) and the Cylindrical Electric Plug Lockout (SKU 1506-CEPL, a larger cylindrical design for industrial plugs). Isolating a plug is the correct control when equipment is portable or frequently reconnected elsewhere — locking a panel breaker doesn’t help if the same machine gets plugged into a different point.
Common questions
Which lockout device fits a push-button MCB?
The Push Button Type MCB Lockout Device (SKU 1506-PB), available in PIN-IN, PIN-OUT and PIN-OUT-WIDE versions to match different push-button breaker designs.
What’s in the 5-piece MCB/MCCB lockout set?
Five different circuit breaker lockout devices, bundled specifically so one set can lock out almost any type of MCB, MCCB or ELCB found on a mixed distribution board.
How is a multipole breaker isolated?
With a Tie Bar MCCB Lockout Device (SKU 1506-TB) or Universal Multipole Breaker Lockout (SKU 1506-UMPBL), both designed to lock multiple poles together rather than a single pole.
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About Hiren Gohel
Hiren Gohel is Director at Specialised Hardwares Limited, a Nairobi-based supplier of PPE, safety equipment and industrial hardware serving construction, manufacturing and industrial businesses across Kenya.
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