Lockout Tagout Stations and Tags: Organising a Kenyan LOTO Programme
A lockout-tagout (LOTO) programme needs three things working together: a padlock to physically isolate the energy source, a tag to say who locked it and why, and a station to keep the whole kit organised and ready rather than scattered across a plant. Section 57 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2007 requires that transmission machinery have “efficient devices” enabling “prompt” disconnection of power — a lockout station is the practical way a Kenyan site keeps that device ready to use, not just theoretically present.
Lockout stations: from 4 to 48 padlocks
SHL stocks seven lockout station sizes — 4, 7, 16, 20, 24 and 48-padlock configurations (SKUs 1507-LOST4C, 1507-LOST7, 1507-LOST16, 1507-LOST20C, 1507-LOST20S, 1507-LOST24, 1507-LOST48) — each holding padlocks, tags and hasps together, with a clear lockable cover on several models so contents are visible without being accessible to anyone but the keyholder. All station contents are available for refilling, which matters over the station’s working life: a station isn’t a one-time purchase, it needs its padlock and tag stock topped up as they’re issued and returned.
Section takeaway
- A lockout station’s size should match how many isolation points a site actually has active at once, not headcount — a 4-padlock station suits a single machine or panel, a 48-padlock station suits a plant-wide shutdown.
Tags: identifying who locked what, and why
A padlock alone tells a second person that something is isolated; it doesn’t tell them who did it or why. SHL’s PVC Lockout Tag with Eyelets (SKU 1506-TAG) is waterproof and tear-resistant, with a metal eyelet for attaching directly to the lock or the isolated point, and both standard stock tags and tailor-made printed inscriptions are available on order. A related but distinct product, the Scaffold Tag (SKU 1506-SCAFT), serves a different inspection purpose — a weatherproof holder with a write-on insert for recording scaffold inspection status, not energy isolation, but built to survive the same outdoor conditions.
Building this into an actual programme, not just buying parts
The station, padlocks and tags are the physical kit; the programme is what makes them work — a documented procedure for which isolation points exist, who is authorised to lock them, and a sign-off before a lock comes off. SHL supplies the hardware side of that; the procedure itself is a site-specific document Kenyan employers are expected to hold under Section 6’s general duty to ensure a safe workplace. The padlocks themselves — keyed-alike, keyed-different, or non-conductive — are covered in full in our lockout padlocks guide.
Common questions
What size lockout station does a small workshop need?
SHL’s smallest configuration is a 4-padlock station (SKU 1507-LOST4C) with a clear cover, suited to a single machine, panel or small workshop with one or two isolation points.
Can lockout station contents be refilled?
Yes — all station contents (padlocks, tags, hasps) are available for refilling as they’re issued, lost or replaced.
Is a scaffold tag the same as a lockout tag?
No — a lockout tag (SKU 1506-TAG) records who isolated an energy source and why. A scaffold tag (SKU 1506-SCAFT) records inspection status for scaffolding, a different compliance purpose using a similar weatherproof format.
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