The Circuit-Safe lockout system is a reliable system designed to provide circuit lockout capability at the circuit breaker. In conjunction with a safety lock, Circuit-Safe prevents the closure of the circuit, thereby locking out hazardous electricity. Circuit-Safe is comprised of a metal rail assembly and interfacing lockout pins that are used to hold the breaker handle in the “off” position. The hardware is mounted permanently at the circuit breaker panel. As a reliable lockout system for locking out circuit breakers, Circuit-Safe supports compliance with OSHA and NFPA requirements.
OSHA standard 1910.147, “The Control of Hazardous Energy,” requires employers to establish programs to prevent the unexpected energization, start-up or release of stored energy in equipment and machines through the use of energy isolating devices. In the case of electrical energy, sometimes the circuit breaker is the best isolating device.
In an effort to make facilities safer for electrical work, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sponsored the creation of the standard NFPA 70E, which is known as the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
Article 120 in NFPA 70E is called “Establishing an Electrically Safe Work Condition” and outlines a six-step process. Central to the process is a lockout system that ensures electrical circuits are de-energized. Often the circuit breaker is the most effective means for de-energizing circuits.
In the current NFPA 70 (National Electric Code 2014), Article 110.25 requires that in situations where an electrical circuit must be locked out, the provisions for locking out the circuit, “shall remain in place with or without the lock installed.” That means when the circuit breaker will be the point of lockout, the NEC requires the lockout hardware to be located on the circuit breaker panel. Circuit-Safe, which is permanently mounted at the panel, meets this NEC requirement.
Not only does Stranco’s Circuit-Safe lockout hardware help you meet the OSHA and NFPA requirements for circuit-breaker lockout, it also makes it fast and easy to lockout appropriately each and every time. And because it is located on the circuit breaker panel, it helps reduce the risk of unsafe shortcuts, ensuring that safety procedures are thoroughly followed. And Circuit-Safe components remain securely in place, even with multiple locks attached. Contact Stranco today to learn more about how you can meet OSHA and NFPA safety requirements with Circuit-Safe lockout hardware.
