November 18, 2010 -Redbusbar released IsolationPoint lockout procedure management program. IsolationPoint allows a technician to use a PDA to execute energy isolation procedures. This feature delivers equipment lockout, accuracy and efficiency.IsolationPoint comprises an isolation procedure library located on a PC and a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) as the means to execute isolation procedures. When required, an isolation procedure is scheduled for execution onto the PDA.
The isolation officer then follows the isolation steps specified in the procedure and uses the PDA’s barcode or RFID scanner to verify isolation point identity. When the procedure is complete, time stamped progress information is archived to the PC. Using this approach, IsolationPoint enhances safety, uses less people and requires less administration. Maintenance Engineers at some of Australia’s top mining and industrial sites were recently surveyed on the subject of lockout procedures. Many remarked that they have experienced incidents involving the incorrect identification of isolation points.
That is, they have experienced occasions where a worker has mistakenly turned off the wrong equipment and started work on the right equipment. The risk is that the right equipment may, or has, unexpectedly activated. Most companies aim to address the risk of inaccurate isolations by employing two people to execute isolation procedures. The intention is that dual person crosschecking of equipment identification avoids mistakes. Even after employing this measure, mistakes have occurred as the approach is exposed to common cause, trust or distraction related failures.
What makes matters worse is that modular plant design methods yield multiple process trains within the plant that appear identical. In addition, the use of long equipment identifiers facilitates errors.
