Anthony LaFaziaCEO, Atlantic Training · CEO at Atlantic Training | EdTech & Safety Compliance Leader

Lockout Tagout for Rotating Machinery: The Step Most Workers Get Wrong

17 Sept 2026 · 3 min

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2:35

In this safety training segment, the speaker explains that simply cutting power on rotating machinery is insufficient because stored kinetic energy can keep components moving after shutdown, posing a serious injury risk. He outlines the correct lockout/tagout (LOTO) process for rotating equipment: isolate and lock out the power source, wait for the machine to come to a complete stop, verify that motion has ceased (via visual inspection, listening, or RPM gauges), and, if needed, mechanically block the motion using wedges, chocks, or pins. He emphasizes that these blocking devices should never be used to slow down a machine; instead, workers must allow the equipment to coast to a stop, stay alert, and only proceed when it is truly safe. The speaker stresses the importance of controlling all hazardous energy, not just electrical, to prevent severe injuries or fatalities.

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Now let's talk a bit about maintenance, okay? Eventually you have to fix this stuff. Bearings wear out, belts snap. It's where people really get seriously injured or killed, actually. You might think, I hit the e-stop, it's safe. Wrong. You need to follow your lockout/tagout— that's LOTO— procedures under federal regulations. But for rotating machinery specifically, there's a secret killer that we need to discuss. It's called stored kinetic energy. That's the energy of motion. So just because you cut the power, it doesn't mean the machine stops moving immediately. You see, some components, they can coast silently for a long time after the power's cut. Long enough to seriously injure anyone who reaches in before motion's fully stopped. Think about a massive flywheel, a centrifuge, or a high-speed turbine. You cut the breaker, put your lock on, and walk over to the machine. That part inside, it might still be spinning. If you stick your hand in there to stop it or start working before it's dead stopped, nah, the physics of that spinning mass, it's gonna win. LOTO isn't just about locks. It's about controlling all hazardous energy, including residual motion. For rotating gear, that means: 1, you isolate the power, you lock it out. 2, you wait for the rotation to actually stop completely. 3, you verify it stopped. Seems simple, right? You look through the inspection port, you listen for the whine, and hey, check the RPM gauge. And then 4, you block the motion if necessary. Use wedges, chocks, or pins so gravity doesn't cause it to spin or settle while you're working on it. Now look, that does not mean that you use these devices To slow something down—that's another big no-no. Don't rush the coast down. Take a break. Stay alert. The machine's still going to be there when it's safe. Make sure you are too.