Lockout tags are small, cheap and constantly audited — which makes their failure modes worth fixing before the next inspection. Here are the seven mistakes we see most often.
The seven mistakes
- Reusable tags used as single-use. If your isolation process requires single-use tags, reusing them undermines the record.
- No unique numbering. Un-numbered tags can't be reconciled against the isolation register.
- Faded or torn tags left in place. An illegible tag reads as "no current record" to an auditor — replace it.
- Tags applied but locks missing. A tag without a lock is a warning, not an isolation.
- Write-on fields smudged. Pen that runs in rain or oil destroys the record — test your pens with your tags.
- Wrong attachment. Tags that fall off in service leave equipment unmarked mid-job.
- Register not matching tags. Tags and the isolation register must agree; drift here is the most common audit finding.
Fix the system, not just the tags
Most of these are process issues that good tags make easier: unique numbering, durable materials, and a design that matches your actual isolation procedure.
Prime Tags supplies safety and lockout tags made in Australia with sequential numbering and durable materials, shipped daily nationwide. Free samples available — and our Lowest Price Guarantee beats any comparable price by 15%*.