A machine is shut down, a maintenance technician is working inside the danger zone – and a colleague who knows nothing about it switches the machine back on. Preventing exactly this kind of situation is the purpose of lockout-tagout (LoTo), the systematic safeguarding of maintenance work. With DIN EN 17975 (published December 2025), there is now for the first time a Europe-wide standard for this procedure. This guide explains what LoTo actually involves, what the legal situation in Germany really looks like, what the new standard covers – and how to organise maintenance safeguarding in practice.
What is lockout-tagout?
Lockout-tagout means the controlled isolation of a machine or plant from all energy sources before maintenance, repair or cleaning work. The procedure consists of two core elements:
- Lockout: Energy isolation points – such as main switches, shut-off valves or plug connections – are physically fixed in the safe position using personal safety padlocks and matching lockout devices. As long as the padlock is in place, no one can restart the machine.
- Tagout: A tag attached to the isolation point visibly documents who has secured the machine, why, and since when.
The goal is to reliably rule out the unexpected restart of machinery and the uncontrolled release of hazardous energy while work is in progress. Only when every person involved has removed their own padlock can the machine be returned to service.
The procedure originated in the United States: there, OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.147 has governed lockout-tagout in binding form for decades. Many established LoTo systems and products are still modelled on this reference today.
Why maintenance safeguarding saves lives
Maintenance is one of the most dangerous activities in any plant – for understandable reasons: guards are removed, covers are open, and workers have their hands, arms or entire bodies in areas that are inaccessible during normal operation. If the machine starts up unexpectedly at that moment, the result is severe injury.
Statistics from the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) show just how great the risk is: according to these figures, more than one in five fatal workplace accidents occurs during maintenance work. For maintenance and production managers, as well as for occupational safety specialists, this means that safeguarding against restart is not a side issue – it is one of the most effective levers for preventing serious and fatal accidents.
Typical triggers for such accidents are missing handovers between shifts, unmarked isolation points, overlooked residual energy – such as pressurised lines or raised loads – and improvised "safeguards" like a note taped to the control cabinet. This is precisely where a formalised LoTo procedure comes in: it replaces shouted warnings and paper notes with a padlock, a tag and a documented procedure.
The legal situation in Germany
ArbSchG and BetrSichV: the operator's duties
The German Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) obliges employers in general terms to assess hazards and take effective protective measures. The Industrial Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV) is more specific: Section 10 BetrSichV requires that maintenance work be carried out safely – which expressly includes securing work equipment against being switched on and against unintended movement. Anyone who has a machine serviced without reliably preventing it from being restarted is therefore in breach of a clear operator duty.
DGUV Regulation 3: electrical work only in a de-energised state
For work on electrical installations and equipment, Section 6 of DGUV Regulation 3 requires, as a rule, a de-energised state. In practice this is established using the well-known five safety rules of electrical engineering – which include, among other things, disconnecting and securing against reconnection. This "securing against reconnection" is exactly the point where lockout-tagout, with its padlock and tag, comes into play.
Is LoTo mandatory in Germany?
A precise answer is worthwhile here: No – lockout-tagout is not required by name in Germany. No German law or ordinance literally demands a "LoTo programme". What is required, however, is the outcome: during maintenance, machinery must be effectively secured against being switched on and against unintended movement, and electrical work must be carried out in a de-energised state. Lockout-tagout is the internationally recognised method of meeting exactly these duties systematically and – thanks to padlock, tag and documentation – verifiably. Anyone introducing LoTo is therefore not fulfilling their operator duties "on top", but in a particularly robust way.
New: DIN EN 17975 — the first European LoTo standard
What the standard covers
Until now, Europe lacked a uniform standard for the control of hazardous energies – companies followed the US regulation or their own corporate standards. That changes with DIN EN 17975, published in the December 2025 edition: it is the first Europe-wide standard for lockout-tagout, or the control of hazardous energies during maintenance work. Among other things, the standard addresses:
- the identification and marking of energy sources and isolation points on machines and plant,
- the documentation of LoTo procedures, i.e. machine-specific procedural instructions,
- the management of padlocks and keys, so it always remains clear who has applied which lock,
- the training of the employees involved.
Important for context: DIN EN 17975 is a standard, not a law. It creates no direct legal obligation. As the first European reference on the subject, however, it describes what proper maintenance safeguarding can look like – and thus provides a benchmark against which in-house concepts can be measured.
What companies should do now
- Take stock: Which machines are maintained, which energy sources and isolation points do they have, and how are they currently secured against restart?
- Update the risk assessment: Include safeguarding during maintenance as a topic in its own right and name concrete measures.
- Document procedures: Create written LoTo instructions for the relevant machines – where is energy isolated, locked out and verified?
- Define a padlock and key concept: Personal padlocks, clear assignment, controlled issue.
- Train and equip: Instruct employees and provide the necessary safeguarding equipment ready to hand at the point of use.
Putting LoTo into practice: the 6 energy types and the typical procedure
Anyone who thinks only of the main switch falls short. A complete LoTo concept considers six types of energy:
- Electrical – mains connections, control cabinets, plug connections
- Mechanical – moving parts, drives, rotating shafts
- Hydraulic – pressurised oil systems
- Pneumatic – compressed-air lines and reservoirs
- Thermal – hot or very cold media and surfaces
- Stored – springs, capacitors, accumulators, raised loads
The typical sequence of a maintenance safeguard follows a fixed pattern: inform those affected, shut the machine down normally, isolate all energy sources, secure the isolation points with a lockout device and personal padlock, mark them with a tag, safely dissipate any stored residual energy and finally verify effectiveness – for example with a start attempt. Only then does the actual work begin. Recommissioning runs in reverse order, and each padlock is removed exclusively by the person who applied it.
Equipment: what a LoTo station contains
LoTo only works if the safeguarding equipment is immediately at hand when it matters. If padlocks and lockout devices are scattered across drawers, people improvise in day-to-day work – and that is exactly what a LoTo station is designed to prevent: it gathers all safeguarding equipment centrally, clearly arranged and directly at the point of use. Typical equipment includes:
- Safety padlocks with padlock holders – for example for 15 padlocks per station,
- lockout devices and energy isolation aids for switches, valves and plugs,
- tags and markings for the isolation points,
- clear-view A4 display panels for the documented procedural instructions,
- storage boxes for small parts and accessories.
The ABAX Guard system from Kappes Systeme GmbH shows how this can be implemented in practice – a Bochum-based manufacturer that has been producing organisational solutions since 1974, manufactures in Germany and usually delivers within 48 hours. The range comprises three formats: the Guard Board as a wall board (900 × 490 mm) for individual machines, stationary Guard Points with four to five perforated panels (single-sided) or eight to ten perforated panels (double-sided) for entire departments, and mobile Guard Stations and trolleys for changing work locations.
The colour scheme in light grey and traffic red (RAL 7035/3020) stands out: the red signal colour makes the safety station impossible to miss on the shop floor and clearly distinguishes it from ordinary workshop furniture. The holders click onto the perforated panels without tools and can be rearranged at any time; colour coding also allows padlocks and accessories to be assigned to individual departments or machines. A LoTo station thus follows the same principle as the 5S method in the workshop: a fixed place for every item, with missing items immediately obvious.
If you are setting up maintenance safeguarding from scratch, it is best to plan the stations together with the rest of your workplace equipment – from positioning at the machines to the number of padlocks per team. For questions about sizing and layout, our consulting team is happy to help.
FAQ
Is lockout-tagout mandatory in Germany?
Not by name. No German law literally prescribes "lockout-tagout". What is mandatory is the substance: Section 10 BetrSichV requires securing against switch-on and unintended movement during maintenance work, and Section 6 of DGUV Regulation 3 requires a de-energised state for electrical work. LoTo is the recognised method of meeting these duties verifiably.
What is DIN EN 17975?
DIN EN 17975 (December 2025 edition) is the first Europe-wide standard for lockout-tagout and the control of hazardous energies during maintenance work. Among other things, it addresses the marking of energy sources, the documentation of procedures, padlock and key management, and training. It is a standard, not a law – but a benchmark for proper maintenance safeguarding.
What belongs at a LoTo station?
Safety padlocks with padlock holders, lockout devices and energy isolation aids for switches, valves and plugs, tags for marking, clear-view display panels (A4) for the procedural instructions, and storage boxes for accessories. The organisation is what counts: all equipment central, clearly arranged and immediately at hand at the point of use – as a wall board at the individual machine, as a stationary Guard Point for the department, or as a mobile station.