LOTO — Gravity and Mechanical Energy
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Gravity is an energy source that people often overlook in LOTO. Any elevated component — a press ram, a vehicle lift, a crane boom, a raised platform — stores gravitational potential energy.
- Block, crib, or mechanically restrain any component that could fall or move due to gravity before working beneath or near it. Never rely solely on hydraulic or pneumatic pressure to hold a load.
- Springs, flywheels, and counterweights store mechanical energy that can release suddenly. Identify these in the machine-specific energy control procedure and address each one.
- Tension in cables, ropes, chains, and belts is stored energy. A belt under tension can snap and strike a worker when a pulley is loosened. Relieve tension before disassembly.
- When blocking elevated machinery, use rated jack stands or cribbing — not improvised supports like cinder blocks, wood scraps, or stacked bricks.
Ask the crew
Is there any elevated or spring-loaded equipment in our area today that needs mechanical blocking before we work on it?
Standards this talk is built on
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
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Sign-in sheet
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| Name | Signature | Date |
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