What is lockout-tagout (LOTO) and when would it be used in a healthcare setting?

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Multiple Choice

What is lockout-tagout (LOTO) and when would it be used in a healthcare setting?

Lockout-tagout is a safety process that prevents unexpected startup or release of stored energy in equipment during maintenance. The idea is to shut down the device, isolate its energy sources (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.), and apply a lock and a tag that identifies who locked it and why. In a healthcare setting, this is used whenever staff service or repair equipment that could injure someone if it suddenly powers on, such as infusion pumps, autoclaves, ventilators, or anesthesia machines. The proper sequence is to turn off the equipment, isolate all energy sources, apply the lock and tag, and verify the equipment is de-energized before work begins; after maintenance, energize only after the locks are removed by the authorized person who applied them. Other options don’t fit because they refer to patient identification, password resets, or access control to doors, which are not about preventing machine startup or energy release during maintenance.

Lockout-tagout is a safety process that prevents unexpected startup or release of stored energy in equipment during maintenance. The idea is to shut down the device, isolate its energy sources (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.), and apply a lock and a tag that identifies who locked it and why. In a healthcare setting, this is used whenever staff service or repair equipment that could injure someone if it suddenly powers on, such as infusion pumps, autoclaves, ventilators, or anesthesia machines. The proper sequence is to turn off the equipment, isolate all energy sources, apply the lock and tag, and verify the equipment is de-energized before work begins; after maintenance, energize only after the locks are removed by the authorized person who applied them.

Other options don’t fit because they refer to patient identification, password resets, or access control to doors, which are not about preventing machine startup or energy release during maintenance.

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