Is lockout/tagout a legal requirement in Australia?

Yes, in substance. The model WHS Regulations, Part 4.3, require plant that could cause injury from unexpected start-up or the release of stored energy to be capable of isolation from all its energy sources. The accepted way to meet that duty is the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice "Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace": isolate, de-energise, discharge stored energy, lock, tag, and verify a zero-energy state before work starts.

Is AS/NZS 4024 the lockout/tagout standard?

No. There is no dedicated Australian Standard for lockout/tagout procedure. AS/NZS 4024 is the Safety of Machinery series, which covers machine design — guards and interlocks — not the LOTO work procedure. AS/NZS 4836 covers safe working on or near low-voltage electrical installations. The isolation procedure itself comes from the Code of Practice, not a Standard.

Do I need a licence to perform lockout/tagout?

There is no national LOTO licence. Competency comes from the general WHS training and instruction duty (s19) — the person isolating plant must be trained and authorised. Electrical isolation is the exception: it additionally requires a licensed electrician under your state's electrical safety law.

What is a multi-worker lock station?

When more than one worker is exposed to the same isolated plant, each worker applies their own personal lock to a group lock box or multi-lock hasp. The plant cannot be re-energised until every worker has removed their own lock — this is the single-point-of-accountability principle from the Code of Practice applied to a multi-worker job.

Lockout Tagout Procedure Builder

Build a lockout/tagout isolation procedure for your plant — every energy source, whether a multi-worker lock station is needed, and the verification step before work starts.

Last verified: 26 July 2026

Which energy sources does this plant have?

Electrical

Mains, generator, battery or capacitor supply.

Hydraulic

Pressurised hydraulic fluid systems.

Pneumatic

Pressurised compressed-air systems.

Stored mechanical (springs, tensioned or counterbalanced parts)

Compressed or tensioned springs, counterweights, flywheels.

Gravity (suspended or elevated loads/components)

Parts that could fall or drift once support is removed.

Thermal (hot surfaces, steam, residual heat)

Heat that hasn't yet dissipated.

Chemical (residual product or gas in pipework/vessels)

Residual product left in lines or vessels after shutdown.

How many workers will be exposed to this isolation?*

More than one worker means a multi-worker lock station is required.

State or territory (optional)

Victoria and Western Australia run their own plant-isolation instruments alongside the model WHS scheme.

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Lockout Tagout Procedure Builder

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