Lockout/tagout system and method including multi-user lockout device with electronic locking and wireless control interface

Abstract

Lockout/tagout devices are configured to receive multi-user, electronically generated locking and unlocking commands over wireless interfaces to realize lockout safety chains of a desired length to assure worker safety in an industrial system. Electronically implemented systems and methods are also disclosed providing for enhanced worker safety, increased security, and improved lockout/tagout oversight involving a reduced number of locking devices and with fewer complications compared to conventional lockout/tagout devices, systems and processes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-user lockout/tagout device for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system, the multi-user lockout/tagout device comprising:
 a mechanical locking element;   a lock actuator acting upon the mechanical locking element; and   a processor-based control element in communication with the lock actuator to selectively control a position of the lock actuator with respect to the mechanical locking element when the mechanical locking element is coupled to a device in the industrial system, wherein the processor-based control element is configured to:
 wirelessly accept an electronic locking command from each of a number n of processor-based worker devices of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system; 
 store electronic locking command data as each electronic locking command is accepted, and in response to the accepted locking commands operate the lock actuator to lock the mechanical locking element; 
 wirelessly accept an electronic unlocking command from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices; 
 store electronic unlocking command data as each electronic unlocking command is accepted, and in response to the accepted unlocking commands operate the lock actuator to unlock the mechanical locking element; 
   wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of a desired length; and   wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , further comprising a display providing lockout data corresponding to the accepted locking commands. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication element, the communication element configured to receive an electronic locking command or an electronic unlocking command. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 3 , wherein the communication element is configured to conduct near field communication or short range communication with the number n of processor-based worker devices. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , further comprising a machine readable element identifying the multi-user lockout/tagout device to each of the number n of processor-based worker devices. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , further comprising a battery, and the processor-based control element further configured to communicate a state of charge of the battery. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical locking element is a padlock shank. 
     
     
         8 . A lockout/tagout system for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system comprising:
 a multi-user mechanical locking device including a locking element, a lock actuator, a processor-based control element, and a communication element configured to establish one of near field communication or short-range communication with a number n of processor-based worker devices configured to communicate with the multi-user mechanical locking device, each processor-based worker device configured to issue an electronic locking command or an electronic unlocking command to the multi-user mechanical locking device by respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system;   wherein the processor-based control element of the multi-user mechanical locking device is configured to:
 wirelessly accept an electronic locking command from each of the number n of processor-based worker devices; 
 in response to the accepted locking commands operate a lock actuator to lock the mechanical locking element; 
 wirelessly accept an electronic unlocking command from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices; and 
 in response to the accepted unlocking commands operate the lock actuator to unlock the mechanical locking element; 
 wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of a desired length; and 
   wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.   
     
     
         9 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , further comprising a display providing lockout data corresponding to the accepted locking commands. 
     
     
         10 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , wherein the number n of processor-based worker devices is selected from thea group of processor-based devices including a smart phone, a tablet device, a laptop computer, or a notebook computer. 
     
     
         11 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the number n of processor-based worker devices has a cellular communication capability. 
     
     
         12 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , further in communication with a SCADA system. 
     
     
         13 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , wherein the multi-user mechanical locking device further comprises a battery, and wherein the processor-based control element is further configured to communicate a state of charge of the battery. 
     
     
         14 . The lockout/tagout system of  claim 8 , wherein the mechanical locking element is a padlock shank. 
     
     
         15 . A lockout/tagout method for a lockout safety chain in an industrial system to ensure the safety of respective workers responsible to perform a maintenance task in the industrial system, lockout/tagout method comprising;:  establishing the lockout safety chain of a desired length via a processor-based, multi-user mechanical locking device attached to a device establishing a safe working position in the industrial system by:
 wirelessly accepting an electronic locking command at the multi-user mechanical locking device from each of the a number n of processor-based worker devices; 
 in response to the accepted locking commands, operating a lock actuator acting upon a mechanical locking element in the multi-user mechanical locking device to a lock position; 
 wirelessly accepting an electronic unlocking command at the multi-user mechanical locking device from each of the same number n of processor-based worker devices only when the unlocking commands are received in a particular order from at least some of the number n of processor-based worker devices; and 
 in response to the accepted unlocking commands operating the lock actuator to an unlocked position; 
 wherein the number n is an integer greater than 1 to realize the lockout safety chain of the desired length; and 
   wherein locking and unlocking of the lock actuator in the lockout safety chain only occurs when all locking and unlocking commands are received from each number n of processor-based worker devices.   
     
     
         16 . The lockout/tagout method of  claim 15 , further comprising displaying lockout data corresponding to the accepted locking commands. 
     
     
         17 . The lockout/tagout method of  claim 15 , further comprising communicating lockout data corresponding to the accepted locking commands to a SCADA system. 
     
     
         18 . The lockout/tagout method of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-based, multi-user mechanical locking device includes a battery, the method further comprising communicating a state of charge of the battery to at least one of the processor-based worker devices. 
     
     
         19 . The lockout/tagout method of  claim 15 , wherein the processor-based, multi-user mechanical locking device includes a machine readable element, the method further including:
 reading the machine readable element with at least one of the number n of processor-based worker devices; and   issuing an electronic locking command or an electronic locking command using data retrieved from the machine readable element.   
     
     
         20 . The lockout/tagout method of  claim 15 , wherein the mechanical locking element is a padlock shank. 
     
     
       21. The multi-user lockout/tagout device of  claim 1 , wherein two or more registered processor-based worker devices are configured for peer-to-peer communication, whereby at least a first one of the two or more registered processor-based worker devices may issue an unlocking command at a location remote from the lockout/tagout device to a second one of the two or more registered processor-based worker devices at the location of the lockout/tagout device.