After a piece of equipment is locked out, prior to maintenance, you should: __________

• A. Verify the equipment is de-energized
• B. Power it back on to test
• C. Remove all guards
• D. Proceed with maintenance immediately

Answer: (A)

Before maintenance, you must verify that the equipment is fully de-energized and isolated from all energy sources. This is the essential safety step of lockout/tagout: ensure there is no electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or stored energy that could cause unexpected motion or release while someone is working. After applying lockout devices, you confirm zero energy by attempting to operate the controls (to verify it won’t start) or by using the appropriate testing equipment. This verification protects you from electrocution, crush injuries, and injuries from stored-energy release.

Powering the equipment back on to test would defeat the purpose of lockout and could re-energize it unexpectedly. Removing guards is unsafe and unnecessary during maintenance, and proceeding with maintenance immediately ignores the energy controls that keep you safe.