Consider these questions:
If any of these situations apply to your facility the Parker LV or EZ valves may be the answer to these applications.
Parker’s LV series of valves offer a dedicated isolation device with a full-size exhaust port. Each of the valves has a pressure verification port installed as standard and can only be locked in the off position to ensure the valve can be quickly actuated in an emergency. The valves’ bodies are bright yellow with a red handle to help your employees find the valves quickly in an emergency.
OSHA only enforces the use of an energy isolation device (i.e. lockout valve), they do not define what constitutes a lockout valve. The definition of a lockout valve is determined by ANSI B11.0 and PMMI B155.1. These standards list four criteria that a device needs to meet to be considered an energy isolation device:
How pneumatic lockout valves meet energy isolation device criteria
1. Be capable of being locked in the OFF position only
A lockout valve quickly expels the pressurized compressed air in the lines and shuts off the machine. This is done for maintenance and emergency situations.
When the handle of the lockout valve is pushed inward, it shuts off the flow of compressed air and vents the downstream pressure out the exhaust port.
Once the handle has been pushed in, a lock can be placed on the handle, preventing the handle from being pulled out and resuming the flow of compressed air to the machine prematurely.
Unlike a ball valve that can be locked in both the open and closed positions, the Parker safety lockout valve can only be locked with the handle pushed in, cutting off the flow of compressed air.
2. Be easily identifiable as an isolation device
In the unfortunate event that an emergency shut-off is required, no one wants to be fumbling around trying to find what valve will shut-off the flow of compressed air. To achieve this criteria, Parker LV/EZ lockout valves are painted a bright safety yellow color with a red handle. The yellow and red device stands out and is easily identifiable as the compressed air line shut-off.
3. Have a visible pressure indicator
Energy isolation devices need to have some method of visibly showing if the device is under pressure or not. The type of indicator is not specified, so a lockout valve can use either an electronic meter or a simple manual pop-up indicator. On these indicators, the red button will be visible when the valve is under pressure. The red button will retract when the compressed air has been successfully vented from the valve.
4. Have an exhaust port equal to or larger than the supply ports
Expelling compressed air from a line should be done as quickly as possible. This fact is why all energy isolation devices need to have a large exhaust port. In comparison, a vented ball valve has a tiny port, often smaller than 1inch. This small hole does not vent the air quickly enough and could potentially concentrate the compressed air into a dangerous stream if the pressure gets high enough. For this reason, Parker has engineered the lockout valve to have a bigger exhaust port to expel the compressed air as quickly as possible. This expelled air can create a loud whooshing sound.
Pneumatic lockout valves offer the control over compressed air that manufacturing facilities need. Coupling these valves with a well thought- out lockout/tagout procedure document can keep OSHA from citing your facility for improper control of hazardous energy. The Parker safety lockout valve LV/EZ meets the four criteria that every energy isolation device needs to meet, with the added superior engineering you expect from Parker products.
Interested in learning more about our valve offerings? Contact us or request a quote today.