Why is not all locks the same?

When most people think of padlocks, they think of something to protect their valuables from thieves. This could be a locker at the gym or the gate to an allotment garden. They serve their purpose well in these situations, but when it comes to occupational safety, they quickly reach their limits, because here it is necessary to protect employees from accidentally restarting machines or systems, and this requires special locks. ​

Conventional padlocks must be robust. They must be able to withstand mechanical forces and be particularly weather-resistant, as they are often installed outdoors all year round. These points are not usually relevant for a security lock.

What is a security padlock?

These are special padlocks that are used in lockout-tagout procedures, or LOTO for short. LOTO prevents a machine from being restarted unintentionally or accidentally, or dangerous energies from being released, which could then endanger or even kill the people working on it during maintenance work. They therefore do not need to be particularly burglar-proof, but they must prevent an uninformed employee from making a serious mistake. The safety locks have other important features as well: ​

• They are available in different colors to enable coding of responsibilities or functions.
• Lockout feature: The key can only be removed when the lock is locked.
• One key per lock. There is no duplicate key that can be used to secretly remove the lock.
• EX-protected: There are locks that can also be used in potentially explosive areas because they are made of spark-proof material.
• Non-conductive housing: The lock is made of robust plastic and is therefore non-conductive. Ideal for applications in electrical areas.

Another important criterion is the variety of different locks. A normal padlock that you can buy in any hardware store often has so few different lock combinations that if you buy twenty locks, there is a high probability that two of them will have the same lock combination. This is not a problem for private users, because who buys twenty locks at once? However, for a large company that often uses over 1,000 safety locks for the LOTO process, this would be a major security risk. For this reason, safety locks have over 40,000 different locking mechanisms. ​

Why choose security padlocks from HLOX?

• The lock and key are marked with the respective lock combination. We ensure that you will not receive the same lock combination twice, even for future purchases. Naturally, there is no additional cost to you.
• Our locks have a locking mechanism. The key can only be removed once the shackle is closed.
• Over 40,000 different closures are possible.
• The locks are labeled in German.

In summary, it can be said that security padlocks function similarly to normal padlocks, but are ideal for occupational safety applications and therefore meet the safety requirements of companies.

If you have any questions about LOTO, please do not hesitate to contact the HLOX team. We will be happy to help you.