What this is
What is energy isolation verification?
What is energy isolation verification?
Energy isolation verification is the set of physical tests, performed at the point of work before it begins, that prove every energy source on a machine has been isolated and any stored energy released or restrained. It is distinct from applying the lock; it is proving the lock did what it was meant to do.
What is the try-start test?
Attempting to operate the machine's normal controls after isolation and confirming it does not run. It is the final check in the sequence, and it catches errors upstream, a wrong isolation point, an unrecorded energy source, that every other test can miss.
Why test the instrument before and after checking for voltage?
A zero reading is consistent with two situations: the circuit is dead, or the tester is broken. Proving the instrument reads live on a known source immediately before and after the test is what distinguishes those, and a reading without that check proves nothing.
Scope
When is an energy isolation verification required?
This record is the test at the point of work, not the procedure that defines how to isolate the machine or the audit that checks the procedure is followed generally. Confusing these three produces either duplicated paperwork or a gap where none of them actually happened.
Use this template when
- A lockout or tagout has just been applied and work is about to begin on the isolated equipment
- The isolation covers more than one energy source and each needs its own verification
- A permit or work order requires proof of isolation before work is authorised to start
- A prior verification is being repeated because work was interrupted and the state needs reconfirming
- A linked record needs this one to exist, such as a permit or an asset with isolation history
Do not use it for
- Lockout/Tagout Procedure (Machine Specific), which defines in advance every energy source and isolation point, rather than testing that a specific application worked
- LOTO Periodic Inspection, which audits whether procedures are followed correctly across a sample of isolations over time, not whether one is currently safe
- Group Lockout Record, which documents a group isolation under a single lockout device where several people work on one machine
- Arc Flash Study Record, which calculates incident energy at a panel as an engineering exercise, not a per-event test that an isolation is currently effective
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.147(d)(6) requirements does this satisfy?
OSHA 1910.147(d) sets out the isolation sequence in detail, naming verification as its own step, unusual specificity that reflects how often this step is the one that gets skipped.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.147(d)(6) | Verification that isolation and de-energisation have been accomplished, including a try-operate test | Overall verification |
| OSHA 1910.147(d)(4) | Test instruments used to check for zero energy must themselves be checked for proper operation | Verification by source |
| OSHA 1910.147(d)(3) | Isolating devices operated so the machine is disconnected or isolated from every energy source | Verification by source |
| OSHA 1910.147(d)(5) | Stored or residual energy must be relieved, disconnected, restrained or otherwise rendered safe | Verification by source |
| OSHA 1910.147(c)(4) | Isolation carried out in accordance with the specific energy control procedure for the machine | Header |
| ISO 45001 cl.8.1.2 | Elimination of hazards and reduction of risk before work proceeds | Overall verification |
| ISO 45001 cl.10.2 | Investigation of incidents, including events that could have resulted in harm | Overall verification |
What it does not cover
- Lockout/Tagout Procedure (Machine Specific), the pre-defined list of energy sources and isolation points this verification tests against, not something this record establishes.
- LOTO Periodic Inspection, a periodic audit of whether procedures are followed across the site, distinct from confirming one isolation is currently safe.
- Group Lockout Record, which documents the group device and the workers under it when several people share one isolation.
- Arc Flash Study Record, which calculates incident energy at a panel in advance, and does not test that a given isolation was correctly applied.
- Lock Removal Authorization, which governs the separate decision to remove another person's lock, not the isolation test itself.
Global
Energy Isolation Verification requirements by country
The duty to control hazardous energy before work is close to universal; the specific try-operate test and its numbered place in the sequence are OSHA's.
OSHA 1910.147(d)(6)
Verification, including a try-operate test, is a named, separate step in the isolation sequence, not folded into locking the device.
Citations under 1910.147 routinely turn on whether verification happened at all, not whether the device itself was applied correctly.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 reg.12 and 13; PUWER reg.19
Isolation must be secure and its effectiveness proved before work starts, without a named try-start step, assessed generically as safe isolation.
HSE guidance describes the same test sequence in substance, proving dead before and after, even though the regulation does not name it.
ISO 45001 cl.8.1.2
Elimination of hazards is a management system requirement, applied here to confirming a hazardous energy source is actually controlled before exposure.
An auditor will ask for evidence the isolation was tested, not just that a procedure describing isolation exists.
How to complete it
How to complete an energy isolation verification, step by step
The template records a pass or fail. What decides whether that pass means anything is whether the sequence was performed on every source, rather than assumed from familiarity.
A zero reading is only meaningful if the instrument was shown to read live immediately before and after the test. Skipping that step turns a genuine verification into a reading that could just as easily mean the meter has failed, and the record should not treat the two as equivalent.
Electrical isolation confirmed dead does not mean a machine cannot move. Springs, gravity, compressed air and hydraulic pressure are separate hazards with separate release requirements, and a verification that stops at the electrical source has not finished the job the machine needs.
The value of trying to start the machine is precisely that it does not depend on anyone's confidence about which point was isolated. It is the check that fails visibly when the wrong point was identified, an error every other check, performed correctly against a wrong assumption, will not catch.
A verification that fails means work was about to start on equipment that was not actually isolated, a serious potential event whether or not anyone was exposed. Routing it to a case record is what distinguishes a programme that learns from near misses from one that quietly redoes the lockout and moves on.
What auditors find
Most common energy isolation verification findings
Findings on isolation verification concentrate on steps skipped under familiarity, sources treated as covered when they were not, and failures fixed rather than investigated.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Zero energy confirmed using an instrument not proven live before and after the test. | OSHA 1910.147(d)(4) | Require and record the instrument test on a known live source immediately either side of the check. |
| Stored or residual energy, springs, gravity, compressed air, not addressed for a mechanically isolated source. | OSHA 1910.147(d)(5) | Verify release or restraint for every stored energy type present, not only the electrical source. |
| Try-start test skipped or recorded as performed without the controls actually being operated. | OSHA 1910.147(d)(6) | Make the try-start test a discrete, required step that cannot be marked complete without it happening. |
| Verification method recorded as a statement rather than a site visit, record review or photograph. | OSHA 1910.147(d)(6) | Require an evidenced verification method for every source; a statement alone is not a test. |
| A failed verification closed out and re-attempted with no case or investigation record raised. | ISO 45001 cl.10.2 | Route any failed source verification to an investigation record before work is re-authorised. |
| Verification not tied to the specific isolation points defined in the machine's energy control procedure. | OSHA 1910.147(c)(4) | Reference the procedure ID on the verification and confirm the points tested match those it specifies. |
Case in point
Case in point: the source that was never on the list
A packaging line technician isolated a conveyor for a jam clearance: locked out the motor's electrical supply, confirmed zero voltage with a tester, and tried the start button, which did not move the belt. Verification was recorded as a pass. The line also carried a pneumatic cylinder, fed from a shared compressed air header, that held a diverter gate in position against the belt at the exact point the technician needed to reach.
The energy control procedure for the conveyor had never listed the diverter's air supply as a separate isolation point, treated instead as part of an adjacent machine on the layout drawing. The electrical verification and the try-start test were both performed correctly, against an isolation that had missed a source entirely. The gap surfaced only when the technician reached past the gate and it shifted under residual air pressure. The fix was not a stricter verification step; it was correcting the procedure to list every energy source reachable from the work area, which the verification record can only ever test against, not supply on its own.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
3 sections
- Reference
- MNT-057
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- EIV-2026-000
- Scoring
- Pass or fail
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.147(d)(6)
- Links
- Links Permit, Asset
- Tags
- LOTO, Verification
- Sections
- 3
- Fields
- 35
- Follow up fields
- 1
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 5
Header
14 fieldsVerification ID*
Auto sequence. Format EIV-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Raised By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Permit ID
Links to SAF-050 Permit ID
Work Order ID
Links to MNT-002 Work Order ID
Procedure ID*
Links to MNT-055 Procedure ID
Prove It Is Dead
Isolation is a belief until it is verified. Test the instrument on a known live source, test the isolated equipment, then test the instrument again.
Verification by source
Repeats9 fieldsEnergy Type*
Isolation Point Reference*
Lock Applied*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Verification Method*
- Site visit4 pts
- Record review3 pts
- Photograph2 pts
- Statement only0 pts
Test Instrument Used
Instrument Proven Live Before And After
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Reading Obtained
Confirmed Zero Energy*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Stored Energy Released Or Restrained*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Overall verification
12 fieldsTry Start Test Performed*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Machine Did Not Operate*
- Correct, did not operate3 pts
- It operated0 pts
Controls Returned To Off*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
All Sources Verified*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Any Source Failed Verification*
- No3 pts
- Yes0 pts
Case ID
A failed isolation is a serious potential event, even though nobody was hurt.
Thread key
Safe To Begin Work*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Verification Time*
Verified By*
Signature*
Second Person*
Second Signature*
MNT-057 · record IDs look like EIV-2026-000 · Links Permit, Asset
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The test itself is quick. What fails is the surrounding record: the source never listed in the procedure, and the failed verification quietly repeated instead of investigated.
Holds the verification against the asset's energy control procedure, flags sources tested that do not match the procedure on file.
Links a failed verification to a case record automatically, so a near miss on isolation is investigated rather than absorbed into a repeated test.
Confirms the worker recording the verification holds current lockout and tagout authorisation for the energy types involved.
Watches for verifications recorded as statement-only or missing the try-start test, and raises them before work proceeds.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Energy Isolation Verification definitions and key terms
- Zero energy state
- The condition in which every energy source capable of causing harm at the point of work has been isolated, released or restrained, and verified.
- Try-operate test
- Attempting to operate a machine's normal controls after isolation to confirm it does not run, the final and most decisive step in the sequence.
- Isolation point
- The specific device, valve, disconnect or breaker at which an energy source is interrupted, as defined in the energy control procedure.
- Residual energy
- Energy remaining stored in a system after the primary source is isolated: compressed air in a line, hydraulic pressure, or a raised mass under gravity.
- Energy control procedure
- The machine-specific document listing every energy source and isolation point, which this verification tests against rather than defines.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about energy isolation verification
Is the try-start test really necessary if the lockout was applied correctly?+
Yes. The test exists to catch a correctly applied lock at the wrong point, an error that looks identical to a correct isolation right up until someone tries to start the machine.
What counts as valid proof of zero energy?+
A reading from an instrument proven live on a known source immediately before and after the test. A reading alone, without that check, cannot distinguish a dead circuit from a failed meter.
Does every energy source on a machine need separate verification?+
Yes. Electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and stored mechanical energy each fail independently, and a machine can be electrically dead and still capable of moving under stored energy.
What should happen when a verification fails?+
It should be treated as a serious potential event and routed to investigation, because work was about to start on equipment that was not actually isolated. Quietly redoing the test loses the finding that made the failure worth knowing about.
Who is authorised to carry out the verification?+
The authorised worker who applied the isolation, following the machine's specific energy control procedure. Verification is part of the isolation act, not a separate check done by someone else afterwards.
Does a photograph count as verification?+
It is weaker evidence than a site visit or an instrument reading, and the template scores it accordingly. A photograph can show a lock is in place; it cannot show the isolation point was correct.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Lockout and Tagout
Audit Finding Record
Records a single audit finding with its evidence, clause reference and classification
Lockout/Tagout Procedure (Machine Specific)
Sets out exactly how to isolate a specific machine, listing every energy source and isolation point
LOTO Periodic Inspection
Checks that a specific energy control procedure is being followed correctly in practice
Group Lockout Record
Records a group isolation where several people work on one machine under a single lockout
Lock Removal Authorization
Authorises removing a lock when the person who applied it is not available
Line Breaking Permit
Controls opening pipework that has held hazardous liquid, gas or steam
More in Energy Control
Lockout/Tagout Procedure (Machine Specific)
Sets out exactly how to isolate a specific machine, listing every energy source and isolation point
LOTO Periodic Inspection
Checks that a specific energy control procedure is being followed correctly in practice
Group Lockout Record
Records a group isolation where several people work on one machine under a single lockout
Lock Removal Authorization
Authorises removing a lock when the person who applied it is not available
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- OSHA 1910.147(d) — Control of Hazardous Energy, Application of Control
- OSHA 1910.147(d)(6) — Verification of Isolation
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulations 12 and 13 (GB)
- ISO 45001:2018 clauses 8.1.2 and 10.2
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.