Digital Lockout Tagout Safety Solution Wins Stora Enso’s Global Safety Awards
It has been exciting to be part of the cooperation and the process that increases the safety of Stora Enso factory. – Riitta Vaajamo, Symbio Sales Director
Symbio was a software development partner in implementing a digital LoTo (Lockout Tagout) safety solution for Stora Enso’s Imatra Kaukopää factory. A LoTo solution is used during factory’s service and maintenance to ensure the safety of the employees. LoTo solution ensures that the production line or part of it cannot be operational until the maintenance work is completed. When the production line is closed for maintenance, for example the valves of the line are closed and after closing, they are secured with a physical lock so that no one can accidentally open the valves during the maintenance work.
What Was the Project Scope?
In the new digital solution, maintenance workers have a mobile application instead of a traditional paper notebook to keep track on the safety plan. Maintenance workers use the mobile application to mark the locks locked or unlocked. Each lock is digitally identified, and maintenance work can only be started when all the locks in the locking plan have been acknowledged as locked. This significantly reduces the risk of human errors compared to taking notes on a paper.
When the maintenance work is done, the locks are opened in the reverse order, and they are marked opened in the application. Employees can see the status of locks related to their maintenance work in real time, and they can be assured of work safety. Employees can also comment on events using the application. In addition to the mobile application, the solution includes a dashboard view for control room employees, from which they can update the security plan and monitor its progress in real time.
Symbio was Stora Enso’s software development partner in the LoTo project. Together with Stora Enso Imatra team, a concept and a Proof of Concept were made to verify the functionality of the concept in a real environment. After the Proof of Concept, the team proceeded to the final solution that was put into production at Stora Enso’s Imatra factory.
What is Stora Enso’s Global Safety Awards?
Stora Enso Global Safety Awards is an award given in the Stora Enso organization for excellent work in promoting occupational safety. The winners of the award can be exemplary in promoting safety practices, in innovative solutions to prevent work accidents, or in showing excellent results in strengthening the occupational safety culture in the organization.
LoTo solution received an award in the “Controlling Safety Risks” category, which focuses on preventive actions and risk management in the work environment. The category awards a solution that:
- Eliminates a safety risk during construction or development phase of machines
- Provides effective mitigating measures to avoid a possible accident and protect the employee
- Reduce or eliminate an identified risk
- Improves everyday safety in a work process, working conditions and work environment
- Utilizes digital solutions when necessary
What the Award Means to Symbio?
Symbio’s Sales Director Riitta Vaajamo is excited on the news. “Safety is a united effort. We have worked together with Stora Enso team, and the team truly deserves this award. It has been exciting to be part of the cooperation and the process that increases the safety of Stora Enso factory. Overall, the cooperation has already lasted for four years, and we are very happy that Stora Enso has trusted us in the collaboration.”
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