A meat packaging facility wanted to modify their multivac sealing and packing machinery to allow for safe lock-out/tag-out (LO/TO) of any moving pieces of equipment while keeping the control system active during maintenance operations. RETTEW had previously been hired by the client to conduct safety training for its employees. Because of our safety expertise, as well as our electrical engineering capabilities, the client asked RETTEW to review their proposed modifications to accomplish this LO/TO safety enhancement.

RETTEW reviewed the diagram of the client’s proposed wiring modifications and responded with a memo containing our analysis and recommendations, including allowing the control system to remain powered on during maintenance and retooling procedures. This solution would reduce the risk of losing critical information and provide protection for personnel performing machine maintenance.

RETTEW also reviewed regulatory standards and made recommendations for signage and best practices for LO/TO of the multivac machine. Using RETTEW’s in-house experts in safety, electrical engineering, and programming, we offered single-source assistance to the client for their proposed modifications to provide a safe environment for their employees and maintain efficiency in their packaging operations.