When your lockout tagout devices are not in use, keep them in a dry, ventilated space that is out of direct sunlight and away from heat and chemical vapors. Store each safety padlock together with its matched key, but do not leave the key in the lock. A dedicated lockout device storage cabinet or wall board keeps pads, hasps, and tags organized and easy to issue. Before any device goes back into service, confirm the shackle moves freely and the key turns smoothly. Good storage is the simplest way to avoid rust, UV damage, and padlock seizure later on.
Most LOTO failures at the toolroom are not caused by the device itself, but by how it was parked between jobs. When a safety padlock or hasp sits unused for a while, three problems tend to appear, and each one can make the device unsafe or unusable the day you actually need it.
Rust and corrosion. Steel shackles and internal springs react with moisture in the air. In humid, coastal, or washdown environments this process speeds up. A thin film of corrosion on the shackle or inside the keyway is often invisible until the lock no longer opens cleanly.
UV damage to plastics. Some plastics used for device bodies, shackle covers, and tags can discolor and turn brittle under long-term exposure to direct sunlight. The change is gradual, so a tag that looked fine last quarter may snap or fade when you finally handle it.
Padlock seizure. A “seized” padlock is one where the shackle will not move or the key will not turn. It usually comes from a combination of moisture, dust, and simply not being operated for a long time. The moving parts bind, and forcing them can break the lock or, worse, leave a lock partially open during a real lockout.
None of these issues is obvious at a glance. That is why idle devices deserve the same attention as the ones currently on a machine.
The goal for any storage area is simple to describe and easy to get wrong. You want a location that stays dry and ventilated, is shielded from direct sunlight, and is kept away from heat sources and chemical vapors. A clean indoor room or a sealed cabinet in the maintenance shop meets this far better than a windowsill, a vehicle cab, or an outdoor shed.
Ventilation matters because trapped, stale air holds moisture against metal surfaces. Heat accelerates both corrosion and plastic breakdown, and chemical vapors from solvents, acids, or cleaning agents can attack metal and printed tag faces even when you cannot smell them. Keeping devices in their assigned lockout stations inside the building is the most reliable habit your team can build.
A station or cabinet also does something less obvious: it makes “where does this go” a non-question. When every lock, hasp, and tag has a home, your team is far more likely to put it back correctly after a job.
Different LOTO materials fail in different ways, so the same storage rule does not fit every device. The table below maps common materials to the risk you are managing and the practical step that reduces it.
| Material | What Can Go Wrong in Storage | What You Should Do |
|---|---|---|
| Steel (standard shackle) | Surface rust on shackle and springs | Keep dry; store away from washdown and coastal air |
| Stainless steel | Slow creep corrosion in salty, humid air | Still store dry; avoid prolonged salt exposure |
| Aluminum | Pitting; non-magnetic, light, but soft | Dry storage; avoid contact with dissimilar metals |
| Nylon / insulated shackle | Discoloration, surface crazing over time | Out of direct sun; away from heat |
| Brass | Tarnish; generally corrosion-resistant | Dry storage; wipe before long idle periods |
| Plastic device bodies | UV discoloration and embrittlement | Store out of direct sunlight entirely |
| PVC / laminated tags | Print fade, stiffness, edge cracking | Flat, dry, dark storage; avoid folded stacks |
A broader look at safety padlock best practices covers day-to-day care and cleaning steps in more detail, which we keep separate from storage so the two guides do not overlap on the same search terms.
This is the part most generic padlock-care articles skip, and it is where LOTO storage is genuinely different. In a lockout program, a padlock is only useful if you can prove which key opens it. Losing that link defeats the purpose of the device.
Do not leave the key in the lock. A padlock sitting in storage with its key still in the shackle is easy to misplace as a set, and it tells the next person nothing about which other locks share that key. Remove the key and store it against the lock’s identity.
Keyed-different (KD) sets need a strict lock-to-key record. With KD padlocks, every lock has its own key, so a numbered system is essential. Tag each lock with its number and keep the matching key in the same numbered slot. A clear explanation of keyed-different (KD) padlocks and how master-key systems work will help you decide what fits your site.
Use numbered storage. Whether you use a group lockout box with numbered positions or a pegboard with written labels, the rule is the same: one number, one lock, one key. When a device is issued, the number travels with the job record.
Most programs keep spare padlocks and devices on hand for growth, losses, and failed inspections. Spares are exactly the items most likely to sit untouched for a long time, so they need the most discipline.
Rotate stock. When you issue a padlock, take it from the oldest stock first. New purchases should go to the back of the shelf. This keeps devices cycling through use instead of aging in a corner.
Label purchase dates. A simple date sticker or a line in your inventory sheet tells you how long a device has been idle. You do not need a fixed expiry to act on this; a device that has sat far longer than your others is a good candidate for an extra check before issue.
Keep spares in the same conditions as working stock. A spare safety padlock stored in a damp storeroom will arrive at its first job already compromised. Treat the spare shelf as part of the same controlled storage, not a separate, ignored space.
The same logic applies to storing lockout tags: keep them flat, dry, and away from direct light so the print and the material stay readable and intact.
Storage discipline only pays off if someone actually looks at the device before it goes on a machine. Build a short issue check into your routine so problems are caught in the toolroom, not during a live lockout.
Before you hand out any stored device, confirm four things:
The shackle moves freely. Open and close the lock by hand. If the shackle drags, sticks, or only moves part way, set it aside.
The key turns smoothly. Insert the matched key and turn it through its full travel. Stiffness or a key that will not seat is an early sign of internal corrosion.
No corrosion. Look at the shackle, the keyway, and any metal contact points for rust or powdery deposits.
No cracks or discoloration. On plastic bodies, shackle covers, and tags, watch for crazing, fading, or brittle edges that suggest UV or age damage.
This pre-issue check pairs well with a broader LOTO audit checklist your site may already run on a schedule.
Use this quick self-check to judge your current setup. Open each item and answer honestly before a device fails you on the floor.
If the air feels stale or you see condensation, move devices to a sealed cabinet indoors. Dry, moving air is the single biggest defense against rust on steel and springs.
Plastic bodies, shackle covers, and tags degrade under UV and heat. Keep them inside, away from windows, heaters, and solvent storage.
No key left in the lock, and every KD padlock tied to its numbered key slot. A group lockout box with numbered positions makes this automatic.
Shackle free, key smooth, no corrosion, no cracks. Make it a step in your issue routine, not an afterthought.
A device that fails the pre-issue check should never go back on a machine. The safe move is to quarantine it, label it clearly as “do not use,” and remove it from the active pool until it is dealt with.
For minor stiffness, the cleaning and lubrication steps belong in the dedicated padlock-care guide rather than here, so the two articles do not compete for the same terms. For anything showing real corrosion, cracks, or a shackle that will not move, replacement is the responsible call. Keeping a small, rotated spare stock (see above) means a failed lock is an inconvenience, not a halted job.
Document the failure in your inventory or audit record. A pattern of failures in one material or one storage spot is useful feedback about your environment, not just about the device.
In a dry, ventilated space out of direct sunlight and away from heat and chemical vapors, kept with their matched key but not with the key left in the lock. A dedicated station or cabinet keeps them organized and easy to issue.
Seizure usually comes from moisture and dust settling in the shackle and keyway combined with long periods without being operated. The moving parts bind, and the key may no longer turn. Dry storage and occasional exercise of the mechanism reduce the risk.
Some plastics can discolor and become brittle under long-term exposure to direct ultraviolet light. Keeping device bodies, shackle covers, and tags out of direct sunlight is the practical way to avoid this.
Keys should be stored matched to their lock, but not left in the lock itself. For keyed-different sets, a numbered system that ties each lock to its own key slot prevents mix-ups and keeps the lockout accountable.
There is no single interval that fits every site. The practical rule is to inspect each device as part of your regular LOTO equipment checks and always before it is reissued, rather than relying on a fixed calendar date.
It is not ideal. Vehicles and outdoor sheds expose devices to temperature swings, moisture, UV, and vibration, all of which raise the risk of rust and plastic damage. If storage there is unavoidable, use a sealed, climate-stable container and inspect more closely before use.
A lockout station is well suited to organized daily storage and issuing, and it supports good habits like numbered positions. Long-term spare stock still needs the same dry, ventilated, sun-free conditions, and rotating that stock keeps it from aging unused.
Confirm the shackle moves freely, the key turns smoothly, there is no corrosion on metal parts, and there are no cracks or discoloration on plastic bodies, covers, or tags. Any failure means the lock should be quarantined.
| Setting Up Storage for Your LOTO Devices? Share your site conditions (humid, coastal, dusty, outdoor) and how many locks and devices you hold, and Prolockey can suggest a station layout and suitable padlock materials for your environment. |
Prolockey provides lockout tagout devices; employers are responsible for establishing and implementing site-specific energy control procedures.
Continue reading on the Prolockey site:
What Is a Lockout Station: Types, Contents, Placement and Sizing
Keyed-Different vs Keyed-Alike LOTO Padlocks (KD/KA/Master Key Guide)
Lockout Tagout Audit Checklist: What Industrial Sites Should Inspect
