Blog IFAM
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What are lockout-tagout (LOTO) padlocks?
17/12/2018Padlocks are an intermediate element that is essential when locking energy sources for a machine or piece of equipment according to lockout-tagout (LOTO) protocols for industrial occupational safety. Why do we refer to them as an intermediate element? They are located in the middle of a sequence that begins by placing the main locking device [...]
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How can I avoid getting my bike stolen?
19/10/2018Bike theft happens on a daily basis, both in large cities and smaller towns. The increasing popularity of this ecological and healthy form of transport goes beyond fashion, and is something that we should be proud of. The negative side however, is that some people take advantage of the increased numbers of bikes and decide [...]
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Master Keying II. Lock Plans
15/06/2018When deciding to create a master keying system, whether for padlocks or door cylinders (or both in combination), it is essential to draw up a document – called a lock plan – to define which keys will open exactly which doors. In other words, this document will define the master keys, sub-master keys and independent [...]
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Lockout-tagout (LOTO). The OSHA Regulations
28/05/2018In a previous post, in which we looked at lockout-tagout (LOTO) for industrial safety, we saw that the origin of these procedures can be found in the rules drawn up by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1989. The rule directly related to lockout-tagout is OSHA Regulation 1910.147 on the control of [...]
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TSA Padlocks; Padlocks for trips to the US
02/05/2018If you need to take a flight to the United States in the near future, you have probably heard that you need a TSA padlock. Using these kinds of locks comes from the growing strictness of security measures at US airports, especially since the 11 September 2001 attacks. TSA padlocks are not mandatory, but they [...]
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Cylinders with emergency function: How to open a door with the key inside
16/04/2018It is bound to have happened to you at some point. You leave home and your keys are still hanging inside the door. You could call a locksmith to solve the problem and you would be sure the job was done in a professional way. Many people, however, don’t know that this inconvenience can be [...]
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What is Bumping and How to Prevent It
07/02/2018A long spate in recent years of successful home robberies using bumping has unfortunately popularised this technique of forcing cylinder door locks. Hence, the term ‘bumping’ has become widespread in the media and entered the everyday vocabulary of the man on the street. But what is bumping exactly? Why has it become such a widely-used [...]
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Six Tips for Choosing the Right Padlock
07/02/2018You might be surprised to hear that choosing the right padlock to suit your needs is not as easy as you might think. A padlock is a padlock, right? Well, yes and no. There are so many different places they can be used and so many different materials or features, that we have decided to [...]
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Industrial Safety: What is lockout-tagout or LOTO?
07/02/2018Great advancements have been made over recent years in the field of occupational risk prevention in several countries following the application of laws and procedures to safeguard worker health and safety. One of the latest trends in this area has been the introduction of lockout-tagout procedures, which prevent accidental operation of machinery and equipment during [...]
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Master Keying (I). The four main types of master keying
07/02/2018Perhaps you’ve seen someone you know open the door to their house with the same key they use to open their lobby door. Is it magic? Absolutely not. Neither is it just a way to make things easier for themselves but also one that compromises their lock security. Far from it. You have simply witnessed [...]