What is CoHE (Control of Hazardous Energy) and why does it matter?

One of the biggest risks on any construction site, industrial project or live facility is people working around equipment that still has live energy running through it.

That’s where CoHE comes in.

In simple terms, CoHE is the process of making sure machinery, plant or systems are fully isolated and safe before anybody starts working on them. Sounds straightforward, but if it’s not managed properly, the consequences can be serious.

Hazardous energy isn’t just electrical either. It can include:

• Electrical systems
• Mechanical movement
• Hydraulic pressure
• Pneumatic systems
• Stored energy
• Heat and steam
• Suspended loads or gravity

A lot of serious accidents happen during maintenance, inspection or modification works when equipment is assumed to be isolated, but still has stored or live energy present.

That’s why having a proper CoHE procedure is critical on projects, especially within pharmaceutical, manufacturing, data centre and heavy commercial environments.

A good CoHE system should include:

• Clear identification of all energy sources
• Proper isolation procedures
• Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) controls
• Testing and verification before works start
• Competent authorised personnel
• Good communication between contractors and site teams

The biggest thing with CoHE is that it can’t just be paperwork. The process has to actually work on site.

Operatives need to understand:

• What’s being isolated
• Who isolated it
• How it was verified
• When it’s safe to work
• And who has authority to re-energise systems

Done properly, CoHE protects people, prevents downtime, and gives everybody confidence that works are being carried out safely.

At  Boven Safety Group, we regularly support clients with isolation management, contractor safety co-ordination, audits and practical hazardous energy control procedures across live construction and industrial environments throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.