STANDARD + VR Mining and Heavy Industry · Canada Updated October 14, 2026

Lockout VR Training for Ontario Industrial Establishments (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851)

VR lockout scenario for Ontario plants under Reg. 851: disconnect, lock and tag, block stored energy and verify the machine is dead before reaching in.

QUICK ANSWER

Ontario Regulation 851 for industrial establishments requires electrical installations and equipment to be disconnected, locked out and tagged before work on them, and requires machine parts to be locked out where starting them could endanger a worker. A VR line lets maintenance staff practise the full isolation sequence on a stopped machine that can still bite.

What the Rule Requires

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 Industrial Establishments: section 42 requires electrical installations, equipment and conductors to be disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before work is done on them, with the regulation setting out the limited cases where live work is allowed. Other provisions of Reg. 851 require machinery and parts to be blocked or locked out where their starting or movement could endanger a worker during maintenance or repair.

The scenario is a corrugated packaging plant in Mississauga. A jam in a die cutter has stopped the line. The operator has pressed the stop button, the hydraulic accumulator is still charged and the motor control centre is on the other side of the plant.

Hazards in This Scenario

Unexpected start from a second control point
Stored hydraulic pressure
Gravity drop of a raised platen
A lock applied to the wrong disconnect

The Procedure the Scenario Rehearses

Identify every energy source for this machine
Notify affected operators
Open the disconnect and apply a personal lock and tag
Bleed or block stored energy
Try to start the machine to verify isolation
Remove locks only after the area is clear

Mistakes the Scenario Is Built to Catch

Relying on the stop button
Group lock with no personal lock
Accumulator left charged
No try-start check

Competence Assessment Matrix

Decision point	What the assessor sees	Pass standard
Sources	Energy sources listed	All identified
Isolation	Disconnect and lock	Personal lock applied
Stored energy	Accumulator and gravity	Released or blocked
Verify	Try-start	Done before work

What VR Covers

Energy sources that are easy to miss
A wrong disconnect that looks right
Verification practised every time
Step records per technician

What VR Does Not Replace

Written machine-specific procedures
Lock and tag hardware on the floor
Supervisor audits of real lockouts

Scope of a One-Scenario Pilot

A pilot builds this scenario as a single module, in Unity or Unreal Engine depending on the visual fidelity the task needs and the headsets on site. It runs on standalone headsets, logs every learner decision, and exports a per-person record for your training file. It is measured against your current method with a test cohort before anything is scaled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Reg. 851 say about lockout?

It requires electrical equipment to be disconnected, locked out and tagged before work, and machine parts to be locked out where movement could endanger a worker.

Why is stored energy part of the scenario?

Hydraulic, pneumatic and gravity energy stay after the power is off and cause many lockout injuries.

Can VR replace written procedures?

No. It trains people to follow them.

Want this scenario built around your site?

We review your current procedure and tell you which parts can be rehearsed in VR and which still need hands-on practice.

Map Your Highest-Risk Scenario