An equipment isolation system (10) for remotely isolating equipment (20, 21, 210, 250) in a plant comprising equipment (20, 21, 210, 250) energisable by an energy source and a control system (50) for controlling operation of said equipment (20, 21, 210, 250) and isolation of said equipment from said energy source to an isolated state by an operator, wherein said control system (50, 260, 700) includes an identification device (790) for an operator to provide operator identification data; and a processor for comparing said operator identification data with stored identification data (261) for operators authorised to use the equipment isolation system (10) wherein said control system (50, 260, 700) is configured to enable use of the equipment isolation system (10) by said operator only where the processor matches operator identification data provided to the identification device (790) and said stored identification data (261).

An equipment isolation system (10) comprising at least one equipment item (20,25) including a shuttle conveyor system (25) including a conveyor shuttle (25A) energisable by an energy source (30) an automated conveyor shuttle locking system (250) operable for restricting conveyor shuttle (25A) movement during isolation and a control system (50,260) for automatically isolating said conveyor shuttle (25A) from said energy source to an isolated state in an isolation process wherein said control system (50,260) operates said automated shuttle conveyor locking system (250) as a step in said isolation process.