Understood.
Do you ever get a situation where its just inconvenient to try start eg material on a conveyor belt, very large motors with limited starts per hour etc?
There can be issues the make it difficult for the try-lock-try method and they have to be addressed by policy and procedure on a case by case basis.
I assume execution of the work order could entail a live-dead-live check to address the jammed drive/inconvenient try start issues?
Yes, if you can't try the motor, then maintenance would use the live-dead-live method. This would be done at the remotely located motor starter as in most cases this plant does not have disconnects at each motor. Any time the verification of lockout is at a remote location, there is always a chance that the verification is not being done on the correct starter.
Is there a remote possibility of momentary loss of supply or intermittent fault following the first "try" start of the "try-lock-try" rendering the no-start result of the second "try" potentially misleading?
Sure, anything is possible, but with the hand position HOA bypassing all of the interlocks and the wire running directly to the motor starter, that is not a likely condition. The stater control power, in almost all cases in this plant, comes from a control power transformer in the motor stater.
All that being said, if the conditions permit it, the best method, in my opinion, is a local disconnect, installed where it is very clear what motor the disconnect feeds. Of course, you still have to be able to see or check the operation of the disconnect.
While on the expensive side, the Meltric plugs and receptacles at each motor provide a very visible "air break" of the power source. I also like the knife blade safety switches with the viewing window.