Group Lockout or Tagout

When maintenance is performed by a crew, department, or other group, they must use a procedure that provides as much protection as that provided by a personal lockout or tagout device.

Group lockout or tagout devices must meet the following specific requirements:

• Primary responsibility must be given to an authorized employee for a set number of employees working under the protection of a group lockout or tagout device (such as an operations lock);
• The authorized employee is responsible for knowing the exposure status of individual group members with regard to the lockout or tagout of the machine; and
• When more than one crew, department, etc. is involved, responsibility of overall lockout or tagout control must be given to an authorized employee designated to coordinate affected work forces and ensure continuity of protection; and
• Each authorized employee must affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device, group lockbox, or comparable mechanism when he or she begins work, and must remove those devices when he or she stops working on the machine being serviced or maintained.

Shift or Personnel Changes

Specific LOTO procedures must be used during shift or personnel changes, including the orderly transfer of lockout or tagout device protection between off-going and oncoming employees, to minimize exposure to hazards from the unexpected energization or start-up of the machine, or the release of stored energy.

To learn more about Lockout/Tagout visit our Lockout/Tagout Online Training web page.