Complex Group Lockout

Complex group lockout is best used in situations where it is not practicable for a workplace to comply with individual or group lockout approaches to hazardous energy control due to one or more of the following criteria:

• The physical extent of the equipment or process being serviced
• The relative inaccessibility of the energy-isolating devices
• The number of individuals concurrently performing service and maintenance activities
• The number of energy-isolating devices to be isolated
• The length of time equipment or processes must be isolated
• The number of authorized individuals involved
• The interdependence and interrelationship of the components in the system or between different systems

When using a complex group lockout system, an equivalent level (regarding individual lockout) of personal protection for each member of a working group must be established. This is accomplished through the use of individual continuous accountability methods, such as work permits or control boards. An authorized individual should be made responsible for verifying the isolation and lockout to determine the effectiveness of the energy isolation each time it is implemented. Employers must seek authorization from the local governing regulatory authority before a complex group lockout system is officially established.

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