Group lockout

When more than one person is working on a job, a group lockout/tagout procedure is needed—one in which each person involved can apply their own lock, and only they can remove it (sometimes known as a Masterlock system). Details vary from company to company, but the following process is representative. 

He or she labels the locks with the appropriate work permit information and then attaches a lockbox to each location. 

He places the keys in the box, closes it, and then locks it with a master lock (which is often a distinct color such as red.) 

Every worker who is to work on that job attaches his or her lock to the lockbox. They record what they have done on the work permit. 

If a worker leaves the job, he or she removes their lock and signs off on the work permit. 

If more than one individual is required to lockout equipment, one of the two group lockout procedures shall be followed  

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If a group lockout/tagout system exists, does the procedure provide the same... 

When more than one person is doing the servicing and maintenance, the requirement is that each authorized employee must apply his own lock to the group lockout device, or group lock box. OSHA wants each individual worker to be protected by his or her own lock. The easiest way to do this is to use a multi-lock hasp on the energy isolating device. These hasps typically hold about six locks, so each mechanic can apply a lock to the hasp. 

When servicing or maintenance is performed by a crew, department, or other group, they shall use a procedure that affords the employees a level of protection equivalent to that provided by the implementation of a personal lockout or tagout device. Group lockout or tagout devices are to be used according to the following primary requirements ... 

Primary responsibility is vested in 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). 

Each authorized employee shall affix a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device, group lockbox, or comparable mechanism when the employee begins work and shall remove those devices when he or she stops working on the machine or equipment being serviced or maintained. 

Is the subject of group lockout part of the written program ... 

Group lockout. This is a hasp on a disconnect box or other energy-producing item that allows for multiple locks. Each person servicing the piece of equipment must add his lock and tag. As each worker finishes the project, his lock is removed from the multiholed hasp. 

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of the relative efficacies of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) regimens (63), 60 patients undergoing elective total hip or knee replacement were randomly allocated to receive epidural diamorphine 2.5 mg followed by a PCA bolus 1 mg with a 20-minute lockout (group 1), subcutaneous diamorphine 2.5 mg followed by a PCA bolus 1 mg with a 10-minute lockout (group 2), or epidural diamorphine 2.5 mg in 4 ml of 0.125% bupivacaine followed by a PCA bolus of 1 mg diamorphine in 4 ml... 

Hazards, exposure symptoms, air monitoring equipment, permit system, lockout/tagout, entry teams, and rescue equipment. Emergency Film Group Preview 35 Rental 150 Purchase 425... 

Can the same lockout/tagout procedure be used for a group of machines ... 

In a woodworking shop, many of the machines (such as table saws, radial arm saws, or routers) all use the same types of energy, have the same or similar controls for isolating the machines from the energy source, and use the same procedures to apply lockout. In this case, a single lockout procedure may be used for this group of woodworking machines. Be certain to identify all of the machines in the scope of the procedure. 

Provision for the authorized employee to ascertain the exposure status of individual group members with regard to the lockout or tagout of the machine, equipment, pipelines, or other sources of hazardous energy. 

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