Group lockout does not replace individual protection: OSHA requires each authorized employee to apply a personal lockout or tagout device to the group device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism when work begins. When outside servicing personnel are involved, the on-site employer and outside employer must inform each other of their respective lockout or tagout procedures.
Key Takeaways
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When servicing or maintenance is performed by a crew, craft, department, or other group, the group lockout tagout procedure must provide each employee with protection equivalent to a personal lockout or tagout device.
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OSHA 1910.147(f)(3) mandates group LOTO procedures that give each worker protection equal to personal lockout.
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In a lockbox system, authorized employees lock the equipment’s energy-isolating devices, place the keys in the group lockbox, and apply their personal locks to the box before starting work.
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A written group lockout procedure helps standardize steps, enforce roles, and meet OSHA compliance requirements.
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Manage shift changes and contractor work with updated controls to prevent unexpected energization or miscommunication.
What Is a Group Lockout Tagout?
Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3), group lockout or tagout applies when servicing or maintenance is performed by a crew, craft, department, or other group and must provide protection equivalent to personal lockout or tagout. Unlike individual lockout tagout, where one worker applies and removes their lock, group LOTO involves a structured approach using a group lockbox or a multi-lock hasp.
Primary responsibility is assigned to an authorized employee for the workers protected by the group lockout or tagout device, and each authorized employee performing the servicing must apply a personal lockout or tagout device to the group device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism when work begins.
Group Lockout Tagout OSHA Requirements
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 is the general-industry standard for controlling hazardous energy during covered servicing and maintenance where unexpected energization, startup, or release of stored energy could cause injury. Its scope excludes certain work, including construction and agriculture, and other OSHA standards apply to some industries and hazards. While the standard outlines general lockout tagout procedures, it also includes special instructions for situations involving multiple workers.
These requirements for group lockout tagout are found in 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3). In group settings, the same lockout tagout steps apply as in individual LOTO procedures, but with a few added rules to address coordination and accountability among team members. 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(ii) specifies four key requirements that must be built into this group lockout procedure:
- Assign primary responsibility to one authorized employee for a set number of employees working under the protection of the group lockout or tagout device.
- Provide a way for that authorized employee to determine the exposure status of each group member in relation to the equipment lockout or tagout.
- When more than one crew, craft, or department is involved, assign overall job-related lockout or tagout control to an authorized employee who coordinates the affected workforces and maintains continuous protection.
- Require each authorized employee to apply a personal lockout or tagout device to the group device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism when beginning work and remove it when stopping work on the equipment.
Roles and Responsibilities in Group Lockout
In group lockout tagout, clear role assignments are essential to maintaining coordination and continuous protection. Key responsibilities include:
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Authorized Employee With Primary Responsibility |
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Each Authorized Employee |
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Overall Coordinator for Multiple Crews |
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Affected Employee |
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On-Site Employer |
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Outside Employer or Contractor |
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A group lockout procedure is only as strong as the people assigned to carry it out. When roles, especially those of authorized employees and contractors, aren’t clearly defined and followed, you’re one misstep away from an accident. Everyone involved needs to understand not just what to do, but who’s responsible for what.
What Devices Are Typically Used in Group Lockout?
Group Lockout Box
A group lockout box is used to secure the keys to the locks applied to the equipment’s energy-isolating devices. Once the equipment is locked out, the keys are placed inside the lockbox. Each authorized employee then applies their personal lock to the outside of the box. The lockbox cannot be opened until every employee has removed their personal lock, ensuring that no one is exposed to hazardous energy before the job is complete.
Lockout Hasps
Lockout hasps allow multiple padlocks to be attached to a single isolation point. This is useful when more than one person needs to lock out the same energy source. The hasp is placed through the isolating device (such as a switch handle or valve), and then each worker attaches their padlock through the hasp.
LOTO Padlocks
Personal LOTO padlocks give each worker individual control over hazardous energy during group lockout. When using a group lockout box, these padlocks secure the box that contains the keys to the equipment locks. Each worker places their personal padlock on the box, meaning the keys and thus the ability to restore energy, remain inaccessible until every padlock is removed.
The equipment locks and the personal locks serve different purposes. Equipment locks hold the energy-isolating devices in a safe or off position, while each authorized employee’s personal lock prevents access to those keys until that employee has finished the work.
In addition to standard equipment, other group lockout devices, such as the adjustable cable lockout, can be used to secure multiple breakers, valves, or hard-to-access panels.
Step-by-Step Group Lockout Procedure
As outlined in 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3)(i), OSHA requires that group lockout tagout procedures provide each employee with the same level of protection they would have if using their own personal lock. Follow this step-by-step procedure
1. Identify Energy Sources
Before beginning the lockout, identify all energy sources connected to the equipment, including electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical types. Review the equipment-specific energy control procedures to understand how to safely isolate these sources. Notify all employees of the planned shutdown and explain why the lockout is necessary.
2. Shut Down Equipment
The equipment should be shut down using standard procedures provided by the manufacturer or internal protocols. The primary authorized employee leads this shutdown and ensures it is done safely. This step helps eliminate the possibility of unexpected movement or energy release.
3. Isolate Energy Sources
All energy-isolating devices needed to control hazardous energy must be physically located and operated to isolate the equipment from its energy sources. The procedure must also address stored or residual energy: after lockout or tagout devices are applied, all potentially hazardous stored or residual energy must be relieved, disconnected, restrained, or otherwise rendered safe. If stored energy can reaccumulate to a hazardous level, isolation must continue to be verified until servicing is complete or reaccumulation is no longer possible.
4. Apply Group Lockout Tagout
Authorized employees apply the required lockout or tagout devices to each energy-isolating device, such as a disconnect switch, circuit breaker, line valve, or block, following the equipment-specific procedure. In a group lockbox system, the keys to those equipment locks are placed in the lockbox before the employees who will perform the work apply their personal devices to the box.
The group system must keep those keys inaccessible until the authorized employees have removed their personal devices in accordance with the procedure.
5. Attach Personal Locks to Group LOTO Devices
Each authorized employee affixes a personal lockout or tagout device to the group lockout device, group lockbox, or comparable mechanism when beginning work and removes that device when stopping work on the equipment, except when the employer uses the specific unavailable-employee removal procedure permitted by OSHA.
6. Verify Energy Isolation
Before servicing starts, the authorized employee must verify that isolation and deenergization have been accomplished. Depending on the equipment and procedure, verification may include attempting a normal start and using properly rated test instruments. In a group lockout, OSHA has clarified that when the primary authorized employee verifies isolation, other authorized employees are not required to repeat the verification; they must be informed of their right to verify and allowed to do so if they choose.
7. Perform Maintenance or Service
Maintenance or servicing work begins only after all authorized employees have applied their locks and the system is verified safe. The primary authorized employee must keep track of who is exposed to hazardous energy at any time. This step remains active until all tasks are completed.
Throughout the job, the primary authorized employee ensures ongoing communication with all crew members. Any changes in personnel or work scope must be tracked and managed. A sign-in sheet or tagboard on the group lockout box can help monitor participation.
8. Remove Locks After Work Completion
When an authorized employee stops working on the equipment, they remove their own personal lockout or tagout device. If the employee who applied a device is not available, it may be removed only under the employer’s specific, documented energy control procedure.
That procedure must provide equivalent safety and include verification that the employee is not at the facility, reasonable efforts to contact the employee, and confirmation that the employee knows the device was removed before resuming work at the facility. The employee coordinating the group lockout then confirms that all personal devices have been accounted for before the group system is released.
9. Restore Equipment to Service
Before energy is restored, inspect the work area, confirm that nonessential items have been removed, verify that machine components are operationally intact, and make sure employees are safely positioned or clear. After the group lockout devices and equipment locks have been removed in accordance with the procedure, notify affected employees before the machine or equipment is started.
How Are Shift Changes Handled in Group Lockout?
During shift or personnel changes, the employer must maintain continuous lockout or tagout protection while transferring responsibility between outgoing and incoming employees. As the infographic above shows, the handoff must account for everyone entering, leaving, or remaining on the job, place incoming authorized employees under group protection, and direct outgoing employees to remove their personal devices as the established procedure requires. OSHA requires continuous protection and an orderly transfer, but the employer’s written energy-control procedure determines the specific handoff method.
How Should Contractors Be Coordinated During Group LOTO?
The contractor close call at the beginning of this article came down to a breakdown in coordination. Before outside servicing personnel begin covered work, the on-site employer and the outside employer must inform each other of the lockout or tagout procedures they will use. The on-site employer must also make sure its employees understand and follow the restrictions and prohibitions of the outside employer’s energy control program.
For group work, that exchange should happen before anyone is exposed to hazardous energy. Confirm who is coordinating the job, how contractor employees will join the group protection system, which personal devices they will apply, and how their status will be tracked through completion or shift change.
Common Group LOTO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even with a solid procedure in place, mistakes in communication, training, and equipment use can weaken the effectiveness of a group lockout tagout program. Recognizing common mistakes and knowing how to prevent them can make the difference between a safe operation and a serious incident:
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Miscommunication Among Team Members: Poor coordination between team members or shifts can lead to someone unknowingly working on energized equipment. Always use written lockout checklists, visual indicators like sign-in logs, and verbal confirmations to maintain awareness of who is actively working.
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Improper Training: Workers who don’t fully understand their responsibilities under group lockout procedures may skip steps or apply locks incorrectly. Training should be job-specific, scenario-based, and include hands-on demonstrations.
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Incorrect Use of the Group Lockout Box: Not placing keys properly or not locking the box once all keys are inside compromises the entire system. Assign a primary authorized employee to manage and oversee the entire lockout process.
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Failure to Inspect and Update Procedures: OSHA requires the employer to inspect each energy control procedure at least annually to confirm that the procedure and the standard are being followed. Equipment or procedure changes, inspection findings, incidents, or gaps in employee performance may also require the procedure to be updated and employees to be retrained.
What Training Is Required for Group Lockout?
OSHA requires training based on each employee’s role in the energy control program:
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Authorized employees must be trained to recognize applicable hazardous energy sources, understand the type and magnitude of the energy present, and know the methods and means needed for isolation and control.
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Affected employees must be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure.
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Other employees who work in an area where energy control procedures may be used must be instructed about the procedure and the prohibition against restarting or re-energizing locked- or tagged-out equipment.
For group lockout work, the training should also prepare employees to carry out their assigned roles. Practical exercises can cover the group lockbox or comparable mechanism, personal-device application and removal, exposure-status tracking, shift handoffs, contractor coordination, stored-energy control, and the employer’s unavailable-employee lock-removal procedure.
Retraining is required when job assignments change, when machines, equipment, or processes present a new hazard, or when the energy control procedures change. It is also required when a periodic inspection or other evidence shows deviations from or gaps in an employee’s knowledge or use of the procedure. The employer must certify that training has been completed and is being kept up to date; the certification must include each employee’s name and the date(s) of training.
The video shows the central group lockbox workflow: equipment isolation keys are secured inside the box, each authorized employee applies a personal lock before starting work, and the keys remain inaccessible until those personal locks are removed. Use it with the employer’s equipment-specific procedure, assigned group responsibilities, verification steps, and shift-change controls.
Group Lockout FAQs
Who completes a group lockout?
A designated authorized employee has primary responsibility for the employees working under the group lockout or tagout device. When multiple crews, crafts, or departments are involved, an authorized employee must coordinate the affected workforces. Each authorized employee still applies and removes their own personal device when they begin and stop work.
Should group lockout/tagout procedures be documented?
Yes, OSHA generally requires energy control procedures to be developed, documented, and used. A narrow documentation exception exists only when every condition listed in 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i) is met; ordinary group lockout work with multiple employees or complex energy controls is unlikely to meet those conditions.
What advantage does a lockbox provide during a group lockout?
A group lockbox secures the keys to locks applied to the equipment’s energy-isolating devices. Each authorized employee applies a personal lockout or tagout device to the box before beginning work. The keys remain inaccessible until those personal devices are removed according to the procedure.
Does every worker need a personal lock during group lockout?
Each authorized employee who is performing the servicing or maintenance must apply a personal lockout or tagout device to the group device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism when beginning work and remove it when stopping work. Affected employees who do not perform the servicing have different responsibilities and are not treated as authorized employees solely because they work nearby.
What happens if a worker leaves during a group lockout?
The worker should remove their personal device when they stop working on the equipment. If the worker is unavailable, the employer may direct removal only under a specific documented procedure that provides equivalent safety, verifies the worker is not at the facility, makes reasonable efforts to contact them, and makes sure they know the device was removed before they resume work.