OSHA’s Lockout Tagout procedure has drastically changed the functioning of industries across the globe. What used to be a very detrimental job for people to do i.e. working at factories where hazardous machines are kept, now with the implementation of OSHA’s Lockout-Tagout procedure, nothing is same as before.
With ever changing dynamics, the workplace conditions have turned better as the process of switching on and off the machines is safer and by locking out the devices the threat of inappropriately operating the machinery has come downwards. Counting the entire process of Lockout-Tagout is very detailed and needs proper understanding; OSHA provides comprehensive training to the employees.
One of those techniques of Locking and Tagging out includes Group Lockout. Now as per the name goes, Group Lockout is the method of turning off or turning on the machinery through a group of individuals. Since appropriately locking out machinery is challenging enough for a single person itself, performing the task in a group of people together is even more complicated, considering sudden activation of a machine can lead to catastrophic results.
During Group Lockout, there is always a problem with unprepared employees. Since it is necessary that the people performing the tasks must be confident, it is the responsibility of the management to keep a check on the people if they are well enough to execute the task. Also, whenever the appointed crew for Group Lockout successfully performs the task, the management must be informed about it.
Likewise if the crew has any issues then they must figure out the reasons behind it. Keeping harmony amongst the workers is extremely important in order to ensure that there is no chance of an argument happening amidst of carrying out the process which may endanger the lives of the people surrounding the device or the workplace.
Other than handling the employees, the management must also stay cautious about active applications and write the entire procedure somewhere in a descriptive manner. When a machine has to be locked out, the leader of the crew as per the written procedure has to apply the locks so as to group the hasps at the isolation points. Further, the lockout leader secures the single box of key set within the lock box and applies the personal lock.
Afterwards the second verification leader repeats the process with a different set of lock and places his or her own set key in the lock box, attaching the personal lock. Each and every member of the crew is then given the opportunity to cross check whether the procedure is carried out properly or not.
Ultimately, a successful group lockout is possible if properly done with all the specified techniques.