On NYC construction sites, it is common for multiple trades to work simultaneously on the same piece of equipment or within the same energy isolation zone — electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, and control technicians. A group lockout procedure ensures every single worker is protected independently, not just the one who performed the isolation.

• An authorized employee (often the maintenance supervisor or authorized lead worker) performs the energy isolation and applies the first lock
• Each individual worker then applies their own personal lock to the group lockout hasp before entering the danger zone
• The equipment cannot be energized until every individual lock has been removed — one lock remaining = equipment stays locked out
• Group lockout hasps must have enough hasp holes for every worker involved — if there aren't enough, operations stop until proper equipment is provided

• Before work begins: a qualified person must identify all energy sources and isolate each one. This is documented in the Complex Lockout/Tagout Procedure for the equipment
• Each trade foreman is responsible for ensuring their workers have applied their personal locks before any work begins
• Trade sequence: sometimes trades must isolate the equipment in a specific sequence — review the written procedure before any work starts
• Communication is critical: if one trade completes their work early, their workers remove their locks — but the equipment stays locked out as long as ANY other lock remains