Key takeaways
- Group lockout protects every crew member, not just the person who isolated the equipment.
- Hasps and group lockboxes work, but they are slow, need many locks and are hard to audit.
- A virtual lockbox gives each worker a digital key on one Smart LOTO® lock, and the point stays locked until every key is returned.
How group lockout works today
When a crew services a large piece of equipment, one authorised person isolates it and locks each isolation point. The keys go into a group lockbox, and every crew member adds their own padlock to the box or to a hasp. Nobody can open the box, and so nobody can release the isolation, until the last person removes their lock.
Where hasps slow you down
- A ten-person job can mean ten personal locks, a hasp and a box for every isolation point.
- Crews queue at the box at the start and end of every shift.
- Contractors arrive without locks, or with locks that are not on the register.
- It is hard to prove who was locked on, and when, after the job.
The virtual lockbox
A virtual lockbox replaces the hasp and the group box with one Smart LOTO® padlock per isolation point and a digital key for each person on the job. Each crew member locks on from their own app. The lock knows how many keys are attached and will not release until every one of them has been returned.
- The isolating authority locks the point with a Smart LOTO® padlock against the permit.
- Each crew member locks on digitally from their app. Their name appears on the live record.
- People joining mid-shift lock on the same way. People leaving lock off.
- The point is released only when the last key is returned and the permit is closed.
What changes for the crew
Plants in our steel study reported a 73% reduction in group LOTO turnaround and roughly 70% fewer physical locks needed. More importantly, every person on the job is protected by their own key, and the record shows it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual lockbox compliant with group lockout rules?
Group lockout rules require each authorised employee to be protected by their own personal lockout device. A virtual lockbox gives each person their own digital key on the lock, so the isolation cannot be released while anyone is still locked on. Check your own procedure and local regulations when adopting it.
What happens at shift change?
Outgoing workers lock off and incoming workers lock on, each with their own key, so there is never a moment when the crew is unprotected.
Do contractors need their own locks?
No physical lock is needed per contractor. Each verified contractor gets a digital key on the same point.
See Smart LOTO® run on your plant.
Book a demo