Permit To Work

Julia Waygood

Introduction
A 'permit to work is a formal, written, safe system
of work to control potentially hazardous activities.
The permit details the work to be done and the
precautions to be taken (for instance, they may
involve limiting the movement of overhead
cranes, the precautions needed for high voltage
work or they might detail rescue arrangements for
certain types of work).
Permits should be issued, checked and signed off
as being completed by someone competent to do
so, and who is not involved in undertaking the
work.

Permit To Work

Permits to work will tend to be appropriate in the

following types of situation:
where contractor's work interfaces with normal
production activities;
work on plant which must be isolated from the
possible entry of fumes, liquids, steam or gases
(included those from fire extinguishant systems);
hot work which could cause fire or explosion,
and entry into vessels, machines or confined
spaces.

General Principles

The following aspects should be considered with

respect to Permit to Work Systems:
Human factors;
Management of the work permit systems;
Poorly skilled work force;
Unconscious and conscious incompetence;
Objectives of the work permit system;
Types of work permits required; and
Contents of the work permits.

The following issues may contribute towards a major

accident or hazard:
Failing of the site safety management system;
Failure to recognise a hazard before and during
maintenance;
Failure to comply with the work permit system in
hazardous environments; and
Communication failure during the use of a work
permit system.

When Should the Work Permit

System be used?
The Safety Report should address the following
points:
Whether staff have been sufficiently informed,
instructed, trained and supervised to minimise a
potential human failing during operation of the work
permit system;
Whether the work permit system includes sufficient
safety information, maintenance instructions,
correct PPE and equipment for use;
Whether the work permit contains sufficient
information about the type of work required
(Equipment removal, excavation, hot/cold work,
repairing seals, vessel entry, waste disposal,
isolation);

When Should the Work Permit

System be used?
The Safety Report should address the following
points:
Whether there is sufficient provision available to
fulfil the requirements of the work permit system;
Whether the employees responsible for control of
the maintenance work are identified within the
work permit system and that the work is properly
authorised by a responsible person;
Whether the work permit system is managed,
regularly inspected and reviewed;

When Should the Work Permit

System be used?
The Safety Report should address the following
points:
Whether all work permits are kept on file;
Human factors (stress, fatigue, shift work, attitude);
Whether sufficient precautions are taken prior to
initiating a work permit (isolation, draining,
flushing, environmental monitoring, risk
assessments, communication, time allotted for the
work);
Whether staff are aware of the type of environment
they are working in during the operation of a work
permit (flammable, corrosive, explosive, zones 0, 1
& 2, electricity supplies);

When Should the Work Permit

System be used?
The Safety Report should address the following
points:
Whether the person responsible for operating the
plant is aware of the type of maintenance
involved and how long it is likely to take; and
Whether the work permit system involves a formal
procedure whereby the maintained plant or
equipment is handed back to operation.

Potential Major Hazards

Wrong type of work permit used;
Wrong information about work required on the
work permit;
Failure to recognise the hazards where work is
carried out (e.g. flammable substances);
Introduction of ignition source in controlled
flameproof area (e.g. welding, non spark-proof
tools, non-intrinsically safe equipment used in
intrinsically safe zones);

Potential Major Hazards

Terms of work permit not adhered to (e.g. failure
to isolate plant and/or drain lines of hazardous
substances);
Failure to hand-over plant in safe condition on
completion of work/cancelling of work permit;
Unauthorised staff performing work permit
functions;
Poor management of the work permit system; and
Insufficient monitoring of the work permit system.

Guidance relating to permit to Work Systems Example

The following HSE publications can be used as guidance
material relating to safety issues surrounding permit to
work systems:
HS(G)5 Hot work : welding and cutting on plant
containing flammable materials.
Paragraph 3 refers to the precautionary measures
needed when welding in areas that could be
potentially flammable by planning and controlling the
task using a work permit system.
Paragraph 72 refers to the importance of
management controlling the work permit system.
Paragraph 73 refers to the principles that should be
followed when operating a work permit system.

COMAH
The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)
Regulations ensuring that businesses:

"Take all necessary measures to prevent major

accidents involving dangerous substances
Limit the consequences to people and the
environment of any major accidents which do
occur"

COMAH- Safety Alerts

http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/alert.htm

Permit To Work Summary

Where proposed work is identified as having a high risk, strict
controls are required. The work must be carried out against
previously agreed safety procedures, a permit-to-work' system.
The permit-to-work is a documented procedure that authorises
certain people to carry out specific work within a specified time
frame. It sets out the precautions required to complete the work
safely, based on a risk assessment. It describes what work will be
done and how it will be done; the latter can be detailed in a
method statement'.
The permit-to-work requires declarations from the people
authorising the work and carrying out the work. Where necessary
it requires a declaration from those involved in shift handover
procedures or extensions to the work. Finally, before equipment or
machinery is put back into service, it will require a declaration
from the permit originator that it is ready for normal use.