Who issues permit to work

This is a written procedure which covers all aspects of a permit to work system, and provides detailed information on its implementation within the workplace. A permit to work is a formal written system used to control certain activities which pose a significant risk. It is a document that specifies the work to be carried out, and the precautions that should be taken to minimise any associated risk.

With the support of employees, responsible managers should identify both the tasks involved with, and the areas of the plant that present the greatest risks, and decide where they feel a permit to work is required. It is important that the tasks are displayed on the site notice board. However, all the information should be made accessible by displaying suitable signage on all plant identified as requiring a permit to work. The responsible manager must display an up to date list of all persons who are authorised to sign and issue a permit to work document.

It is compulsory that those nominated to issue permit to work documents are trained to do so and are deemed competent. Before a Permit can be issued, several factors need to be considered: What is being done?

A specific risk assessment and safe system of work needs to be available for all activities that require a permit to work. All employees and contractors should be made aware of potential dangers that could arise through their work. The task should be discussed by the authorised person, the person receiving the permit and any other involved parties.

Where is it being done? For the area of the works in question, consideration should be given to the following:. What is being used? Multi-hasp locking systems and interlocking systems require careful monitoring and key security. Area demarcation that prevents mobile plant and unauthorised personnel access to the area must also be considered.

Who is doing it? The most significant factor in the occurrence of accidents and incidents is the participation of people. It is imperative that only competent persons undertake any task or activity. Procedure for Permit-To-Work Contractors Knowledge Base Objective Certain very high risk tasks in construction require special control to ensure they are carried out in the safest manner possible by those most competent to carry them out.

Examples of such work are: Work in confined spaces. Electrical work especially on high voltage systems. Hot work such as welding or burning. Administration Before a permit-to-work situation is put in hand there must be a request for a permit-to-work made to the chief executive or a competent person nominated by him.

Procedure Request for Permit-to-work The person making the request must complete a request form and hand it to the person nominated to grant permits-to-work. The request must detail: The reference number of the request The name of the person making the request To whom the request is made The exact location of the work Details of the task to be carried out When the work will be done How long it will take The person nominated to issue the permits-to-work must inform the principal contractor, where appropriate, to ensure the work does not overlap with any other activity and then complete a 'notice of permit-to-work' which should contain details of: The task to be carried out The exact location of the work Any access restrictions to be imposed The exact timing of the work The expected duration of the work Display Notice of Permit to Work On Site The notice will then be published on site so that all site personnel are aware of the restrictions to be imposed.

Once this has been done the person nominated will issue the permit-to-work. Person In Control The person who is to control the permit-to-work must be competent and fully conversant with the requirements of the work and the safety procedures to be followed. The permit to work must contain details of: The permit number. The date and time of issue. The estimated duration of the work. As with most health and safety arrangements, there will be a need for monitoring.

The monitoring should consist of two elements. Reactive monitoring should include a review of accidents and near misses while operating the new systems. Those using the permit-to-work systems should be encouraged to report any near misses. It could be that preplanning had not foreseen part of a procedure possibly still being unsafe and this will need to be modified. Active monitoring should include workplace inspections while the activity is being carried out.

The following checks should be considered. Are all necessary items of emergency equipment available and is personal protective equipment being worn? Are arrangements in place to prevent cross over with other work such as the suitable placement of notices, signs and barriers? There must be a training plan in all cases where new work procedures are to be introduced with their concurrent safe systems of work. This is even more critical for all the types of written permit-to-work systems, so the training plan should include people at all levels involved in the process.

This starts with the issuer or approved provider of the numbered, relevant permit document. The authoriser of the work provides ie issues the signed document with work requirements.

Specialised and competent staff carrying out the work covered under the permit to work also need training. The level of training has to be proportional to the knowledge, role, responsibility and competency of the person. All parts of the training should be relevant and sufficient for the particular task and it is imperative that all training be carried out before a permit-to-work system is implemented.

It should be noted that some of those involved will be qualified engineers or are specialised contractors and only supplementary training on the control of particular hazards might be needed in the particular place of work.

This will be necessary where technical knowledge is needed to avoid danger that might be unique to the site. All persons working under a permit-to-work procedure should have had a full briefing on the safety precautions before work is permitted to start. The training can be relatively simple depending on the workplace and the task, such as a briefing or as part of the contractor induction process.

It is recommended that all staff are given a copy of the employee factsheet. Risk assessment results and the control measures required in the particular work types, such as hot work, confined spaces or work at height. The pre-work steps that need to be taken before permit generation and permission can be given to start work, such as means of effecting isolation.

How to ensure it is safe for work to commence, eg testing atmospheres in confined spaces or using live line detectors before work commences on electrical apparatus. It is vital to determine who will be responsible for issuing the permit to work, who will be responsible for putting in place the necessary precautions and who will be responsible for the work that is carried out.

Some of the positions for the key steps are as follows. Originator: permit originator, issuing approved person, safety management co-ordinator, log permit holder or permit administrator. Authoriser: authorised person, senior manager, controller of work, authorising engineer, installation manager, chemical plant manager, permit issuer or permit authoriser. Acceptor: competent person, competent supervisor, responsible person, contractor, task supervisor, nominated person, work leader, permit user or permit receiver.

Health and Safety at Work, etc Act Work at Height Regulations Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Confined Spaces Regulations Health and Safety Consultation with Employees Regulations Electricity at Work Regulations Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order The following are available from the HSE website.

Last reviewed 23 February Skip to main content. Printable version. Summary A permit-to-work system is a formal written safe system of work used to control potentially high-risk work activities. Employers' Duties Employers have a general duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees under the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act HSWA. Employees' Duties Employees have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of other people who may be affected by their work under the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act HSWA.

In Practice Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work Risk assessment will identify activities for which formal safe systems of work are necessary and therefore require management to organise and introduce suitable work procedures and control measures. Examples of activities where permit-to-work systems are necessary include: work in confined spaces , such as tunnels, vessels or sewers hot work , such as cutting and welding in premises under refurbishment working on low or high-voltage electrical equipment , such as in electrical plant rooms and substations maintenance and use of certain machinery or machinery on production lines, such as power presses working at height such as work on roofs lone working in isolated areas, such as lift motor rooms work with asbestos such as removal of insulation from hot water systems work on lifts , such as routine maintenance excavation work, such as digging trenches.

Developing a General Permit-to-work System The first consideration is to determine the essential contents of a typical permit-to-work system, which can be tailored to be the starting point for any particular work activity requirement. Employers must also ensure the permit-to-work system: results in the production of a clear and accurate safe system of work encourages those involved in preparing the permit to identify all potential hazards and steps needed in the work specifies all necessary isolation of plant and electrical equipment and checks of the environment clearly specifies the particular personal protective equipment PPE and other safety equipment that will be necessary clearly identifies responsible and competent persons adequately deals with the hand over of plant and equipment to local supervision after work.

Permit number The permit number is a unique reference, for cross-referencing and record purposes. Location of work There should be clear identification of the work location, eg the exact location of a piece of plant within a factory, rather than the name of the building. Plant identification A clear identification of the specific machinery or plant will also be necessary, eg the asset number of the piece of equipment involved, or when carrying out maintenance on an electrical circuit breaker, the particular circuit breaker rather than just the switchboard should be identified.

Description of work to be carried out It is important to not only describe the exact work to be carried out in a step-by-step manner, but also to outline the limitations of the work that can be carried out under the permit. Hazard identification Any residual hazards or additional hazards introduced by the work itself should be identified, eg when working in a confined space, the use of certain equipment or plant will introduce fresh hazards.

Necessary precautions The precautions necessary to control the assessed risks should be outlined. Protective equipment PPE, such as respiratory protective equipment, should be specified, as should any barriers, notices or earthing equipment required. Authorisation The signature of the person issuing the permit is necessary to confirm that all safety precautions have been met.

Acceptance The person in charge of carrying out the work generally signs the acceptance section. Provision of completed form prior to work Signatures are required in the permit-to-work process. Extension arrangements If the work needs to be carried out after the time originally specified on the permit, then the document is normally cancelled and a new one issued.

Completion of work arrangements The permit acceptor should sign to acknowledge that the work has been completed.