Permit to work procedures

When the plant is still in the hands of construction, the nonual permit-to-work procedure is not necessary, but an entry permit system should be in force. Before anyone enters a vessel, it should be inspected by a competent, experienced person who will certify that it is isolated and free from danger. While a tank is being built, when the walls reach a certain height (say, greater than the diameter) the... 

The exchange of information before and after the work should be on a formal written basis embodied in a Permit to Work procedure with signatories, when... 

The permit-to-work procedure is a type of safe system to work procedure used in specialized and potentially dangerous plant process situations. The procedure was developed for the chemical industry, but the principle is equally applicable to the management of complex risk in other industries or situations. For example ... 

Certain operations present higher than normal risks and require stricter controls. In these cases a permit-to-work system should be implemented. A permit-to-work procedure is a formal written system of authorization used to control certain types of work which are potentially hazardous. 

Health and Safety Executive, Oil Industry Advisory Committee Report, Guide to the principles and operation of permit-to-work procedures as applied in the UK petroleum industry, (ISBN 0 11 883885 7), HMSO, London (1986)... 

This chapter identifies the factors which determine whether a guard or safety device taken together with appropriate systems of work, supervision, instruction, maintenance, and permit-to-work procedures are adequate. In practice the most effective method of preventing machinery accidents, apart from designing out the hazard, is to minimise the need for access, whether operationally-required or unofficially desirable. The effort which has to be devoted to the design of ingenious safety devices, the development of complex systems of work, and the provision of close supervision, is largely a... 

Permit-to-work procedures (to formalise precautions for imminent danger)... 

Suitability and use of systerrrs, permit to work procedures, etc. are questioned. Responsibilities are met and issues raised through consultative mechanisms in the workplace. 

Systems, permit to work procedures, etc. are successful and fully utihzed. 

Safe systems of work/method statements are crucial in work such as the maintenance of chemical and other processing plants where the potential risks are high and the careful coordination of activities and precautions is essential to safe working. In this situation and others of similar risk potential, the safe system of work is likely to be Implemented by formal controls through a permit to work procedure. 

The permit to work procedure is a specialized system for ensuring that potentially very dangerous work (e.g. entry into process plant and other confined spaces) is done safely and the safe system or work/ method statement is properly and formally implemented. 

Although it has been developed and refined by the chemical industry, the principles of permit to work procedures are equally applicable to the management of complex risks in other industries such as construction. 

In many cases contractors will be required to follow the permit to work procedure operated on a client s site, in others they may be required to set up their own system. 

The permit to work procedure allows certain categories of high risk-potential work to be done with the specific permission of an authorized manager. This permission (in the form of the permit to work) will only be given if the laid-down precautions are in force and have been checked. 

The risk assessment must be done by a competent person and will form the basis of a safe system of work. This will normally be formalized into a specific permit to work procedure which is applicable to a particular task. 

Ammonia is also used in the production of fertilizers and synthetic fibres. Most work on ammonia plant should require a permit-to-work procedure. 

For work on most isolated HV equipment and for work involving, for example, the isolation of more than one supply source, it is advisable to employ a permit to work procedure as an additional safety measure. This is essentially a paperwork procedure in which a form is completed to identify the equipment on which work is to be done, how the equipment has been made safe, where the points of isolation and earthing are, and the limits of the work to be done. It is normally signed and issued by the person who made the... 

Where a formal permit to work procedure is not used, the responsible person should carry out a risk assessment to devise a procedure that will ensure safety. In the case of the crane painters previously mentioned, for example, they should be told them that they should not start work in the vicinity of the bare conductors until the isolator has been locked off, the conductors have been tested to ensure that they are dead, and they have been given permission to proceed. When the work is finished the circuits should not be re-energised until the painters have been withdrawn from the work area. 

Ciient and joint management arrangements, reporting and consuitation procedures > Permit to work procedures to be adopted >- Monitoring arrangements to be impiemented by ... 

Permit to work procedures to be foiiowed >- Sanctions which may be imposed in the event of poor performance. 

The permit-to-work procedure is a type of safe system to work procedure used in specialized and potentially dangerous plant process situations. 

The introduction of a permit-to-work procedure should be considered when the potential consequences of an accident are severe and when communication is required between different organisations. Examples of situations with severe potential consequences are installation and maintenance of high-voltage systems, systems that contain large quantities of toxic or flammable gas and mechanical systems where an accidental start may cause substantial harm. 

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