Page 97 - IGC BOOK

3.7 Permit to Work Systems

Introduction

A Permit to Work is a formally documented safe system
of work used when high residual risk remains after
controls have been put in place. The Permit to Work will
give very specific instructions on how to complete the
job safely stating:

• The work to be carried out; and
• The controls to be in place at each stage of the work Permit-to-Work

Permit to Work must be used with a high degree of supervision and issued by a responsible
person, who will sign it in at the beginning to allow the task to take place and sign it off at the
completion of the task and cancel the permit.

Common situations when a Permit to Work is issued are when working on High-voltage electrical
equipment and entry into confined spaces.

What is Permit-To-Work System?

permit-to-work system is a formal written procedure used to control certain types of work which
is identified as potentially hazardous.

The permit is a detailed document which authorises certain people to carry out specific work at a
specific site at a certain time, and which sets out the main precautions needed to complete the job
safely.

Why Permit to Work Systems are Used

Permit-to-work systems should be considered whenever it is intended to carry out work which
may adversely affect the safety of personnel, plant or the environment. However, permit-to-work
systems should not be applied to all activities, as experience has shown that their overall
effectiveness may be weakened. Permits-to-work are not normally required for controlling general
visitors to site or routine maintenance tasks in non-hazardous areas.

Permit-to-work systems are normally considered most appropriate to:

• non-production work (e.g. maintenance, repair, inspection, testing, alteration,
construction, dismantling, adaptation, modification, cleaning etc);

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 3 – Managing Risks – Understanding People and Processes 52