Permit to work

Permit to work systems are fairly common, especially in hazardous industries. They are a formal safe written systems used to control certain types of work. They perform a number of key functions:

* Ensure work does not start until necessary preparations have been completed
* Communicating information about hazards and controls to the work party
* Define what can and cannot be done whilst performing the task
* Making sure people normally in charge of the plant, equipment and/or area know what work is being carried out
* Providing a means by which the interaction between different work ongoing can be evaluated to identify any potential conflicts
* Recording the location of work so that it is known where people are if there is an emergency
* Providing a formal handback when work is suspended or completed, so there is no ambiguity about who is in control of the plant, equipment or area

Permit-to-work systems are normally considered most appropriate for non-production work, especially maintenance and possibly construction. This covers a vast array of work, and in some cases different types of permit are used. The types of work typically covered by a permit to work system include

* Hot work
* Confined space entry
* Electrical work
* Use of radioactive material
* Use of explosives
* Excavations
* Pressure testing
* Opening up systems that has the potential to release hazardous substances