Permit to Work System A permit to work system operates for all

Permit to Work System

A permit to work system operates for all engineering tasks.

Certain tasks having been risk assessed and do no require breaking into the process are approved to be carried out without a permit to work. (For example replacing light bulbs in the office block.)

The duty shift manager is responsible for issuing the permit to work which states what isolations have been made, what precautions need to be made and what personal protective equipment must be worn.

Permits are only normally issued for an eight hour shift and they are re-issued if the job exceeds that period of time. An exception would be a construction project which is physically isolated from process equipment. In these circumstances a longer permit can be issued provided it is judged that the hazards and required precautions have not changed.

Each job has to be risk assessed before a permit is issued. Routine tasks can use risk assessments from a library as a starting point but any particular circumstances must also be considered.

Equipment is normally isolated from hazards before the permit is issued. The only exception would be if running adjustments or instrument calibrations are required.

There is an associated lock out tag out system for isolations. Electrical isolations are carried out by padlocking starters in the off position. Multi hasps are used so that each technician working on a job can use his own padlock on the starter. (This means that even if paperwork is lost then equipment cannot be started up in error.)

Isolations of air- actuated valves are achieved by physically removing the air supply and labelling the disconnected pipe.

All isolations have to be proved once made.

In higher hazard situations additional permits are required in addition to the normal permit to work. These include:

High voltage (>415v) electrical work

Working on fragile roofs

Entry into confined spaces (including ditches lower than 1.5m)

Working with radio-active sources

Hot work (burning and welding)

Excavations

These additional permits require additional standards of isolation from hazards and proving of such. For example before anyone is allowed to enter a confined space, all process connections must be physically isolated, a gas test carried out and an automatic monitor put in place for the duration of the work. A second person must standby within site of those doing the work and this person’ sole responsibility is the well-being of those in the confined space.

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