What is the permit to work system?
The PTW system is the process for defining the scope of an activity, identifying the hazards and risks involved along with the controls to be established and maintained to either eliminate those risks or reduce them to an acceptable level.
The PTW system shall be applied to all project work activities where the risks are not controlled through compliance with documented work procedures and controls.
Types of the work permit
- Cold work
- Excavation work
- Mechanical / Instrumentation Isolation
- Electrical Isolation
- Height work
- Hot work
- Lifting work
- Confined space
- Radiography / Ionizing Radiation
PTW Administration process
- Scope of work-what is going to be done.
- Approved Method Statement & Risk Assessment to be made available.
- Permit applicant initiates PTW and supporting documents.
- Approving authority authorizes PTW after site condition analysis
- Toolbox talk to communicate Risk assessment hazards and PTW controls to workplace
- Display of permit at worksite
- Supervise work in line with PTW, Risk assessment and Method statement.
- After completion of the shift / job, the permit is brought back by the permittee supervisor to the issuing authority.
- The closed permit is filed by the permit & compliance manager for records.
Authorities & Signatories
Those persons, who sign permits in order to apply for, authorize and validate work – the Permit issuer, Reviewing authority and permit holder. All signatories shall complete relevant training on PTW system.
Permit holder- Before work starts on a Permit, the Permit Holder shall:
- Understand the work content and the requirements of the HIRA.
- Explain the workmen about the work content and the requirements of the HIRA and ensure that workmen clearly understand the requirements.
- Ensure that the Permit is approved / re-approved by the approving authority before starting work, each day.
During the work, the Permit Holder shall:
- Ensure that the Permit is displayed at the worksite whenever work is underway
- Ensure that the HIRA is complied with throughout the work
- Stay at or in close visual contact with the work site at all times, to supervise the workmen.
- Ensure that the work site and equipment are safe whenever work is suspended, signing the Permit to confirm this.
- Brief anyone who takes over as Permit Holder about the status of the work, the requirements of the Permit, HSSE Controls presently available, HSSE Controls to be further taken and particulars of HIRA.
- Stop work and move all personnel to a safe location, if conditions on site become hazardous or the precautions on the Job Hazard Analysis become inadequate.
Permit Issuer-For a new permit, the Permit issuer shall:
- Complete in full the Permit to Work application, including complete details of the applicant and a clear and detailed Work Description in line with the method statement and realistic start and completion times for the work.
- Identify and provide the details of Certificates required, if any along with the permit application.
- Prepare detailed HIRA identifying work, location related hazards with necessary controls. The worksite shall be examined by the applicant before producing the HIRA. Worksite visit may not be required for low risk tasks at remote sites where there are no known location related hazards, such as overhead / underground services.
- Where necessary, examine the worksite along with the Approving authority, to check the accuracy of the HIRA and necessary controls.
- Where necessary, obtain the signatures of affected departments on the permit application in the vicinity.
- Ensure that the permit has been authorized by the Approving authority before it is given to the Permit Holder. No work shall be commenced till the permit is checked and approved by the permit approving authority.
- Ensure that permit holder is always present in the work location, during the work execution.
- Ensure that the Permit Holder is briefed on the work hazards and controls.
- Permit holder shall cancel the permit, after completion of the specified work and return to the approving authority for cancelling the permit.
- Permit Applicant must inform the Approving authority in writing, before close of the work for the next day permit.
Reviewing authority:
The reviewing authority and Approving authority is responsible for the co-ordination of permit to work in the construction site and for any worksite examinations required before authorization of a Permit.
Approving authority shall check that specified work will not conflict with other work in the area.
Approving authority shall brief the status of permits in the construction site to the designated staff, in his absence.
