Safety Permit To Work

Permit to Work Management

Overview

End-to-end management of permit-to-work (PTW) processes for high-risk activities including hot work, confined space, working at height, electrical isolation, excavation, and lifting operations. Primary agent: HSE Safety Manager.

Triggers

• Work activity requiring permit identified
• Work method change requiring different permit type
• Permit extension request
• Emergency work requiring expedited permit
• Permit suspension or cancellation

Prerequisites

• Work scope and location identified
• Risk assessment completed for the activity
• Qualified personnel available for the work
• Required safety equipment identified and available
• Authorization hierarchy defined

Steps

Step 1: Permit Type Classification

Classify permit type based on work activity:

• Hot Work Permit → Welding, cutting, grinding, open flame
• Confined Space Permit → Entry into tanks, vessels, pits, enclosed spaces
• Working at Height Permit → Work above 1.8m without edge protection
• Electrical Isolation Permit → Work on energized systems or isolation verification
• Excavation Permit → Ground excavation, trenching, underground work
• Lifting Permit → Critical lifts (over 75% crane capacity, tandem lifts)

Step 2: Hazard Identification

Identify all hazards associated with the permitted activity:

• Review work location and surroundings
• Check adjacent activities that may conflict
• Identify environmental hazards (weather, atmospheric conditions)
• Identify equipment and material hazards

Step 3: Control Measures

Define required control measures for each hazard:

• Specify personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Define isolation requirements (LOTO, gas testing, barricades)
• Specify atmospheric monitoring requirements
• Define emergency response arrangements
• Specify supervision and monitoring requirements

Step 4: Authorization Workflow

Route permit through authorization chain:

1. Submit → Issuer submits permit application
2. Review → Safety reviewer checks completeness
3. Approve → Authorizing person approves permit
4. Accept → Performing team accepts permit
5. Monitor → Continuous monitoring during work
6. Close → Work complete, site cleared, permit closed

Step 5: Permit Execution & Monitoring

• Verify all control measures are in place before work starts
• Monitor conditions continuously during work
• Conduct periodic checks per permit requirements
• Document any permit suspensions or condition changes
• Ensure permit displayed at work location

Step 6: Permit Closure

• Verify work complete and site cleared
• Remove all temporary safety measures
• Confirm no outstanding hazards
• Record lessons learned and observations
• Archive permit record

Success Criteria

• Correct permit type identified and applied
• All hazards identified with appropriate controls
• Authorization chain completed before work starts
• Permit displayed and conditions monitored
• Permit properly closed and archived

Common Pitfalls

1. Wrong permit type → Incorrect classification leads to inadequate controls
2. Missing adjacent hazards → Check surrounding activities before approval
3. Expired permits → Track permit expiry and extension requests
4. Incomplete closures → Ensure all closure steps are verified

Cross-References

• safety/hazard-identification/SKILL.md — Hazard identification source
• safety/inspection-workflow/SKILL.md — Permit inspection during execution