KEY POINTS
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Any person in control of a premises could be required to enforce the use of a Permit to Work.
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Permits should only be issued by a competent person who understands the risks and the necessary control measures to put in place (Authorising Person).
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A permit should be task specific and the necessary risk assessments and method statements still need to be done. A permit is not a replacement.
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Permits should only be in place for a limited duration and be clearly dated and with specific conditions attached.
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Permits should not be transferred to other people or companies.
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Any safety precautions required should be done prior to work commencing. The permit should state these requirements, for example, electrical isolation or discharge of pressuring systems.
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The authorising person should only sign and date the permit when they are satisfied that all precautionary measures have been taken.
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If risks are too high, for example because of bad weather conditions or dangerous structure, then a permit should not be issued.
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When operating several permits at once, a Permit Register should be used to prevent conflicts in work activities. Each permit should have a unique reference number.
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All permits should be retained by the authorising person. An example of a General Application permit is provided at the end of this guidance note. You can find examples of specific permits Guidance Notes 5 & 19 – Confined Spaces and Hot Works.
PERMITTED CONDITIONS
Listed below are some examples of control measures that should be considered when issuing a permit (not exhaustive):
Roof works
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Testing roof fragility.
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Edge protection.
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Prevention of falls of materials or objects.
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Personal Protective Equipment.
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Atmospheric monitoring.
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Isolation.
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Emergency procedures.
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Adequate means of access.
Hot works
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Good housekeeping.
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Use of protective curtains.
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All 'hot works' equipment should be regularly maintained and inspected.
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Ensure a competent person visits the area after the hot works has finished to ensure that no smouldering embers or hot surfaces remain.
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Provision of suitable fire extinguishers.
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Ensure that sprinklers (if installed) are isolated and reactivated after the works.
ISOLATION
Once the permit comes into operation, where necessary, warning signs and often a lookout need to be posted around the area where work is being undertaken. When working on machinery and / or electrical systems, they should be physically isolated i.e. locked off (possibly with the contractor's own padlock) etc. When plant is isolated, it should be stated as being such on the permit.
CANCELLATION OF A PERMIT
When the operations laid out in the permit have been completed, it should be cancelled immediately and returned to the originator. They should ensure that the work detailed on the permit has been done satisfactorily. They should then sign off the permit to ensure that it is fully cancelled.
NOTE: This may only be done when all personnel and equipment involved in the work detailed on the permit has been removed from the permit working area.
RETRUNING TO SERVICE
The plant or work area etc. may now be returned to service. The person responsible for the plant or work area must be satisfied that it is safe to do this - this person might require a final inspection before countersigning the final close of the permit.
TRAINING
All staff should be made aware of the importance of the use and procedure of permit to work systems when they are in place or introduced into the workplace.