Control of Work

Document Control Details

Rev Date Reason for Prepared by Checked by Approved by Endorsed by

Issue

Print Date: BP Global Document Reference

January 2006
Next Review Date: GRP STD 02
January 2009

Controlled version held at:

 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Preliminary Pages

Contents

Document Authority .................................................................................................ii

Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................iii
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................1
1.1 INTENT AND PURPOSE .....................................................................................1
1.2 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY ..............................................................................2
1.3 AUDITING, COMPLIANCE AND DEVIATION ...........................................................2
1.4 ADMINISTRATION AND AUTHORISATION .............................................................3
2. The Standard .....................................................................................................4
2.1 STANDARD STRUCTURE ...................................................................................4
2.2 STANDARD ELEMENTS.....................................................................................4
3. Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements ..........................................5
3.1 ELEMENT 01: A WRITTEN POLICY SHALL EXIST DESCRIBING
THE COW PROCESS. .......................................................................................5
3.2 ELEMENT 02: ALL IDENTIFIED ROLES WITHIN THE COW PROCEDURE SHALL HAVE
DEFINED ACCOUNTABILITIES .............................................................................6
3.3 ELEMENT 03: ALL PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE COW PROCESS SHALL BE
APPROPRIATELY TRAINED AND COMPETENT TO CARRY OUT THEIR ROLES ................8
3.4 ELEMENT 04: PLANNING AND SCHEDULING OF WORK SHALL IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL
TASKS AND THEIR INTERACTION ......................................................................10
3.5 ELEMENT 05: TASKS SHALL NOT BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT BEING RISK ASSESSED
..................................................................................................................11
3.6 ELEMENT 06: BEFORE CONDUCTING WORK THAT INVOLVES CONFINED SPACE
ENTRY, WORK ON ENERGY SYSTEMS, GROUND DISTURBANCE, HOT WORK OR
OTHER HAZARDOUS ACTIVITIES, A PERMIT SHALL BE OBTAINED. ..........................14
3.7 ELEMENT 07: THE SCOPE, HAZARDS CONTROLS AND MITIGATIONS SHALL BE
COMMUNICATED IN WRITING AND SIGNED OFF BY ALL INVOLVED IN THE TASK . ......16
3.8 ELEMENT 08: ALL ONGOING WORK REQUIRING A PERMIT SHALL BE REGULARLY
MONITORED AND MANAGED BY A RESPONSIBLE PERSON. ...................................18
3.9 ELEMENT 09: THE WORK SITE SHALL BE LEFT IN A SAFE CONDITION ON
COMPLETION OR INTERRUPTION OF WORK. ......................................................20
3.10 ELEMENT 10: THE COW PROCESS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A PROGRAM OF REGULAR
AUDITING. ....................................................................................................21
3.11 ELEMENT 11: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LESSONS LEARNED THAT IMPACT THE
COW PROCESS SHALL BE CAPTURED, INCORPORATED, AND SHARED. .................22
3.12 ELEMENT 12: THE COW PROCEDURE SHALL MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT
THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION AND THE AUTHORITY TO STOP UNSAFE WORK. ...........23
4. Metrics .............................................................................................................24
4.1 LEADING INDICATORS ....................................................................................24
4.2 LAGGING INDICATORS ...................................................................................24

Appendices
Appendix A - Glossary of Terms

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Preliminary Pages

Document Authority
This Group Standard is authorised by the Group Chief Executive as part of his standing
delegations as laid out by the BP plc Board Governance Policies of May 2001, and form part
of BP’s system of internal control as described by the BP Management Framework, 2004.

Name:
.................................................................................................................

Signed:
.................................................................................................................

Date:
.................................................................................................................

The approval of all exceptions, the resolution of issues outside the scope of the VP Safety
and Industrial Hygiene’s interpretive role and the way that any sanctions for breach will be
applied will rest with the Group Executive Officer, Strategic Resources on the advice of the
Senior GVP Safety and Operations (S&O).

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Preliminary Pages

Abbreviations
BU Business Unit
CoW Control of Work
DCMS Document Control Management System
GVP Group Vice President
HSSE Health Safety Security and Environment
IH Industrial Hygiene
IM Integrity Management
OMS Operations Management System
S&O Safety and Operations
SPA Single Point Accountability
SPU Strategic Performance Unit

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Introduction

1. Introduction
1.1 Intent and Purpose

Description of Between 1999 and 2004, 54 members of the BP workforce died due to a failure
Risk in the control of their work while undertaking routine workplace activities typical
of our industry. Subsequent analysis has demonstrated that the current Control
of Work (CoW) processes within BP range from exemplary to poor.
Note: This Standard reflects the balanced judgement of the BP Group and is
based on experience and inputs from a variety of sources. However, it
should be recognised that risk can never be eliminated and, as we learn,
the Group may have to adjust the acceptable risk envelope and the
requirements of this Standard. This would result in an updated edition of
the Standard being issued by the relevant authority. Individuals shall not
place their own risk preferences or interpretations above those of the
Group.

Intent The intent of this Standard is to ensure there is a formal approach to managing
work risk for BP employees and BP Companies and their contractors.
The further intent is to promote adoption of the Standard by companies working
on behalf of BP on non BP Premises. BP should endeavour to hire contractors
with CoW programs that are as protective, or more protective, than this
Standard and encourage those who do not have such a program to adopt one.

Purpose The purpose of this Control of Work (CoW) Standard is to reduce the risk to
which our workforce is exposed and the potential for harm to others. The
Standard will strengthen the Group’s ability to deliver HSSE Performance by
defining the Mandatory Requirements required of any CoW process.
The Control of Work and Integrity Management Standards are complimentary.
Control of Work focuses on the safe execution of workplace activities while
Integrity Management concerns the total lifecycle integrity of BP Operations
through design, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.
Further support to the Standard is provided by the Golden Rules of Safety which
detail the minimum safety standards to be followed by individuals when carrying
out certain high risk activities.

Document Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

Content
This document describes the elements that make up the Standard and the
Mandatory Requirements that must be addressed in order to comply with those
elements.

References
Where appropriate, references are made to relevant guidelines, procedures and
Practices that must also be adhered to in order to comply with the Standard and
its supporting elements.
Note: It is important that all locally held documents relevant to the CoW
process are readily identifiable and accessible by the workforce.

Responsibilities
Responsibilities for the CoW process will be locally assigned. As conditions and
circumstances differ between sites, so will the required CoW responsibilities
and the nature/number of personnel available to fulfil them. For this reason,
responsibilities for the CoW process are not included in this Standard.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Introduction

1.2 Scope and Applicability

Scope This Standard covers the means of safely controlling construction, maintenance,
demolition, remediation, operating tasks and similar work activities and applies
to the workforce and BP premises.

Applicability This Standard applies to the workforce and BP Premises.

For the purpose of this Standard, the workforce comprises BP employees and
every employee of any other company or other legal entity that has been
engaged to perform work on BP Premises.
Subject to the Standard’s intent and subject to existing contractual constraints
(to the extent that they cannot be renegotiated), this Standard shall be applied to
all contractors and their associated subcontractors who perform work at BP
Premises.

1.3 Auditing, Compliance and Deviation

Auditing and Business and Functional Units are accountable for implementing the Standard
Compliance and for providing auditable evidence of compliance.
Monitoring compliance to this Standard, reporting on implementation and
progress on meeting targets, shall be locally owned and included as part of the
annual HSSE self-verification process for each Business and Functional Unit.
The requirements of the Control of Work Standard will form part of the basis of
the audits protocols to be used by the Safety and Operation Audit.
BP facilities that are covered by this Standard are expected to adopt or modify
their procedures and practices to conform to both the Standard and the
Mandatory Requirements described in this document.
In the event of a conflict between this Standard and a relevant law or regulation,
the relevant law or regulation shall be followed. If the Standard creates a higher
obligation, it should be followed as long as full compliance with the law or
regulation is also achieved.

Deviation from Under exceptional circumstances, there is a process for Business Unit and
the Standard Functional Leaders to obtain the authority to temporarily or permanently deviate
from the requirements of this document. Those circumstances include legal,
regulatory, local conditions, and other similar reasons that make adoption
infeasible for a particular facility, region, or country.
Variations are a temporary authority not to meet the Standard (including time
extensions) which must be fully justified and reported through the VP Safety and
Industrial Hygiene to the Senior GVP Safety and Operations for their approval.
Exceptions are a permanent authority not to meet the Standard and must be
fully justified and reported through the VP Safety and Industrial Hygiene to the
Senior GVP Safety and Operations for approval by the Group Executive Officer,
Strategic Resources.
Deviations (variations and exceptions) must be listed in the annual Segment
HSSE Report.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Introduction

1.4 Administration and Authorisation

Administration Administration and authorisation responsibilities for this Standard are:

and
Authorisation Custodian: The VP Safety and Industrial Hygiene
Maintainer: The Director, Safety Standards
Adjudicator: The Document Authority – Group Chief Executive
The Custodian is responsible for confirming the accuracy and integrity of content
and proposed changes to the Standard.
The Maintainer is responsible for the upkeep and continued integrity of the
Standard, including regular reviews and audits.
The Adjudicator is responsible for authorising and approving changes to the
Standard.

Interpretation Questions of interpretation should be directed in writing to the Custodian of this

Standard for the purpose of clarification.

Changes and Any suggested changes or amendments to this Standard should be forwarded
Amendments to the Custodian along with the reasons for the change.
All suggestions will be acknowledged and, if rejected, the reasons given for their
rejection.
Accepted changes will be administered through the document change control
system employed by the Document Control Management System (DCMS).

Document The Standard shall be held and controlled on the DCMS.

Control and
Review This Standard is subject to regular review (at least once every three years) and
whenever circumstances dictate. All reviews, regular or otherwise, shall be
initiated at the absolute discretion of the Custodian.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
The Standard

2. The Standard
2.1 Standard Structure

Elements and The Standard comprises 12 Elements supported by Mandatory Requirements.

Mandatory The elements are listed here. The Mandatory Requirements are listed and
Requirements described in Section 3 Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements.

2.2 Standard Elements

The 12 The Group Standard – Personal Safety - Control of Work (CoW) requires
Elements for compliance with the following 12 Elements:
the Control of
Work Standard 1. A written policy shall exist describing the CoW process.
2. All identified roles within the CoW policy and associated procedures
shall have defined accountabilities.
3. All persons involved in the CoW process shall be appropriately trained
and competent to carry out their roles.
4. Planning and scheduling of work shall identify individual tasks and their
interaction.
5. Tasks shall not be conducted without being risk assessed.
6. Before conducting work that involves confined space entry, work on
energy systems, ground disturbance, hot work or other hazardous
activities, a permit shall be obtained.
7. The scope, hazards, controls and mitigations shall be communicated in
writing and signed off by all involved in the task.
8. All ongoing work requiring a permit shall be regularly monitored and
managed by a responsible person.
9. The work site shall be left in a safe condition on completion or
interruption of the work.
10. The CoW process shall be subject to a program of regular auditing.
11. Internal and External lessons learned that impact the CoW process shall
be captured, incorporated, and shared.
12. The CoW policy and associated procedures shall make it clear to
everyone that they have the obligation and authority to stop unsafe
work.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3. Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.1 Element 01: A written policy shall exist describing the CoW process.

Intent To ensure that the CoW policy and associated procedures have been issued in
accordance with a Document Control Management System and that any changes
or developments are subject to a formal Management of Change control process
before authorization and adoption.

Mandatory a) This policy and associated procedures shall be subject to document

Requirement control and Management of Change requirements.

Requirements:
The policy and procedures must be issued in accordance with a document
control management system and any changes must be subjected to a strict
document control procedure before authorisation and adoption. This will
require having trained and competent people to examine the proposed
changes and to document the reasons behind them.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• A Document Control Management System (DCMS) must be in place.
• A CoW policy and associated procedures must exist and must fully
describe the CoW process.
• The CoW policy and procedures must be managed by the DCMS.
• All CoW documents, e.g. Permit Forms, must have a DCMS reference
number assigned to them and this number must be clearly visible on the
form).
• The DCMS must be subject to regular audits and monitoring.
• The Control of Work policy and associated procedures must be provided
to employees and kept in readily accessed locations for easy reference.
• There must be auditable evidence that the following CoW roles and
responsibilities have been assigned to suitably competent personnel:
o Single Point of Accountability: A person who will be ultimately
responsible for the overall performance of the written CoW policy
and associated procedures.
o Maintainer: A person responsible for upkeep and continued
integrity of the documents, including regular reviews and audits.
o Adjudicator: A person responsible for authorising and approving
changes to the documents.
o Technical Authority: A person responsible for confirming the
accuracy and integrity of technical content and changes.
o Document control: A person responsible for establishing and
maintaining control of the document through the DCMS,
including the assignment of reference numbers, issue, storage,
retrieval, version control and change control.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management
system (oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations
Practices.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.2 Element 02: All identified roles within the CoW policy and associated procedures
shall have defined accountabilities

Intent To ensure that all roles and responsibilities required to operate the CoW policy and
associated procedures are identified, articulated to the designated persons and
that those persons are competent, authorised and that auditable evidence is
available.

Mandatory a) The levels of authority for approval to proceed with work shall be
Requirement commensurate with the level of risk.

Requirements:
The level of authority for approval to proceed with work must match the level
of risk involved. Those who give final authorisation for any work must be
sufficiently trained and suitably aware to competently assess all of the
hazards and risks. This requires full knowledge of the work in progress within
the area concerned.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement the following
information must exist as part of the CoW policy and procedures:
• A clear definition / description for each authority level including the
required training and knowledge for each level.
• A formal process must be in place (e.g. risk matrix) that clearly defines and
allows determination of individual risk levels.
• An Authority-Risk matrix (or similar tool) defining the appropriate authority
level for the determined level of risk.

Mandatory b) Persons with identified roles shall demonstrate they understand and
Requirement accept their accountabilities.

Requirements:
All roles and responsibilities required to operate the Control of Work process
must be identified. Persons assigned CoW roles and responsibilities must be
able to demonstrate that their accountabilities are understood and accepted.
These responsibilities and accountabilities must also be documented as part
of the Control of Work written procedures.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement the following points
should be properly addressed:
• A list of all required CoW roles, including their accountabilities and
responsibilities must be clearly documented as part of the CoW policy
and procedures.
• Personnel assigned a CoW role must be made aware of their role(s) and
responsibilities and must have ready and easy access to them in
documented form.

…continued

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.2 Element 02: All identified roles within the CoW policy and associated procedures shall
have defined accountabilities (continued)

Mandatory c) There shall be a Single Point Accountable person for management of the
Requirement CoW process.

Requirements:
To comply with this Mandatory Requirement, a Single Point Accountable
(SPA) person must be appointed for the management of the CoW process
and its continuing successful delivery. In addition:
• SPA authorities, accountabilities, and responsibilities must be clearly
documented as part of the CoW policy and procedures.
• The identity and contact details for the SPA must be readily and easily
accessible to all personnel.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.3 Element 03: All persons involved in the CoW process shall be appropriately trained
and competent to carry out their roles

Intent To provide assurance that everyone involved with the CoW process has the
required training and has reached the level of competence required to ensure
correct application of the process.

Mandatory a) All roles shall have defined competency.

Requirement
Requirements:
In order to define the competency for any given role, that role must be
assessed for the knowledge, skills and reasoning required to carry it out
safely. The resulting defined competency must be documented and used to
establish the competency and training requirements of personnel expected to
carry out that role.
In order to comply with this requirement:
• The knowledge, skills and reasoning requirements for each identified role
must be documented as part of the CoW policy and procedures.
• A documented program of audit and review for defined competencies
must be in place to capture lessons learned and new best practices.

Mandatory b) Training, including refresher training, shall be available for all roles
Requirement within the CoW process and linked to the defined competency.

Requirements:
Based on the defined competencies, personnel must be provided with the
training necessary to equip them with the understanding, knowledge and the
skills to fulfil their responsibilities safely. This means that a training program
must be in place that accounts for initial users, those requiring refresher
training, and those who require remedial training because they have been
recognised as operating below acceptable standards.
To comply with this element:
• Based on established competencies, a documented training program
(e.g. training matrix) must exist and identify:
o All personnel designated a CoW role.
o The training required by designated personnel in order to fulfil
their roles (including dates for refresher training and re-
certification).
Note: Training of contract employees is primarily the responsibility of the
contractor. However, owners must ensure that the appropriate
training has been identified and received, and that contractor
employees are competent to undertake the tasks expected of them.

…continued

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.3 Element 03: All persons involved in the CoW process shall be appropriately trained
and competent to carry out their roles (continued)

Mandatory c) Competence levels must be regularly checked.

Requirement
Requirements:
Training alone does not guarantee competency (or continuing competency).
Personnel must have their performance of the task checked through regular
tests and the results must be properly documented and used to identify
future/further training requirements.
In order to comply with this requirement, based on Paragraph a and
Paragraph b of this Element, a competence assessment program with regular
audit and reviews must exist for each designated CoW role.

Mandatory d) Training and competency records shall be kept and updated.

Requirement
Requirements:
Training and competency assessment records must be maintained for all
personnel. The records should include any training received (including dates)
as well as qualifications and certificates held. The records should also include
the due dates for refresher training and re-certification.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management
system (oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations
Practices.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.4 Element 04: Planning and scheduling of work shall identify individual tasks and their
interaction

Intent To ensure that planning and scheduling of work delivers an integrated planning
function, which accurately reflects the work to be carried out, the use of
resources and the time period required for the safe completion of work.

Mandatory a) Planning and scheduling shall consider time and resource requirements
Requirement for hazard identification, risk assessment, preparation and planning.

Requirements:
A documented work planning process must be in place that takes into
account the time required for Control of Work activities. In particular, hazard
identification, risk assessment, planning, scheduling, and preparation must be
integral to the work planning process for any activity. This includes the
identification of competent personnel and suitable equipment required for the
safe execution of the task.
Where necessary the appropriate subject matter experts must be included in
the planning stages.

Mandatory b) Simultaneous operations shall be identified and consideration given to

Requirement their compatibility.

Mandatory c) When work is dependent on or affects another activity their planning,

Requirement scheduling and implementation shall be coordinated and priorities of
execution defined.

Requirements:
The planning process must identify all dependent and linked activities,
including those associated with planned maintenance. Where necessary, all
activities must be coordinated and prioritised so that they can be completed
in a safe, efficient and timely manner.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management
system (oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations
Practices.

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Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.5 Element 05: Tasks shall not be conducted without being risk assessed

Intent To ensure that a Risk Assessment is conducted and is capable of coping with
various levels of complexity, dependant upon the hazards, likelihood of those
hazards being realised and the extent of the controls and mitigation needed to
ensure that the work can be completed safely.

Mandatory a) A member(s) of the workforce performing the task shall participate in

Requirement the Risk Assessment, which shall be communicated in writing and
signed off by all involved in the task.

Requirements:
Using personnel from the teams who will carry out the work will help to
ensure a comprehensive Risk Assessment whose findings are more fully
understood by all concerned.
To comply with this requirement:
• All Risk Assessment teams must include at least one representative from
the workforce assigned to carry out the task being assessed. Where
more than one team is assigned to carry out the work, a representative
from each should be included.
• The results of the Risk Assessment must be recorded and
communicated in writing to all personnel involved in the assessed task.
• All personnel involved in carrying out the task must sign-off on the
completed Risk Assessment findings to show that they have agreed and
understood them.

Mandatory b) The work site shall be inspected by a competent person as a pre-

Requirement requisite for conducting the risk assessment.

Requirements:
A site inspection will highlight the hazards arising from the location features.
These hazards are usually common to all work carried out at that location and
must be accounted for in the risk assessment.
In order to comply with this requirement, the work site must be inspected for
hazards by a competent person who will report their findings to the Risk
Assessment team before the Risk Assessment can be approved/signed off.

…continued

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Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.5 Element 05: Tasks shall not be conducted without being risk assessed (continued)

Mandatory c) Routine tasks that are not controlled using a permit to work system
Requirement must be risk assessed and be covered by a procedure.

Requirements:
Routine tasks may be covered by a procedural approach only if a documented
Risk Assessment has been conducted.
To comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• All tasks classified as routine must be easily identifiable and must have a
documented Risk Assessment.
• Documented Risk Assessments and the routine procedures to which
they apply must be formally recorded and controlled on the DCMS.
• All documented Risk Assessments and the procedures to which they
apply must be subject to a program of regular review.
• Persons carrying out activities controlled by procedures must be trained,
competent and authorised to do so.

Mandatory d) All equipment used in performing work must be assessed fit for purpose
Requirement by a competent person through inspection and/or review of any
certification.

Requirements:
A system must be in place to ensure that all equipment identified as
necessary for safe completion of the task (including contractor supplied
equipment) is checked by a competent person prior to work commencement
to ensure it is of an adequate specification for the task, within date for testing
and re-certification, and free from obvious defects / excessive wear.

Mandatory e) To reduce risk, Risk Assessments shall consider these measures in the
Requirement following order:
• elimination
• substitution
• control
• mitigation.

Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• Wherever possible, hazards shall be eliminated from the task.
• If a hazard cannot be eliminated, consideration shall then be given to its
substitution.
• If the hazard cannot be eliminated or substituted, control measures must
be put in place.
Note: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shall only be considered as the
last protective barrier before a person is exposed to a hazard.
Reliance on PPE shall only occur after all other efforts have been
made to eliminate or reduce the hazard.
Mitigation measures (measures to reduce the affects of an accident or
condition) must be in place even when controls are in place because residual
risks will still remain.

…continued

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Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.5 Element 05: Tasks shall not be conducted without being risk assessed (continued)

Mandatory f) Proven emergency response plans, based on potential emergencies, shall

Requirement be in place before commencing work.
Requirements:
The risk assessment must identify the credible potential emergencies that
could occur during the work. In order to comply with this requirement:
• Based on the risk assessment findings, emergency response plans must
be in place before work commences.
• All personnel involved in the work must be made fully aware of the
control measures and emergency response plans that are in place and
the actions required of them in an emergency.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.
Preparation of emergency response plans should, where appropriate, meet the
requirements of the BP Crisis Management Framework.

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.6 Element 06: Before conducting work that involves confined space entry, work on
energy systems, ground disturbance, hot work or other hazardous activities, a permit
shall be obtained.

Intent To ensure that a formal process of “permitting” is utilised for the specific high risk
work mentioned above and to allow such work to be safely carried out using the
appropriate level of control.

Mandatory a) A work permit must:

Requirement
• Define the scope of work, location and its duration.
• Identify hazards and reference Risk Assessments.
• Identify isolation of energy sources required to carry out the job.
• Establish control measures to eliminate or mitigate risks.
• Link the work to other associated work permits or simultaneous
operations.
• Ensure that where there are isolations common to more than one
permit, the isolations are not removed before all permits have been
signed off.
• Specify those carrying out the work and verify that the risks and control
measures have been communicated to them.
• Be authorised, monitored and re-validated by the responsible person.
• Ensure adequate control over the return to normal operations.

Note: A work permit itself is not a control for an individual work task. It is
a means of recording the controls required and the reasons behind
their inclusion.

Mandatory b) Only work covered under the task description of the permit can be
Requirement performed.

Mandatory c) The work-site shall be inspected by a competent person before permit

Requirement issue to ensure that conditions have not materially changed.

Requirements:
Before the permit is issued a visual inspection of the work site must be
conducted by a competent person in order to:
• Confirm all permit requirements have been fulfilled.
• Identify any problems that may have previously been overlooked.
• Identify any material changes to the site that will affect the findings of the
original Risk Assessment.
Note: Material changes to the site, or the existence of hazards overlooked
by the Risk Assessment will require the review of existing or a new
Risk Assessment.
…continued

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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.6 Element 06: Before conducting work that involves confined space entry, work on
energy systems, ground disturbance, hot work or other hazardous activities, a permit
shall be obtained (continued)

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.
Guidance for the definition of “other hazardous activities” is available on the
Control of Work website at http://hsse.bpweb.bp.com/controlofwork/

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Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.7 Element 07: The scope, hazards controls and mitigations shall be communicated in
writing and signed off by all involved in the task.

Intent It is vital for the safe execution of work that everyone involved is acquainted with
the identified hazards, likelihood of those hazards being realised and the controls
and mitigation actions which have been applied in order to reduce the possibility
of an incident or accident.

Mandatory a) The person responsible for issuing the permit shall confirm that the
Requirement person(s) accepting the permit fully understands its contents.

Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement, the person issuing the
permit must ensure that personnel accepting the permit:
• Understand the scope and requirements of the work permit, adjacent
activities/hazards and initial emergency actions.

• Are shown the correct equipment addressed by the permit, which shall
be clearly identified.

• Are able to identify when changes in the work environment invalidate the
original permit, and shall cease all activity until a re-assessment has been
completed.

Mandatory b) The person accepting the permit shall ensure that all involved in the task
Requirement sign to confirm understanding of the scope, hazards, controls and
mitigation.

Requirements:
It is not enough to merely tell a person something. There must be effective
communication to ensure full understanding of the information being
conveyed and there must be a recorded and auditable indication that this has
taken place.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• Workforce members must be made aware of the permit contents,
especially the:
o Scope of work.
o Hazards that may be encountered.
o the controls and mitigating actions that are in place to reduce
these hazards and their affects.
• Workforce members must sign the permit to formally acknowledge that
they fully understand its contents.
• A copy of the permit must be retained on site for the duration of the work
for the benefit of the work force.

…continued

GRP STD 02 16
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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.7 Element 07: The scope, hazards controls and mitigations shall be communicated in
writing and signed off by all involved in the task (continued)

Mandatory c) Operations and other relevant personnel shall be informed of and

Requirement understand the impact and status of all work, which may affect them
prior to commencement of the work.

Mandatory d) The persons performing work at remote locations off site shall:
Requirement
• Have the skills and competency to identify the required work scope,
hazards, controls and mitigation measures.
• Establish and maintain regular communication.
• Validate the permit requirements with another competent person.

Requirements:
Personnel operating in remote locations may have limited access to facilities
and other competent personnel. It is particularly important that personnel
working in remote locations have the skills, competencies and CoW
knowledge required to operate safely in the conditions they work in.
To comply with this requirement, personnel in remote locations must:
• Be able to demonstrate their understanding of the CoW process to which
they must adhere. In particular, they must have the skills and
competencies required to identify the work scope, hazards, controls and
mitigation measures required by the work.
• Be able to demonstrate that they have the skills and knowledge
necessary to carry out the work, including the ability to safely carry out
electrical and mechanical isolations where required.
• Be provided with a reliable system of communication and be competent
in the use of that system.
• Have access to a competent person with whom they can confirm their
understanding of the permit, and validate the permit.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 17
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.8 Element 08: All ongoing work requiring a permit shall be regularly monitored and
managed by a responsible person.

Intent To protect those completing the work it is essential that competent persons
regularly visit and inspect the work site to ensure that the conditions detailed on
the permit have not been compromised; that only the work as described on the
permit is carried out and the work is continuing in a safe manner.

Mandatory a) Those issuing the permit shall provide monitoring of the work, and
Requirement maintain regular communication with those performing the work.
Requirements:
It must be ensured that the conditions detailed on the permit have not been
compromised and that work continues in a safe manner. It is also important
to ensure that only the work described on the permit is carried out.
Note: Work must only be carried out within the conditions of the permit.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement
• A competent person must be assigned to visit the worksite regularly in
order to ensure that the permit conditions are being complied with by the
workforce and to assess whether the original permit still covers the work
in progress.
• The level of monitoring required must be defined as part of the risk
assessment process.

Mandatory b) Before work re-commences after interruption, the site conditions and
Requirement appropriate control measures shall be reassessed.

Requirements:
If work is interrupted, the site conditions and appropriate control measures
must be re-assessed before work is allowed to re-commence. Interruptions
may include meal breaks, smoke breaks, alarms, emergency situations and
shift changes.
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• After a break in activity (as defined above), the conditions and control
measures must be reassessed as compliant with the current permit by a
competent person before any work can restart.
• Where conditions or control measures are seen to have changed, work
must not restart until the situation has been assessed by a competent
person and conditions returned to those required by the permit. If this
cannot be achieved, a new permit may be required.

Mandatory c) At shift change, before work re-commences, hand-over arrangements

Requirement between all involved in the work shall include the status of continuing
work, a re-appraisal of site conditions and the appropriate control
measures.
…continued

GRP STD 02 18
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.8 Element 08: All ongoing work requiring a permit shall be regularly monitored and
managed by a responsible person (continued).

Mandatory d) The responsible person charged with monitoring the ongoing work shall:
Requirement • identify when the site conditions have changed.
• assess when the original permit no longer accurately covers the task,
stop the job if necessary and request a re-assessment.

Requirements:
A copy of the current permit must be retained on site for reference.
The person assigned to monitor the work must have the required
competence to recognise when site conditions no longer comply with the
permit requirements.
The person assigned to monitor the work must investigate any indication
from the workforce that the work may be unsafe.

Mandatory e) The status of permits (including a register of associated inhibits/

Requirement overrides/isolations) shall be accurate, up to date and available at a
designated location.

Requirements:
A copy of all permits and associated certificates currently in force must be
held at a suitable location (e.g. the control room, the site office, or
electronically).
A competent person must be assigned to monitor the status of all permits
and to ensure that associated registers for isolations, overrides and inhibits
are maintained in an up-to-date condition.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 19
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 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.9 Element 09: The work site shall be left in a safe condition on completion or
interruption of work.

Intent On completion or interruption of any work activity, it is essential that prior to the
permit being closed, the work site is visited by a competent person to ensure that
no potential sources of accidents remain and that the equipment can be safely
brought back into service without incident.

Mandatory a) The work site shall be inspected and confirmed as being in a safe
Requirement condition on completion or interruption of work (except where the
interruption is an emergency in which case it should be undertaken after
the emergency has been cleared).
Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement, when work is
interrupted or completed a competent person(s) must inspect the work site
to ensure that:
• the area has been cleared of any tools, rags, debris, etc.
• fittings and equipment removed or dismantled during the work have been
left in a safe condition.
• the area has been cleaned as required and any spills and contaminants
removed and disposed of safely.
Note: If work is interrupted due to an emergency, the site inspection may
be delayed until the emergency has passed.

Mandatory b) Upon completion of the work, the permit shall be closed by signature
Requirement from the appropriate authority.
Requirements:
A documented procedure must be in place to ensure that on completion of
the work:
• A competent person has assessed the work site as clean, tidy and in a
safe condition.
• A competent and suitably authorised person must provide a sign-off to
indicate that the work is complete and the permit closed-out.

c) The CoW process shall include de-isolation, reinstatement and testing of

the system’s integrity.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 20
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.10 Element 10: The CoW process shall be subject to a program of regular auditing.

Intent In order to maintain a consistently high standard of CoW process application, it is

essential that a program of regular auditing be established. The audits should
review and make recommendations for improvements on the correct application
of the CoW process, including all documentation, controls, training and
competency. Any discrepancies noted should be communicated to the site and
business management with a requirement that corrective action plans are
developed and that actions are closed out in a timely manner.

Mandatory a) Audit results shall be recorded, analysed and used to improve the
Requirements management and quality of the CoW process.

Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• A regular program of auditing for the CoW process must be in place.
• Individual permits, including any associated risk assessments, must be
regularly audited.
• Audits must account for the CoW documentation processes and
procedures as well as their correct use and application.
• Audit results must be communicated to the Site and Business
Management.
• A mechanism must be in place to incorporate improvements identified by
the audit process.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 21
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.11 Element 11: Internal and external lessons learned that impact the CoW process shall
be captured, incorporated, and shared.

Intent To ensure that any learning’s on how to improve the CoW process and the safe
means of carrying out work are made available to and used by all facilities across
the BP Group

Mandatory a) All Major Incidents lessons shall be reviewed for relevance.

Requirements
Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement there must be:
• A formal mechanism for capturing, recording and incorporating lessons
learned.
• A regular review process for lessons learned from other sites and their
relevance / applicability.
• A regular review process for lessons learned outside BP and their
relevance / applicability.

b) An implementation plan for the identified lesson learned shall be

documented.

Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement there must be:
• A formal mechanism for distributing experiences and lessons learned to
others on the site.
• A formal mechanism for sharing the experiences / lessons learned across
the entire Business Unit and the BP Group.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 22
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Standard Elements and Mandatory Requirements

3.12 Element 12: The CoW policy and associated procedures shall make it clear to
everyone that they have the obligation and authority to stop unsafe work.

Intent To stop the continuation of potentially unsafe work at the earliest stage possible
by making every member of the workforce responsible for its prevention.

Mandatory a) All personnel must be made aware of their obligation to stop work that
Requirement they consider to be unsafe.
Requirements:
• The CoW process must make it unambiguously clear that all personnel
are obliged and have the authority to stop work that they consider to be
unsafe.
• All personnel must be made aware of the actions they must take,
including reporting, when stopping unsafe work.

Mandatory b) All indications from personnel that the work is unsafe must be properly
Requirement investigated.
Requirements:
In order to comply with this Mandatory Requirement:
• All instances of work being stopped for reasons of safety must be
recorded.
• All reports of unsafe work, from any member of the work force, must be
properly investigated and the results recorded.

References The development and maintenance of the CoW process and associated
procedures shall follow the requirements of the operating management system
(oms) and take into consideration the requirements of the Operations Practices.

GRP STD 02 23
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Metrics

4. Metrics
4.1 Leading Indicators

SPU Segment Group

% sites with a prioritised % sites with a prioritised % Segments with a prioritised CoW
CoW implementation plan CoW implementation plan implementation plan

4.2 Lagging Indicators

Segment Group
% reduction of CoW-related fatalities % reduction of CoW-related fatalities

GRP STD 02 24
January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Appendix A - Glossary of Terms

GRP STD 02 Appendix A - 1

January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms
Accountable Person The person in the organization who has ultimate responsibility.
Activities Specific actions or pursuits.
Assess To consider and make a judgment upon.
Assurance A guarantee, giving certainty.
Auditing A formal or official examination and verification. The audit process
should include monitoring, review, and reporting of the outcome of
the audit to those people who can implement any changes needed.
Authority a. Official permission.
b. A position that has the power to make a judgement; an
individual cited or appealed to as an expert.
c. The power to influence or command.
BP Company A company in the BP Group, or a company or other legal entity
where BP has operational control, is responsible for HSSE and has
the right to impose this Standard.
BP Employee A person employed by a BP Company.
BP Operations BP Business Units, projects, facilities sites and operations
BP Premises Any site, location or marine vessel that is owned or operated by or
for a BP Company.
Competency The ability to perform a task in the correct manner with the correct
understanding and reasoning behind the task.
Competent Person A person who has demonstrated that they have the knowledge,
training and experience required to perform the defined role to the
standard required.
Confined Space A confined space is one that is large enough for personnel to enter,
has limited or restricted means of entry, and is not designed for
normal or continuous occupancy. It can be any enclosed or partially
enclosed space where there is a risk of death or serious injury from
hazardous substances or dangerous conditions (e.g. lack of oxygen).
Contractors Members of the work force who are not directly employed by BP.
Control a) A mechanism used to regulate a physical process or activity.
b) An action to mitigate risk.
c) The power to direct (usually through authority).
Document Control An established means of controlling the issue, use and updating of
Management System documents used in the management of a site. A full document
control management system (DCMS) will include reference numbers
on documents, means of tracking changes and updates and regular
audits of the system to ensure compliance.
Eliminate To remove or get rid of.
Energy Systems Systems, which by their nature contain energy e.g. hydraulic,
mechanical, electrical, potential and pneumatic.

GRP STD 02 Appendix A - 2

January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms (continued)

Formal A formal process or agreement is one that is written, recorded and
audited. It may also include tracking to ensure that work is following
the process or agreement.
Ground Disturbance Work that involves a man-made cut, cavity, trench or depression
formed by earth removal, or driving piles into the earth surface.
Hand-over The detailed review of an operating unit’s status, condition and
ongoing work.
Hazards Equipment, materials, activities, or conditions that have a significant
potential to cause injury.
Hot Work Work which involves either the use or the possible creation of a
flame, spark or high energy discharge that could act as the ignition
source for a fire or explosion.
Interaction Acting upon each other.
Interruption The actual definition of work interruption may be different at each
site, but could include coffee, smoke breaks and lunch breaks, fire
alarms, suspension of work overnight, emergency situations and
shift changes.
Live Equipment Equipment that is in operation and is therefore the source of energy
in the form of electricity, process fluids, radioactive sources,
hydraulic or pneumatic pressure that could be released or
discharged in an uncontrolled manner in the event of an incident.
Lock A mechanical device, either key or combination type, to hold an
energy isolating device in the safe position, usually to prevent the
energizing of a machine or equipment.
Management of An established means of managing and controlling changes within
Change an organization.
Mandatory Obligatory or compulsory. All instructions, requirements,
procedures etc., described as mandatory must be complied with.
Mandatory The outcome that must be delivered
Requirements
Mitigation An action or event which prevents or minimises the effects of an
incident or condition.
Monitoring The routine function of regular inspection carried out by a
responsible and competent person.
Non-BP Company A company outside the BP Group, or a company or other legal
entity where BP does not have operational control.
Operational Control Where BP has responsibility for the activity as owner or under a
contractual obligation with the owners of the entity and, as a
consequence, has appropriate authority to manage directly all HSSE
aspects of the operational activities to meet BP policy and
expectations.
Operating Tasks Tasks carried out by personnel who run BP facilities and production
units which require interface with plant and equipment and are
necessary to ensure ongoing plant operations (e.g. sample taking,
filter element replacement, etc).

GRP STD 02 Appendix A - 3

January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms (continued)

Permit A formal and detailed document containing location, time,
equipment to be worked on, Hazard identification,
mitigation/precaution measure used, naming those authorizing the
work and those performing the work.
Permit to Work An approved management system used to control work in a safe
manner.
Plan The function of task (work) identification, interaction and
sequencing including, preparation and completion requirements, to
achieve an outcome.
Plant Land, building and equipment.
Policy Plan of action pursued by the Company (BP) with which all
personnel must comply.
Positively isolated Isolation by mechanical means such as physical disconnection or
the insertion of a blank or slide plate.
Pre-job An activity which is required prior to a task or work being
undertaken.
Procedure A detailed document either in paper or electronic form which sets
out sequential or parallel actions which shall be followed by those
engaged in carrying out an activity.
Process A detailed description of a management system or a production
operation.
Regular An activity that is required to take place regularly will be defined by
the site and should cover the normal, typical, activities and explain
the frequency of that work. Regularly is used to indicate activities
that must occur frequently enough to ensure the on-going safety of
the work force. For some activities this might be annually, for
others it could be every few minutes.
Responsible Person A suitably trained and experienced individual who has been formally
assessed as competent and has been given specific actions or
areas of responsibility by an accountable person.
Requirements The activities, tasks or deliverables that must be completed to
comply with the Mandatory Requirements
Risk Possibility of loss, injury, damage, or exposure to hazard or danger.
Risk Assessment The process of hazard identification and the assessment of the
potential for identified hazards to be realised in any given activity.
Roles The documented description of personnel functions within a
management structure.
Root Cause Analysis A formal process designed to determine the key causation factors
in an incident or accident.
Routine A procedure that does not vary in its execution.
Scheduling The systematic identification of activities into a time based work
flow process.
Shift change A period of time during which one work shift stops working and
another commences.
Simultaneous Separate activities or works, taking place at the same time with the
Operations potential to impact on each other.

GRP STD 02 Appendix A - 4

January 2006
 BP Group Standard for Control of Work
Appendix A – Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms (continued)

Single Point The person in the organization (site/Business Unit) who has been
Accountable appointed as being accountable for the delivery and performance of
an activity.
Subject Matter An acknowledged expert in a particular field.
Expert
Substitution Replace; serving or causing to serve a function in place of another
person or thing.
Suspension Temporary removal, withholding or postponement.
Task Risk A means of identifying work related hazards, assessing the
Assessment possibility of those hazards being realised and defining the
mitigating actions and controls required to reduce the risk.
Training The bringing of a person to a desired degree of proficiency in some
activity or skill. Training should only be carried out by people who
have been assessed as being competent to train.
Task An activity in support of a piece of work.
Verified fit for use Equipment that has been inspected by a competent person, who
has confirmed that it is fit for use for a specified period and
completed a written record of the inspection.
Work An activity made up of a number of different tasks.
Workforce BP employees and every employee of any other company or other
legal entity that has been engaged to perform work on BP
Premises.
Work Control An established means of controlling the completion of work.
Work Planning A systematic process of identifying and listing work and
determining when such work will be carried out.
Worksite The location of the activity, work or tasks.

GRP STD 02 Appendix A - 5

January 2006