Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
1. Introduction
2. When are Permits to Work Systems Required?
3. Definitions
4. Responsibilities
5. Essentials of Permit to Work System
6. Work Planning and Risk Assessment for Permit to work system
7. Further information and advice
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Permit to Work system is a formal safety control document designed to prevent injury
to employees, contractors and third parties as well as to property, particularly when
work with foreseeable high hazard content is undertaken. The Permit sets out the
work to be done, precautions to be taken and the responsibilities of individuals.
This guidance is intended to assist Line Managers, Headteachers, and people in
charge of divisional units to ensure that a safe system of work is in place for
maintenance work, small or short term projects where previously hazardous
conditions have been identified. A permit to work system will be required to ensure no
worker is subjected to any significant risk, and also in fulfilling legal obligations under
the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, and The Management of Health and Safety
Regulations 1999.
1.2 A permit to work system forms an essential part of a safe system of work. It also
forms an integral part of a risk assessment process, where specific hazards are
identified, and suitable control measures are implemented prior to commencement of
the work task. However, it is important to ensure that people carrying out work task
where a permit to work system is required have the necessary competence to
undertake the job safely.
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• Jobs where there is a transfer of work and responsibilities from one contractor
to the other;
2.2 As a general guide a permit to work system may be required for work activities that
involve:
• Confined space working;
• Working at height;
3.0 Definitions
3.1 Safe System of Work: It is a controlled and considered way of carrying out a work
task, which eliminates the risk to health and safety so far as it is reasonably
practicable. It sets out the work to be done and precautions to be taken. Hence, in its
simplest form;
3.2 Permit to Work System: This is a formal written system document used to closely
control certain types of activities, tasks, processes or work that have specific hazards
or are potentially hazardous. A permit to work system will include details of the work
to be done, what is involved including all the required precautions and emergency
procedures, people involved, limits on the work task or equipment to effectively carry
out the job safely. Examples include hot works, excavations, and entry into a confined
space.
3.3 Method Statement: This is a document detailing how a particular task will be carried
out. It should detail all the possible dangers/risk associated with the job, and the
methods of controls to be established to show how the job would be managed safely.
3.4 Line Manager: This means all staff who have authority and responsibility for directing
and supervising people working for them, be they permanent, temporary or
contractually employed. Within schools, the Headteacher is responsible for ensuring
that the policies are implemented, and that appropriate responsibilities are delegated
down to competent individuals.
3.5 Competent Person: Anyone but not necessarily the Line Manager would be deemed
competent by virtue of training, qualification, knowledge, experience and qualities
appropriate to their duties. Therefore, a competent person must have a practical
knowledge of the work activity/task to be undertaken, and also be familiar with the
requirements of any relevant regulations.
3.6 Person in Charge (Supervisor): This is a competent person who has accepted a
permit to work system from the authorised person, and is named on the permit to
work, and also has direct responsibilities for the specific work to be undertaken.
3.7 Authorised Person: This is the person responsible for authorising and issuing permit
to the people to do the work.
4.0 Responsibilities
4.1 The assessment of risks and the control of works requiring a permit to work system is
the responsibility of Headteacher/Line Manager. In many cases the Headteacher/Line
Manager may require the assistance of competent persons, which may include staff
working with the process, or a nominated person in charge, to supply details to
complete the activity safely. The use of such assistance does not absolve the
Headteacher/Line Manager from their responsibilities for health and safety at work. It
will however, enable the Line Manager to demonstrate that their duties have been
discharged adequately.
4.1.1 The Management of health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999 specifies duties
under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which relate to the control of work
activity and risk assessment establishes a clear hierarchy of measures for Managers.
Line Managers, Headteachers and people in charge of divisional units are therefore
responsible for ensuring that all work tasks under their control are carried out safely.
Where required, a permit to work system must be introduced, developed, followed
and continually monitored for its effectiveness. Managers responsibilities include:
• Making sure appropriate procedures are established and maintained for all
work tasks completed under the permit to work system;
• Ensuring copies of the permits, or records of their issue are kept for a period
of 4years to enable auditing or incident investigation;
• Making sure contractors working within the permit system have sufficient
knowledge and competence to carry out their duties;
spares (Example is using a hot work permit to undertake a work activity in a confined
space).
5.12 Authorisation
Signature confirming that isolations have been made and precautions taken, excepts
where these can only be taken during the work activity. It should specify the date,
time and duration of the permit to work system.
5.13 Acceptance:
Signature of person in charge acknowledging understanding of the work task to be
carried out, limitations on whom may do the work, hazards involved precautions to be
taken and explanation of works by the authorised person.
Monitoring
Reviews
6.4 Permits to work certificates and risk assessments for work activities are subject to
audits, and should be retained by authorised person for a period of 4 years to enable
effective monitoring and audit process.
• Permit to work certificate and risk assessment should be retained at the site
for at least 30 days after completion of works.
• Permit to work and risk assessments should be retained by Line Managers for
a period of 4 years after they are issued, cancelled or superseded by the
permit authoriser.
3. Job Location:
4. Plant Identification:
6. Cross-Referenced Documentation: (The following Risk assessments, Permits, Safe Systems of Work, Method
Statements, and Maintenance procedures are applicable to this task).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Hazard identification and Control Measures: (The following residual hazards, and associated work hazards
exist with this work activity and the listed control measures are to be implemented including personal protective equipment-
PPE).
10. Authorisation: (I have reviewed all aspects of the work activity and i certify that isolations and precautions have been
taken as detailed in the method statement/ safe system of work, except where these precautions can only be taken during the
work).
Name:______________________________________ Signature:_______________________________________
11. Acceptance by Person in Charge: (I Certify that i have read and fully understand the documentation associated
with this work activity, the hazards involved and precautions required, and that procedures to carry out works have been
explained. I am also satisfied that the workforce to undertake the work activity are properly equipped and understand the safety
and emergency procedures to be followed and are competent).
Name:_________________________________________ Signature:_______________________________
Date: / / Time: :
*a. Completed
*b. Stopped/suspended. The work activity was stopped/suspended at ___:___hrs on the ____/____/____(date)
Details of the reasons for stoppage/suspension and arrangements to isolate and prevent all unauthorised access to
the work activity are:
a. The work activity detailed above has been stopped/suspended for the reason listed below:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
b. The following arrangements have been put in place to prevent unauthorised access to the work site
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Cancellation:
(I certify that this permit to work is cancelled and that the work activity detailed above has been:- * delete as required)
*b. Stopped/suspended. I confirm that the work activity was stopped/suspended for the reason detailed above, and i agree with
the arrangements that have been put in place to prevent unauthorised access. This permit to work is now cancelled and all
further work will be authorised on Permit to Work Serial No________________
Time: : hrs
Work Location:
Permit Serial No. Start date of Permit Type Date Permit to Line Managers
Permit to Work work closed Signature
Appended certificates:
*If any unsafe conditions are found, the work activity must be stopped and the Line
Manager notified immediately.
Yes No N/A
Is the scope of work activity clearly specified?
Are completed risk assessments for the work activity available for
review?
Are hazards associated with the work activity listed on the permit to
work?
Are all the required precautions listed on the permit to work system?
Is the time limit for the permit to work clear, and are any extensions
properly authorised?
Are certificates completed and appended to the permit to work?
Are copies of certificates, permits and attachments legible?
Are signatures and initials traceable and legible?
Are copies of permits and certificates posted at correct locations?
Are all attachments, drawings etc. held at correct locations?
Have permit to work users been briefed and acknowledged
understanding of all the necessary requirements to the permit?
Is the work group aware of what to do in the event of an emergency?
Are isolations appropriate for the task, correctly specified on the permit
and implemented?
Is the work activity being carried out in conformance with the permit to
work system?
Are control measures and protective equipment including PPE
appropriate for the work activity?
Are tools and work equipment suitable for the work activity?
Is general housekeeping maintained in good standard?
Comments:
Activity/Task Request
Activity/Task Parameters
(Identify what the work activity
will involve, competencies
required and assess the risk)
Work Activity/task
outside scope of
Previously Assessed permit system
Work activity/task Newly Identified Activity/Task
(Activity/task not previously
assessed or performed)
Existing assessment
Review Activity/Task Risk Assessment
(Identify all the hazards, control measures,
implementation, monitoring &review)
Stop
Agreement to proceed with Work Activity/Task? Work
Stop No
Work
Yes
Yes
No
Has Activity/Task Risk Assessment been completed?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes