DAY 2

Gas testing permits to work and hot work requirements

What is Hot Work and Do I Need a Permit?
Hot work can create significant health and safety hazards that put
workers, those around them, and the premises itself in danger.
Employers have a legal duty to ensure that risks in their workplace are
assessed, controlled and monitored so that their employees remain safe
from harm – including those from hot work. Employers must identify
the hazards in their workplace and implement suitable controls to
reduce the risks to as low as is reasonably practicable.
What is Hot Work?
The HSE defines hot work as the: ‘use of open fires, flames and work
involving the application of heat by means of tools or equipment.’
Common types of hot work include:
 Welding, brazing, and soldering.
 Grinding and cutting.
 Thawing pipes.
 The use of open flames, blow-lamps, and torches.
 Using bitumen and tar boilers.
 The use of hot air blowers and lead heaters.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it does include the most common
examples of hot work. All hot work can pose significant health and
safety risks when carried out without proper controls.
Common Hazards of Hot Work
Hot work can present numerous types of hazards to workers and the
environment around them. However, the most common and significant
risk of hot work is fire and explosions. Without the proper safety
procedures, all types of hot work can easily ignite a fire.
Fire hazards posed by hot work include:
 Flying sparks. This is the main risk posed by hot work. Sparks can
easily get trapped in cracks, pipes, gaps, holes, and other small
openings, where it will potentially smoulder and start a fire.

 Flammable swarf, molten metals, slag, cinder, and filings. The debris

and residue that hot work creates are often highly combustible and/or
hot.
 Heat conduction when working on pipes. Hot work can cause a pipe to
heat up substantially and this heat can easily transfer through the process
of conduction to another, potentially flammable surface and cause a fire.

 Hot surfaces. If you don’t properly remove flammable materials or

substances from the area before you start hot work, they could come into
contact with a surface that has become hot during the work and easily start
a fire.
 Explosive atmospheres. In certain environments, there may be
vapours or gases in the air that are highly combustible and could
ignite when exposed to hot work. Similarly, the hot work could
generate fumes that create an explosive atmosphere.
The consequences of these hazards can be severe and costly for any
business. Injuries can result in workers taking time off work,
while a serious fire could damage the building irreparably. Both
of these could even lead to legal consequences under certain
circumstances. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how to
implement appropriate safety controls.
Heat exposure: Hot work involves ‘use of open fires, flames and work
involving the application of heat’, which can expose workers to
dangerous elevated temperatures and heat build-up in the body. Excessive
heat exposure can result in heat stress, heat stroke and
unconsciousness.
Exposure to improper isolation of equipment: Improper isolation of
equipment being worked on can result in hazards including entrapment,
crushing, asphyxiation, explosive environments, etc. For example, failure
to correctly chocking moving equipment is in place or not isolating
pipework that could carry gases, vapours or fumes into the workplace.

It’s important to note that the hazards associated with hot work
will depend on the specific work activity and the environment in
which it is being undertaken.
Hot Work Control Measures
A variety of industries may require hot work in their premises as
part of routine work activities, though it is also frequently carried
out as part of contractual work. However, no matter the reason for, or
duration of, the hot work being undertaken, it’s essential that the
hazards have been assessed and appropriate controls have been
enforced.
As previously mentioned, employers have a legal duty to ensure that
risks in their workplace are assessed, controlled and monitored so that
their employees remain safe from harm, including the risks from hot
work activities.
Control methods must be selected in line with the hierarchy of control
which is outlined below:

1.Elimination 
Elimination means to avoid carrying out hot work activities. This can
be done through a number of ways. For example, if a tank requires hot
work to repair it, completely replacing the tank instead of repairing it.

2. Substitution 
The second step in the hierarchy involves substituting for a safer or less
hazardous alternative, such as using cold cutting or cold repair methods
rather than hot work.
3. Engineering controls – This involves using physical solutions to reduce
risks, such as using general mechanical ventilation (ducted air with fans) or
local exhaust ventilation (to remove fumes from the point of origin).

4. Administrative controls – This involves altering the way the activity is

undertaken to make it safer, e.g. the use of safe systems of work, permit-to-
work systems and training.

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – The final stage of the

hierarchy of control is the use of PPE to reduce any residual risks.
Examples of PPE include respiratory protective equipment (RPE),
hearing protection, eye protection and anti-static clothing and boots. PPE
must only ever be used as a last resort and only when all other stages in the
hierarchy of control have been considered.
Avoiding hot work altogether
Hot work must be avoided, so far as is reasonably practicable. ‘So far
as is reasonably practicable’ means that, for any risk that is more than
negligible or insignificant, then the duty holder has to weigh the risk
against the time, money and trouble required to control it. The level of
action should be proportionate to the risk. So, where risks are higher, such
as hot work, then the actions taken must be more comprehensive.
Therefore, you should consider every possible alternative for completing
a task before deciding to proceed with hot work.
The need for hot work can be eliminated or substituted for safer
alternatives in many ways. For example, replacing tanks and silos
instead of repairing them, substituting welding for bolting methods, or
substituting torch cutting for the use of hand-held hydraulic shears.

In some situations, hot work will be unavoidable. If this is the case, the
duty holder must ensure that an effective safe system of work is
enforced and used, to ensure that the work activity will be carried out
safely and without risk to health.
Safe systems of work (SSoW)
Safe systems of work are part of the risk assessment process. The
information contained within an SSoW should reflect and build on
the information developed in the risk assessment process. The key
information contained in a safe system of work are outlined below:
Safe Place of Work
The work environment should be safe for the work activities to be
undertaken.
Safe Work Equipment
The safe system of work should only permit the use of the safest work
equipment possible.
Safe Substances for Use at Work
The safe system of work should only allow the safest substances possible.
This may mean substituting dangerous, flammable or toxic substances
such as chemicals or gases for safer alternatives.
Safe Management, Supervision and Monitoring
Managers, supervisors, those who plan the work, and other duty holders
should be competent in their duties. This includes an understanding of the
hazards and risks involved with the work activities and work environment,
and how to safely supervise and monitor activities.
Safe Workers
Employees and any others undertaking work activities must be fully
trained in the safe system of work, including any work equipment and use
of substances, and in rescue arrangements
What is a permit-to-work?
A permit-to-work system is a written procedure to ensure that specific
work activities are adhered to. Key information about permit-to-work
systems is outlined below:

A permit-to-work is a document created to control and communicate

the key control measures that are needed for work activities where
hazards are increased due to the work to be undertaken or by the
nature of the location where the work is being carried out. Permits-to-
work form part of the safe system of work for those more hazardous work
activities.
The main purposes of a permit-to-work is to act as a single
communication tool for a specific and time-bound activity that can cause
increased hazards and risks if the additional controls and checks are not
included.
A permit-to-work is a formal written system that makes up part of the
risk assessment process and contributes to the safe system of work. It is
not a replacement for either of them.
Only a competent person in a position of authority, for example, a senior
manager, can decide whether a permit-to-work is required.
Where a permit-to-work is needed, it must only be completed by a
competent person in authority, such as an experienced supervisor,
consulting specialist advice where necessary, and must be signed off by the
competent person in charge of the work. The permit-to-work is a suitable
way to record authorisations, document findings, and to permit work
to proceed.
A permit-to-work must be specific to the work being carried out and
the environment where it is being undertaken. Once the work activity
has been finished, the permit-to-work must be cancelled in writing by the
senior manager and supervisor, and a new assessment undertaken for any
new work activities.
Anyone carrying out work must be fully informed and instructed in the
risk assessment, safe systems of work and the permit-to-work before any
work is carried out.
It is essential to note that a permit-to-work, alone, does not make a work
activity safe. It is an extension of the safe system of work and must not be
used as a replacement.
What information does a permit-to-work cover?
As previously mentioned, a permit-to-work system is a written
procedure to ensure that specific work activities are adhered to. A
permit-to-work will usually contain the following information:

Permit title.
Permit reference, including other relevant permits to work.
Job location. This must include a clear and accurate description of the
area in which the work will be undertaken.
Date and duration of permit. It’s important to note that a new permit will
normally be required for different work shifts.
Plant or equipment to be worked on. This should include the specific
identification number or location where the work will be undertaken.
Description of work to be done. This section should include sufficient
detail to clearly identify the work being done.
Hazard identification, including detailed information on the hazards
arising from the work and other associated hazards, for example, work
at height.
Precautions required, for example, safe equipment, isolation of power
required and by whom, etc.
Emergency arrangements, for example, requirements for firefighting and
rescue, details of rescue equipment, etc.
Monitoring equipment, for example, air monitoring.
Details of PPE required for the work.
A signature from the issuing authority, such as a/the manager, to confirm
that isolations have been made and precautions taken.
A signature from the supervisor of the work, to confirm understanding
of the work to be done, hazards involved and precautions required, and
that the permit information has been explained to all permit users.
Extension and shift handover. The signatures of the authorising authority,
manager, and supervisor for the permit to confirm the necessary checks
have been made to ensure that the plant remains safe to be worked on and
that all precautions remain in place. The new supervisors’ signature is
also needed to confirm acceptance and confirm that the permit
information has been explained to all permit users.
Hand-back. A signature from the supervisor of the work certifying the
work has been completed and the area has been made safe, including any
required tests.
A signature from the manager to confirm that the permit has been
cancelled, all work under the permit has been completed and the area is
safe.
Emergency Arrangements
After avoiding the risks associated with hot work and implementing safe
systems of work, it’s important to set up and maintain any necessary
emergency arrangements. Emergency arrangements must be well planned
and set out by a competent person, and must be appropriate to the hazards
generated by the specific work activities and environment.

Emergency arrangements must make up part of the risk assessment

process and safe systems of work – no work should be commenced until
the appropriate emergency arrangements are enforced. The complexity
of the emergency arrangements will depend on the specific hazards
identified.
Essential components to consider when deciding on emergency
arrangements include:

Raising the alarm. Employees must understand how to raise an alarm

and communicate effectively during an emergency rescue. An effective,
reliable method of communication that is regularly tested before work
is commenced must be in place.
Where deemed necessary by the risk assessment, suitable rescue and
resuscitation equipment must be provided and those required to use it must
be competent and fully trained.
Safeguarding any rescuers. All rescuers must be competent in their duties,
they must understand their role, be contactable and readily available at all
times when on rescue duty and must understand that they should never put
themselves at risk to enact a rescue. All emergency rescuers must be
provided with the information, instruction and training necessary to ensure
they are competent in their duties.
Hot work activities pose a very significant risk of fires and explosions
which must be assessed and suitable precautions taken. It’s important to
consider all the hazards in the work environment and posed by the work
activities and ensure that firefighting methods do not pose any additional
risks – such as displacing oxygen in confined spaces.
Whether plant may need to be shut down in the event of an emergency. For
example, because the plant is the cause of an emergency or it is not possible
to carry out an emergency rescue without plant shut down.
Suitable first aid arrangements are in place.
Arrangements for contacting and working with the emergency services
in the event of an emergency. Employers must not rely on emergency
services alone when setting out emergency arrangements. However, it’s
important to consider how the emergency services would be informed in the
event of an emergency, who is responsible for contacting them, and what
information they might need on their arrival to ensure they can carry out
their duties safely.
What are environmental risk assessments?
​An environmental risk assessment is a document that outlines the health
risks associated with exposure to environmental contaminants at a site and
provides the justification for taking action to remediate or remove the
contamination.
Risk Assessments: what they are, why they're important and how to
complete them
Risk assessment is a primary management tool in ensuring the
health and safety of workers (and others). What many people perhaps
are not aware of, however, is that they are actually a legal requirement
for employers and certain self-employed people. Whether you're
wondering how to complete a risk assessment or are unsure of their
relevance within your industry, read on to discover everything you need
to know.
What is a risk assessment?
The definition of a risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying
hazards and evaluating any associated risks within a workplace, then
implementing reasonable control measures to remove or reduce them.
When completing a risk assessment, it is important to clearly define some
keywords:
 An accident is ‘an unplanned event that results in loss’
 A hazard is ‘something that has the potential to cause harm’
 A risk is ‘the likelihood and the severity of a negative occurrence
(injury, ill-health, damage, loss) resulting from a hazard.’
Additional training may be required if you need to complete or re-assess
your risk management procedures. Completing training such as our 
Level 2 Award in Principles of Risk Assessment course will help ensure a
risk assessment is suitable and sufficiently detailed.
Different types of risk assessments
The types of risk assessment required within any workplace should be
proportionate and relevant to the operational activities being
undertaken. In many industries, there are specific legislative requirements
that apply. For example, in environments where hazardous substances are
used a Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Assessment (COSHH)
should be completed (for more information see What is COSHH?).
Some common types of risk assessments include:

• Fire risk assessments: fire safety management procedures are required

to be established in all workplaces including a suitable and sufficient
fire risk assessment.
• Manual handling risk assessments: should be conducted in any
workplace where an employee may be at risk from injury and/or ill-
health through the need to lift, carry, move loads.
Display screen equipment (DSE) risk assessments: are required to be
completed in workplaces where employees (and others) are using
computers, laptops, etc.
• COSHH risk assessments: are required within workplaces where
hazardous substances are stored, used or manufactured.
A business may also choose to complete a Risk Assessment Method
Statement (RAMS) dependent upon the nature of the operations being
carried out. This process contains details of the hazard and a step-by-step
procedure on how to complete work and suitably control the risks
identified. This process is commonly used within the construction industry.
Why are risk assessments important?
As previously stated, carrying out suitable and sufficient risk assessments is
the primary management tool in effective risk management. It is a legal
requirement for any employer and must be documented wherever five or
more people are employed.

Risk assessment is a straightforward and structured method of ensuring

the risks to the health, safety and wellbeing of employees (and others) are
suitably eliminated, reduced or controlled
The main purpose of risk assessments are:

To identify health and safety hazards and evaluate the risks presented within
the workplace
To evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of existing control measures
To ensure additional controls (including procedural) are implemented
wherever the remaining risk is considered to be anything other than low.
To prioritise further resources if needed to ensure the above.
It can be a costly lesson for a business if they fail to have necessary controls
in place. They could face not only financial loss (through fines, civil actions,
etc.) but also loss in respect of production time, damage to equipment, time
to train replacement employees and negative publicity amongst others.
Who is responsible for the completion of risk assessments?
It is the responsibility of the employer (or self-employed person) to carry
out the risk assessment at work or to appoint someone with the relevant
knowledge, experience and skills to do so.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states

that an employer must take reasonable steps ‘for the effective planning,
organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventive and
protective measures.’ So even if the task of risk management is delegated,
it is ultimately the responsibility of the management within any business to
ensure it is effectively completed.

Once hazards have been identified, the associated risks evaluated and steps
taken to minimise the potential effects, the next step for an employer is to
clearly and effectively communicate the risk assessment process and
content to relevant parties.
The process of communication is more effectively achieved if the
relevant persons are involved with the risk assessment process at every
stage. The person carrying out an activity or task is often best placed to
provide details on the associated hazards and risks and should participate
fully in the completion of the risk assessment.

Additional training may be required - such as our Level 2 Award in Risk

Assessment to ensure that a review is completed accurately and
effectively.
When to carry out a risk assessment?
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment must be carried out prior to a
particular activity or task being carried out in order to eliminate, reduce
or suitably control any associated risk to the health, safety and wellbeing
of persons involved with (or affected by) the task/activity in question.

Once completed a risk assessment should be reviewed periodically

(proportionate to the level of risk involved) and in any case when either
the current assessment is no longer valid and/or if at any stage there has
been significant changes to the specific activity or task.

Relevant risk assessments should be reviewed following an accident,

incident or ill-health event in order to verify if the control measures and
level of evaluated risk where appropriate or require amendment.
How to carry out a risk assessment?
The HSE has recommended a five-step process for completing a risk
assessment. This provides a useful checklist to follow to ensure that the
assessment is suitably comprehensive. It involves:

Identifying potential hazards

Identifying who might be harmed by those hazards
Evaluating risk (severity and likelihood) and establishing suitable
precautions
Implementing controls and recording your findings
Reviewing your assessment and re-assessing if necessary.
Step 1. Identify potential hazards

It is important to firstly identify any potential hazards within

a workplace that may cause harm to anyone that comes into
contact with them. They may not always be obvious so some
simple steps you can take to identify hazards are:

Observation: Walking around your workplace and looking

at what activities, tasks, processes or substances used could
harm your employees (or others)
Looking back over past accidents and ill-health records as
they may identify less obvious hazards
Checking manufacturers’ data sheets, instructions,
information and guidance
Consulting with employees (and others) who are carrying out
the activities, tasks or processes.
It may be useful to group hazards into five categories,
namely physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and
psychological.
Step 2. Identify who might be harmed by
those hazards

Next, identify who might be harmed by those

potential hazards. It should also be noted how
they could be affected, be it through direct
contact or indirect contact. It is not necessary to
list people by name, rather by identifying
groups including:

Employees
Contractors
Some hazards may present a higher risk to
certain groups including children, young
people, new or expectant mothers, new
employees, home workers, and lone workers.
Step 3. Evaluate risk severity and establish precautions
After identifying any hazards and who might be affected, it is important to
evaluate the severity the risk may present (should it occur) and establish
suitable and effective controls to reduce this level of risk as far as is ‘reasonably
practicable’. This means that everything possible is done to ensure health and
safety considering all relevant factors including:

Likelihood that harm may occur

Severity of harm that may occur
Knowledge about eliminating, reducing or controlling hazards and risks
Availability of control measures designed to eliminate, reduce or suitably
control or the risk
Costs associated with available control measures designed to eliminate, reduce
or suitably control or the risk
Assessing the severity of a risk requires an evaluation of the likelihood of an
occurrence and how substantial the consequences that it may cause. Some
factors affecting this evaluation include the duration and frequency of exposure,
number of persons affected, competence of those exposed, the type of
equipment and its condition, and availability of first-aid provision and/or
emergency support.
Step 4. Implement changes and record your findings
If a workplace has five or more individuals, significate findings of the
risk assessments are required to be kept either electronically or in
writing. Recording your findings on a risk assessment form is an easy way
to keep track of the risks and control measures put in place to reduce the
identified risk. The form includes:

What hazards were found Person(s) or groups affected

The controls put in place to manage risks and who is monitoring them
Who carried out the assessment?
On what date the assessment was done.
It is sensible to ensure the risk assessment is proportionate to the activity or
task being carried out and this can often be a straightforward process for
generic tasks.
Step 5. Review your assessment and reassess if necessary

Employers should periodically review the assessment and if necessary,

re-assess any controls in place.

A good guide as to when you may need to review your processes are:

After any significant change within the workplace or process in question

After an accident or ill-health incident has occurred
After near-misses have been reported.
What documentation do you need?

It is a misconception that risk assessments inherently involve a vast amount

of paperwork. It can be as straight forward as completing a basic risk
assessment form for many generic tasks or activities.
However, employers should make sure they record significant findings
including:

Any hazards identified

What controls are in currently in place, and information on any further
control measures that may be required
Any individuals that have been identified as being especially at risk.
There is no set amount of time that you are required to retain the risk
assessment, but it is best practice to keep it as long as is considered relevant
to a particular task or activity.

Risk assessments are an integral part of ensuring the health, safety and
wellbeing of everyone within the workplace. The Level 2 Award in Risk
Assessment course is a short course recommended for anyone who has to
carry out risk assessments or wants to understand the process more fully.
Multi Gas Detector – What is it?
A multi gas detector can come in many
shapes, sizes and sensor configurations,
which can cause some confusion with first
time buyers.
A multi gas detector is a portable device
designed to detect multiple gases
simultaneously. A portable gas detector is
usually the last line of defence to alerting
operators of dangerous gas leaks. The most
common sensor configuration for a multi gas
detector is carbon monoxide, hydrogen
sulphide, flammable (infrared or pellistor) and
oxygen. This configuration is commonly used
for confined space entry, the SENKO MGT is
the perfect monitor for this application.
However, a multi gas detector is not limited to this standard
configuration, our Pro series multi gas detector can have up to 4
sensors, which can be customised with any sensor configuration.
An example of this is our Pro series multi gas detector fitted with
carbon dioxide and oxygen sensor. This is typically used within the
drinks industry, hospitality industry and also used by gas delivery
drivers. Another example sensor configuration is the Pro multi gas
detector fitted with carbon dioxide, oxygen and VOC/PID sensor.
The example mentioned, was used within an IVF medical facility.
The Pro multi gas detector is extremely versatile and allows for a
flexible platform for personal protection. As mentioned, if you are
working in a confined space then the SENKO MGT multi gas
detector will most likely fit your requirements. Most standard four
gas monitors, like the confined space entry example given above,
can be ordered online. Where customised sensor configurations are
required these may need discussion with the manufacturer as
additional maintenance/training may be required.
Always Seek Advice
As always, you are buying a safety device that is designed to
provide early warning of potential gas leaks and ultimately save
your life. When purchasing your monitor, be sure that the monitor
reflects the requirements of your application and gas hazards. For
example, confined spaces are exactly that, they are limited on
space and can restrict movement. Therefore you want your
confined space monitor to be light weight and unobstructive.
You also need to consider if the multi gas detector provides live gas
readings and an optional pump module for pre entry checks. This is
especially useful for confined spaces. The SENKO MGT multi gas
detector is one of the most popular confined space monitors. It is available
to order online on our website or you can contact our team. Finally, an
important question to consider – “does the monitor detect the correct gases
onsite and does it require ATEX/Intrinsically Safe approval?”
Discover our Multi Gas Monitor
If you have multiple gas hazards onsite and require a multi gas detector,
then you need to make sure that the detector can have the mix of sensors
required for your application. In addition you need to check if there are
any cross interfering gases that could potentially cause false/incorrect
alarms. If in doubt always seek advise the manufacturer. Ask for test
data and certificates and discuss your application in detail. Most
manufacturers will help with specifying the correct monitor and will
provide training. If you are unable to contact the manufacturer, then
ensure the distributor is trained by the manufacturer. Always ask for
training certificates and the distributors authorised distributor letter.