Are You Permit-to-Work System Savvy?

Understanding Permit to Work Systems: Key Facts and Best Practices

• A permit to work is a special authorization documentation that ensures adequate risk has been accessed for a process and a level of control has been put in place to reduce the severity, likelihood, and potential of an incident occurring.
• A permit-to-work (PTW) system is a process to keep employees safe during hazardous and nonstandard operations. It involves assessing risks, establishing proper safety protocols, and proper communication throughout the entire process.
• PTW systems are commonly used in industries that deal with hazardous processes, such as construction and manufacturing, to mitigate environmental, health, sustainability, and safety risks involved in certain operations.
• The permit-to-work system starts with identifying risks and hazardous areas and practices within the organization, identifying the work's scope and risks, and appointing authorized personnel to handle hazardous tasks and keep processes as safe as possible.
• Common types of work permits issued by organizations with PTW systems include hot work permits, cold work permits, confined space entry permits, electrical work permits, working at heights permits, and lockout tagout permits.
• Employees must undergo appropriate training and education to ensure they understand the risks associated with their job and the measures in place to mitigate risks before getting a work permit.
• A PTW system should strike a balance between safety and efficiency, avoiding redundant safety practices that may harm the company's productivity.
• Digitalization is the most sustainable solution for establishing a PTW system, ensuring transparency, accountability, and thoroughness, while making processes easy to audit and driving more effective and efficient work.
• SafetyCulture is a tool designed to help organizations implement a proper PTW system, offering a large set of features to help companies bring their systems and processes into the future.
• Organizations must do a proper risk assessment to identify risks with certain processes, properly identify controls, and improve worker safety.
• PTW systems require good documentation and reporting systems to help safety teams stay on top of all work and check if everyone is working according to company safety standards and practices.
• A PTW system is a necessary component of any business' control of work system and is designed to handle and mitigate the risks that employees face on a daily basis.