E-permits to work are streamlining how employers access and amend permits to work. With a quick, online software system in place, businesses can manage the safety of their workers with ease, and ensure that everyone is qualified for the job.
This is hugely important in many industries, but in oil and gas especially. E-permits to work are transforming how the oil and gas industry stays on top of permits to work, as it enables forms to be completed from anywhere.
Gaining control over safety in a high risk oil and gas environment is a must, and e-permits to work are helping businesses gain that control. Making permits to work available remotely, reminding businesses when they expire and allowing team members to view an individual’s file at any time in any location, means that no one is stepping into a role that they shouldn’t be.
We’re unpacking the way that e-permits to work are improving productivity in the oil and gas industry. Take a look…
Why an e-permit to work is so important in oil and gas
Well, oil and gas is traditionally a high risk sector. There are lots of hazards that mean people working in the industry need to be highly trained and well versed in safety procedures.
Because it is such a high risk industry, oil and gas comes under regulatory scrutiny. Not only in terms of safety, but in terms of environmental impact too. Crime in this area is also a pertinent risk, with violations, bribery, corruption and environmental crime rife. For this reason, a business needs to be 100% sure that everyone on site is qualified, trustworthy and has signed off on safety procedures.
Another key reason that oil and gas requires e-permits is that a lot of the work is completed remotely. This means that people need to be able to check records remotely, and a paper based system doesn’t really do the job. In a high pressure, high risk environment, people need access to records quickly and seamlessly to ensure that activities can be undertaken.
Working in the oil and gas industry requires extreme caution. E-permits to work help everyone understand the risks, confirm that they are qualified and have a better chance of taking on the job safely.
How are e-permits to work improving productivity?
- Allowing employees and contractors to work quickly and safely
Often, a challenge to productivity in oil and gas is not having the paperwork in order. In oil and gas, because there are so many hazards, there is a lot of safety paperwork that needs to be completed.
A permit is often necessary before a person can start working, as it provides an official document that establishes whether the person is eligible to do the job and ensures that they can do it safely.
Without this, the work they are supposed to be doing is stifled. This can hold up the continuation of a project, and cause a lot of frustration amongst teams.
- Minimising the risk of an incident
Alongside the obvious productivity issue of pausing work, not having a permit to work also means that there is an increased risk of an incident. When an incident occurs, major damage can ensue and productivity goes down the drain.
Not only do businesses often have to pause operations while an investigation gets underway, but employee trust is often diminished. This impacts productivity and makes everyone question the integrity and safety of the site.
In this sense, an e-permit to work system is a great way to improve productivity and lower risks. An e-permit will run through the risks and regulations on site in full transparency, so that a worker is able to sign off on their knowledge before starting work.
- An e-permit to work allows access records anytime, anywhere
Another huge challenge to productivity is workers not having access to the records to ensure that someone is able to work. It is not acceptable to leave permits to work to chance and hope that they are qualified for the job.
However, in the event that physical paperwork is missing and someone needs to start a job, often team leaders can just trust that the person is qualified without seeing the paperwork with their own eyes.
This is a massive mistake and one that cannot happen. With an e-permit to work, oil and gas workers can check anyone’s record remotely, leaving nothing to chance.
- Minimising the risk of error or loss
With an e-permit to work system, the risk of the paperwork being lost is minimal. Everything is collated into one, cloud-based system that is secure. Unlike paperwork, when using an e-permit to work, permits won’t just go missing or get lost.
This minimises the risk of error and leaves a paper trail that will last long after work is completed. With complete, up to date and long lasting records that don’t need to be stored anywhere physically, businesses can rest assured that they have full control of safety on their site.
Do you want full control of safety on your site? An e-permit to work software system could be the solution. See how it works with a free trial.
