The permit ensures that all essential safety data is made known, communicated, and understood by an organisation’s staff. Confined area entry is a typical example of a type of work where permits are needed and necessary.
A permit to work system is a document that features an outline of the work to be performed, hazards enclosed, necessary precautions, needed authorizations, and other relevant data needed to get any high-risk job done. The document is a written record authorizing a specific job, in a specific location, and for a specific timeframe.
Objectives of Permit to Work Systems
Traditionally, permit to work systems were derived from industries in extremely high-risk industries as a best practice for managing dangerous work activities such as hot work or confined space entry. The system was designed to make sure that all risks involved were properly assessed for every single job activity.
The authorisation process gives the ability to coordinate all work activities in order to prevent any possible risk(s) that would be created by simultaneous operations. Basically, companies try to achieve the following objectives with a permit to work system:
- To create a process to help manage hazardous work safely
- To create a process that incorporates risk assessments with permit coordination
- To ensure the work to be done is scoped and risk is properly analyzed
- To gain real-time visibility in order to coordinate work activity
- To obtain enough data to help optimise processes and conduct all investigative work
All these objectives work together to make a permit to work systems one of the most important components of any organisation that operates within high-risk industries.
Challenges and Opportunities for Permit to Work Systems
When organisations deploy electronic permit to work systems (ePTW) in their companies, they must properly ensure the process does not become a default, back-office activity that they set and forget. Instead, it needs to be a continuous process executed by anyone performing work to make sure risks are identified and proper controls are put in place.
Safety managers face the challenge of not only driving improvements in their company’s EHS programs, but they are also under pressure to ensure that they do not undermine operational efficiency in the process. Therefore, safety managers are must look for smart and simple solutions to help them tackle this complex issues and Beakon’s all-in-one safety management software is the solution.
Not only does our software have ePTW systems, but it also comprises other important safety components such as injury management, contractor onboarding, and risk assessment among others. You can take advantage of a free trial of our software today to begin enjoying the ease of use our clients have grown accustomed to already.
