University of glasgow safety environmental protection

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UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW Safety & Environmental Protection Services 13
Telephone: [phone] Email: [email protected]
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Appendix 2 - Permit to Work Systems
A permit to work system is a formal written system used to control certain types of work which
have been identified as especially risky. It is also a means of communication between those who
direct work (broadly, management), those who have to work in confined spaces, and those who
need to take particular notice of the work so that by their actions they do not endanger others.
The permit authorizes certain named people to do certain things, at a certain time, and which
sets out the main precautions needed to complete the work safely. Sometimes this is augmented
by a detailed method statement.
The permit to work therefore reassures those about to enter, that the work will be kept safe, and
tells those remaining outside what action they ought to take (and perhaps what action not to
take!). To achieve this, the permit system has to be flexible (to take account of the possibly
variable nature of the work) but remain a truly effective control. Any University department which
considers a permit to work system appropriate for their work (for confined space entry or any
other similar purpose) should contact SEPS for guidance on its design and implementation.
The design of a permit to work system can be complex, and rarely does the permit 'stand alone':
it is usually accompanied by a local guidance document which explains the way in which the
system is meant to operate. This check-list will help those designing or preparing a permit-to-
work system to decide whether they have covered all the essential points. If the answer to any
point is 'no', then you should ask whether the absence of this feature in the system will
compromise anyone's safety in a confined space.

Does the permit cover all the relevant legal requirements?
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does the permit clearly define the limits of the work and the location concerned?
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does the permit procedure extend to contractors and their employees?
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is compliance with the permit procedure understood by all involved as being essential for
certain types of work?
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is it clearly laid down who has the authority to issue permits?
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have personnel who issue permits been formally authorised and received suitable
training?
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do permits clearly specify to whom they are issued?
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does the recipient have to sign the permit to show that he has both read the permit and
understood the conditions laid down in it?
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does the procedure provide both for the recipient to retain the permit, and for a record of
live permits to be maintained at the point of issue?