Permit to Work

1) Does the permit system require formal assessment of competence of personnel before they are given responsibilities under the permit procedure?

2) Is a record of training and assessment maintained?

3) Are individuals provided with written confirmation of successful completion of relevant training and are these documents checked before appointments are made within the permit to work system?

4) Is there a set of properly documented isolation procedures for working on potentially dangerous items of plant and does it provide for long term isolations?<br>

5) Is there a clear requirement for work being done under a permit to be stopped in any new hazards have arisen or old hazards recurred?

6) Does the permit contain clear rules about how the job should be controlled or abandoned in the event of an emergency?

7) Does the permit system require the potential hazards at the work site to be clearly identified and recorded on the permit document?

8) Does the permit clearly specify the precautions to be taken by the issuing authority and the performing authorities?

9) Is there a procedure to bring to the attention of the site manager tasks which require inhibiting safety devices. e.g. fire detectors, to ensure that contingency plans and precautions are in place?

10) Is there a clearly laid down policy for risk assessment of high hazard activities and their control procedures? <br>a) Have method statements and risk assessments been submitted with application of permits?

11) Are the objectives of the permit to work system clearly defined and understood?

12) Is the permit system flexible enough to allow it to be applied to other potentially hazardous work, apart from that which may have been specifically identified when the system was established?

13) Are the responsibilities for the following made clear, overseeing of the permit to work system?<br>a) Permit from design and system scope?<br>b) Type of jobs subject to permit?

14) Are the types of work, types of jobs or areas where permits must be used clearly defined and known to all concerned?

15) Is it clearly laid down who may issue permits and how permits should be obtained for specific jobs?

16) Is the permit to work system recognized throughout the site or installation as being essential for certain types of work?

17) Are copies of permits that are issued for the same equipment / area kept and displayed together?

18) Is there a means of coordinating all work activities to ensure potential interactions are identified?

19) Is there a clearly laid down policy for risk assessment of high hazard activities and their control procedures?<br>a)Have method statements and risk assessments been submitted with application permits?

20) Is there provision on the permit form to cross reference other relevant certificates, permits and isolation's?

21) Is there a procedure in place to ensure that the agreement of others who could be affected by the proposed work is obtained before starting the work or preparation for it?

22) Where there are isolation's which are common to more than one permit, is there a procedure to prevent the isolation being removed before all of the permits have been signed off?

23) Does the permit to work system provide for the recipient to retain the permit and a record of live permits and suspended permits to be maintained at the point of issue?

24) Does the permit to work system require a copy of the permit to be displayed at the work place and the display of live and suspended permits so that operating staff can readily see and check plant status?

25) Do permits specify clearly the job to be done, to whom they are issued, the plant of geographical area to which work must be limited?

26) Does the recipient and work party have to sign the permit or attached sheet to show that they have both read and understand the conditions laid down in the permit?

27) Do permits specify clearly a time for expiry or renewal?

28) Does the permit include a handover mechanism for work which extends beyond a shift or other work period including work which has been suspended?

29) If a face to face handover cannot be achieved, are hand over notes left detailing all live and suspended permits?

30) Is a hand back signature required when the job is complete?

31) Is the permit to work system clearly covered during safety induction training?

32) Is there a system of spot checks to ensure that permitry requirements are being adhered to?

33) Is there a procedure for reporting any incidents that have arisen during work carried out under a permit to work?

34) Are audits carried out on the permit to work system as appropriate by people independent of the process?