Permit to work

A permit to work (PTW) system is a formal process for controlling tasks where a mistake could be fatal or affect other trades. The usual steps are:

• Request. The person in charge of the task applies for the permit, with the SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) and method attached.

• Check. An authorised issuer, usually from the principal contractor, inspects the area and confirms isolations, gas testing, fire watch or other controls are in place.

• Issue. The permit is signed, with a defined scope, location, time limit and named workers.

• Work. The permit is displayed at the work area and conditions are maintained throughout.

• Close-out. When the work is finished, the area is inspected and the permit is signed off and cancelled.

If conditions change or the permit expires, work stops until a new permit is issued.

For a deeper look, read Permits to Work: The Control That Sits Above the SWMS.

Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations, a confined space entry permit is a legal requirement before a worker enters a confined space. Most other permits are not named in the regulations, but they are a common way for a principal contractor to control high risk work and meet its duty to manage risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Typical permits on Australian commercial sites include:

• Hot work. Welding, grinding, cutting or anything that creates sparks or heat outside a designated area.

• Confined space entry. Pits, tanks, ducts, voids and other confined spaces.

• Excavation and penetration. Digging, core drilling or cutting into slabs and walls where services may be hidden.

• Electrical and services isolation. Work on or near live electrical, gas, fire or hydraulic systems.

• Work at height and roof access. Access to roofs, edges or areas without fixed protection.

• Crane lifts. Critical or non-routine lifts.

Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 also require an entry permit for confined spaces. Site and client rules often add more.

A SWMS describes how a type of high risk work will be done safely. It is prepared by the business doing the work and covers the whole task.

A permit to work authorises a specific job, at a specific place and time, after someone has checked that conditions on the day are safe. The permit usually references the SWMS. One does not replace the other: a hot works permit still needs a SWMS behind it if the task is high risk construction work.

• Signing without inspecting. A permit issued from the site office, without anyone looking at the work area, is just paperwork.

• Open-ended permits. Permits need a clear start and finish time, and must be closed out when the job is done.

• No fire watch after hot work. Fires can start well after the welder has packed up. Most hot work permits require a fire watch for a set period after work stops.

• Losing track of live permits. Without a register, two crews can work under conflicting permits in the same area.